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“It is.”

“What about the other one?” Kai asks, eyes roaming the crowd while her fingers tap along Maverick’s knee.

“He was such an asshole,” Mellie snarls. “Seriously, who doesn’t tell their omega they look edible? I’d fuck you in that getup. Platonically, of course.”

“Of course.” The urge to defend my alpha is strong, but I did that for eight years. Longer, if you count Pack Parker’s extended courting process. I can’t do that with Connor. “We’re still finding our footing, I guess. It’s not that I think he isn’t interested, it’s just…”

The urge to keep secrets swells, but I shut it down almost immediately. If I’d told my friends what was happening with Pack Parker, maybe they would’ve gotten me out sooner. I could’ve made an exit plan. Gathered enough evidence to prove their neglect so I wouldn’t be so fucked in my court case right now.

I can’t change the past, but I can change how I react in the future.

“He’s hiding something.” I hadn’t realized how much that bothers me until the words tumble out.

Kai’s energy shifts and she straightens, looking far more lethal than I’ve seen in a while. “You think he’s cheating?”

“God, no.” I know in my bones that Connor Morgan is not fucking around on me. “It’s something else. He says it’s not bad and that he’ll tell me eventually, but I can’t stop thinking about it. Especially because he’s gone all the time.”

Lacey squeezes my hand, offering reassurance. “I mean, you said he was busy with a client, right?”

“Yeah, but at all hours of the night? I mean, he’s barely sleeping, and he’s definitely not sleeping with me.” My mouth snaps shut on a wince. I didn’t mean to say that.

Of course, my friends immediately tense. They know what happened with my exes, they know how often I was left alone, and they think they know the damage it did. No one really does, though. That’s a secret I’m not sure I’ll ever expose.

“What the fuck does that mean?” When I don’t answer, Kai narrows her eyes.“Daphne.”

“He hasn’t been in my nest outside of one night and it was over a month ago,” I whisper.

My friends look like I’ve just brained them, but Maverick recovers first. “Are you shitting me?”

“I wish I wasn’t.”

“Has he been neglecting you?” Mellie’s more serious than I’ve ever seen and I think that above everything else makes me nervous.

“No! I mean…maybe? It’s not the same as before, though.”

Her eyes narrow. “You mean, where your alphas were too busy making money that they ignored your need for physical attention and closeness?”

“Okay, maybe it is a little like that. But he’s not ignoring me outright. He’s sending me photos and texts, checking to make sure I’m taken care of.”

“That’s the bare fucking minimum.” Lacey and Mel share a look that tells me they’ve been worried about exactly this and I feel their disappointment like a weight over my shoulders.

Kai sits back, nearly vibrating against Maverick’s chest. “What about the others?”

“Nate and Dez sleep with me every night.”

“That’s good, but you need your whole pack. Especially after everything with the fuckfaces. Do they know?—?”

“No.” I’ve told Pack Morgan a lot, but there are some things I haven’t been able to voice. Some wounds that still fester because I can’t work through them yet. Until I do, I can’t talk it out with the guys.

“That’s okay, you take your time. We just think it might help him understand this is a biological need to have him around, not just a desire.” Lacey’s so gentle with me, so careful of my feelings while being unafraid to call me out. I need it right now.

“Connor leaves me a shirt every morning on my dresser, so I think he comes in to check on me before he leaves for work. He just isn’t sleeping there.”

Kai sets her still full drink down. “That’s great and all, but I can tell how unsettled you are. Talk to him. Tell him you need more time, or this isn’t going to work.”

I don’t want to give him an ultimatum because history says I won’t end be victorious. “What if he’s trying to let me down easy?”

“Then he needs to be an adult and say it to your face. You don’t deserve this, Daph.”