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Excitement steals my breath. Are they going to take me out to a fancy restaurant before dragging me into the nest for the rest of the night? Are we going to christen every inch of the pack house? Will they let me say my apologies on my knees?

I hope so. What a perfect way to show my alphas how good I can be. How much I believe in them.

A few final signatures on the contract, the papers to pack us up and the marriage certificate later, Taylorson tucks everythingaway. “Congratulations, Pack Parker. You officially have an omega.” He shakes with my alphas, then reaches for Father. “I’ll file this and ensure all parties have a copy of the contract.”

Father shakes once, then drops the lawyer like his touch is offensive. “Send the other copy to me. We’ll keep it safe for Daphne. No need for her to stress about losing it during the move.”

With Taylorson gone, everyone seems to relax. Father pulls a simpering Mother away from her new sons-in-law. His perfunctory cheek kiss feels like the end of a chapter and the beginning of a happier one, even with his gruff reprimand. “Behave.”

Lance tucks me under his arm with that smile that makes my cheeks burn. “We’ll take good care of her, Mr. Barnes.”

“I’m sure you will, boys. Let’s go, Lori.”

“Of course. Good luck, Daphne.” Mother pats my hand and slips out behind him, leaving us alone for the first time.

I want to tell my alphas how excited I am, how long I’ve waited for this, how good I’ll be, but I barely get a breath in before Jacob’s frowning at his watch again.

“We need to go, or we’ll be late for the meeting.”

The words rattle around in my head, sucking the joy away in a slow, painful slide. “Meeting?”

Corey and Lance avoid eye contact while Jacob sighs. “We’re seeing a new client tonight and we still need to finalize the announcement for all of this.”

He waves at our pack like its nothing more than an item on his checklist. Mundane and expected instead of a life-changing event. We just gotmarried,and he’s more worried about the optics than his wife.

Lance shoots a glance at his pack lead before twisting to face me. His hands feel nice on my skin as they stroke my biceps, scent calming my racing thoughts. “I’m sorry, but it was alast-minute thing, and we can’t reschedule. Our housekeeper is waiting for you, though. She’ll get you settled, and we’ll see you later.”

“I’ve never even been to your house,” I whisper, trying to curb the urge to cry. Today hasn’t been what I expected, and the optimism I walked in with has slowly faded.

We’re supposed to spend a few hours putting things to rights, then christen my room. The nest. The whole fucking house. Instead, I’m going to be alone in a new home in a new city.

“Sorry, Daphne, but it’s only a few hours. I promise we’ll make it up to you.” Lance runs a hand over my head, tangling his fingers in my curls. He yanks them out with a distracted frown. Fire burns along my scalp, and I barely keep my yelp contained. Just one more thing to deal with today.

“You’ll be home before bed, though. Right?”

“Of course.” Corey slips behind me, lips grazing over my neck. “We have plans for you, omega.”

The giddy anticipation is back, along with a warmth between my thighs I need them to soothe. The urge to hold him closer, to dig my teeth into his pristine neck. “Okay.”

“Thank you, baby. You’re the best.” He kisses me hard, squeezing my hips until they hurt before guiding me downstairs to the waiting town car where my alphas give me one last kiss goodbye.

“We’ll see you tonight,” Lance promises as he closes the door. They’re gone before we’ve even pulled away, and I try not to let it bother me.

That night, I dress in new lingerie, settling into the nest to wait, but my alphas don’t come home. I do the same the next night, only to be disappointed again. Every call goes to voicemail, every text is unanswered. I spend the moments they’re gone in my empty nest, cuddled under clothes that barely smell like pack.

Four days after signing the contract, my alphas finally return with presents and promises that it’ll never happen again. Despite my heartache, I choose to believe them, smiling and laughing through every happy moment as we consummate our union.

But I don’t get my bond, and I never forget the feeling of being alone in the dark.

TIME FOR CHANGE

DEZ

September 23,five years ago

There’s a restlessness inside me that will not quit. An unsettling that no amount of canvas or paint can fix. Five years since our lives imploded and nothing’s been the same.

Nate spends his nights working at the garage instead of sleeping in his own bed. Connor works so much that it’s a miracle to see him twice a week, even though we own a company together.