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“Did she like it?” I ask, unable to help myself.

“Every minute of it. But you need to fix this,” Finn says, nodding toward the door. “She thinks she’s unwanted here. After what you just said, she probably thinks you hate her.”

“That’s the last thing…” I start, but Finn cuts me off.

“I know that. You know that. But she doesn’t. Go after her, Kane. Before she convinces herself, she’s better off alone.”

I don’t wait for him to leave. I brush past him and stride down the hallway toward Mia’s room. My mind races with everything I need to say, all the ways I need to apologize. I’ve never been good with words- action has always been my language, but for her, I need to try.

Reaching her door, I pause. My enhanced hearing picks up her soft sniffles from inside, and the sound makes my wolf whine with distress.

I’ve made our omega cry. The realization sits like a stone inmy gut. I knock gently, resting my forehead against the cool wood of her door.

“Mia?” I call softly. “Can we talk?”

There’s a moment of silence, and then her small voice answers, “I’d rather be alone right now if that’s okay.”

It’s not okay. Nothing about this is okay.

I want to break down the door, gather her in my arms, and show her just how much she means to me, to all of us. But I know that would only frighten her more.

“I just want to apologize,” I say, fighting to keep my voice gentle.

“It’s fine,” she replies, but her voice is thick with tears. “I understand. I just… I need some time.”

I rest my palm flat against the door, imagining her warmth through the wood. “Take all the time you need. I’ll be here when you’re ready to talk.”

She doesn’t respond, and I don’t push. Instead, I stand there for a long moment, listening to her quiet breathing, hating the distance between us.

Finally, I step back from the door. My wolf is howling in protest, demanding I go to her, comfort her, claim her. But I force myself to turn away. She needs space, and I will give it to her, even if it kills me.

As I walk back toward my office, shame and regret weigh heavily on my shoulders. I’m the alpha of this pack. I’m supposed to protect and care for our omega, not hurt her with careless words.

I’ve screwed everything up, and now I have to find a way to fix it. Somehow, I have to show Mia that she’s special to me, that without her, nothing feels right anymore, and that her honey scent has become as necessary to me as air.

“Fuck,” I whisper, closing my eyes.

Mia

Angry tears well up in my eyes as I stare at my phone, scrolling through apartment listings.

Kane’s words still echo in my mind, cutting deeper than they should, considering I barely know him.

My fingers tremble as I swipe through studios and one-bedroom homes, each listing a reminder of how desperate my situation has become.

I need to get out. I need to escape from Justin. From these strange, intense men who have suddenly invaded my life. From everyone.

“Twelve hundred for a studio?” I whisper to the empty room, swiping past yet another overpriced shoebox. “I’d need to work two jobs.”

I need to find something as cheap as the apartment complex Justin and I shared. I’ve been hiding in this room for hours, nursing my wounded pride and plotting my escape.

The bed beneath me is so soft. It’s nothing like the lumpy mattress Justin and I used to share. The thought of him sends a fresh wave of anger through me. It was his idea to put only his name on the lease, claiming it would be "easier" that way. Easier for him to control me and one more chain binding me to him.

“God, I’m such an idiot,” I mutter, switching to another rental website.

My stomach growls, reminding me I haven’t eaten since breakfast. The hunger pangs twist in my gut, but the thought of venturing out and facing Kane after his outburst makes me curl deeper into myself. Maybe I can wait until everyone’s asleep so I can sneak into the kitchen.

I shift on the bed and feel a distinct coolness between my thighs. My leggings. The ripped leggings that Finn tore open with those long, dangerous fingers of his. Heat rushes tomy face as I remember what happened in the car. His hand sliding between my thighs, fingers finding my wetness with such precision. It was as if he knew my body better than I did. And the way I spread my legs for him like some desperate, sex-starved animal.