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“A soft side,” I say with a smile. “Something to go along with that romantic side you keep trying to hide from me.”

“You want me to stop hiding it?” He cradles the nape of my neck and leans into me.

“Yes, I think I do.”

“Done.”

I study him, not sure I want to ask this question, but knowing I need to. “What was she like? Aly?”

What I mean is, was she like me? Am I enough like her, except for the designation part, that I’ll do as a replacement?

“We’re not trying to replace you, Della.”

I scrunch my nose. “Am I that easy to read?”

“Your eyes, yes.” His smile is brief. “She was a neighbor. Quiet unless you knew her. Long dark hair, green eyes. Pretty. She noticed Levi was going through shit before anyone else did, helped him, and us too, when our parents died. She was a nurturer.”

“Do you miss her?” It sounds like he misses her a heap. Enough to make me question what he would want with me, because I’m no nurturer.

“She was our omega. Yes, I miss her. But…”

“But?”

“I was a different person then. We all were.”

“And this version of you wants me?”

He nods. “Yup.”

“Because?”

“All the small pieces that make you who you are make you perfect for me. And for us.” His friendly expression turns serious. “Don’t compare, Della. I try not to think about who you were with before us because it only pisses me off.”

“Why would it piss you off?”

He brushes his lips against mine. “Because.”

I’m smiling as I slide my arms around his waist. “Don’t you dare get all vague. I threatened Vincent with a frying pan before, and we are inches away from a cast-iron one.”

“Despite you trimming off my caveman beard, I am still an alpha. Sharing with pack is different. You, with anyone else, makes me want to wrap my hands around their throat and squeeze.”

“Oh.”

“Yes, oh.” His eyes dip to my mouth. “Before I kiss you like I want to, are you ready for this? If you need a year or ten, I’ll wait. Whatever you need.”

I want to be, but I can’t pretend that sleeping with Levi didn’t throw me into a nightmare. Maybe I would have had a nightmare no matter what. I don’t know. But as much as I want to pretend that I’m okay, and everything that happened to me is behind me, it isn’t.

It can rear its head anytime.

“Della?” he asks quietly, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

“I—"

“You said something about plastic surgery,” a male voice scares the shit out of me.

Xavier and I yell, nearly cracking our heads together as we turn to face Vincent in the kitchen doorway. He’s fully dressed.

I massage the soreness from the side of my neck. “Damn,” I mutter. “You gave me whiplash or something.”

“Remind me what you said about plastic surgery,” he demands.

I stare at him. “You scared me shitless because of Ms. Huffman's plastic surgery?”

“No. You said something important. I didn’t realize it was important until now.”

“There was a rumor around school. Ms. Huffman’s cheating husband left her for a waitress.”

“ And ?”

I shrug. “That’s it. I mean, it’s just gossip. Though maybe not the ‘spa retreats’ where she goes to get more work done. She is remarkably wrinkle-free for fifty.”

Without a word, Vincent spins on his heel and walks away.

The front door clicks open and slams shut.

I turn to Xavier. “What the hell is up with your brother?”

He’s frowning at the door. “I have no clue.” His gaze returns to mine, and heat fills them. “Now, where were we?”

“We were?—”

Vincent returns and points his finger at Xavier. “You’re coming with me.”

“Where?” Xavier straightens.

“We need information.”

“On?”

“I’ll explain on the way.” Vincent turns around. “Get dressed. I’ll wait for you in the car.”

I open my mouth.

“Not you, Della. You’ve got bags under your eyes. Go to sleep.”

“But I?—”

“That wasn’t a suggestion.”

My back stiffens. “You have a real thing about giving orders.”

His tone doesn’t change, but he must be inwardly laughing when he says, “I know. It’s why I did so well when I went into politics.”

The front door slams shut, and I scowl at Xavier.

“Don’t look at me like that. We’re related, but we’re nothing alike.”

True. “What do you think this is about?”

Xavier shrugs. “Sounds like we might be a step closer to finding Aly’s killer.”

“And then?”

He shrugs again. “Who knows? I never thought about what we’d do next. Until now.”

I arch an eyebrow. “Until now?”

“You. Until you.” He drops a kiss on my cheek. “Stay inside, beautiful.”

“I’ll stay with her.” Levi nearly gives me a heart attack, emerging from the darkened entryway.

I place a hand on my pounding heart. “What’s the deal with you all roaming in the dark? Is this why you have so little furniture? To avoid tripping over it?"

Xavier grins and heads upstairs to get dressed while I go to the living room instead of back to my room. I want to be awake when Xavier and Vincent return from their errand.

Levi takes the seat on the couch next to me and passes me a blanket, which he must have disappeared to get for me. “Here.”

“Thanks.”

He is not wearing a shirt either.

“It’s like shirts and light switches were never invented tonight,” I mutter as footsteps sound on the staircase and Xavier calls out a goodbye before the front door slams shut.

“What did you say?” Levi asks.

“Nothing.”

I offer him half the blanket. “Want to share my blanket?”

“You don’t hate me?” he asks, making no move to take it.

I pass him half the blanket anyway. His pecs are distracting me from an important conversation we should have had hours ago. “I never hated you. I heard something that hurt. That’s what I do. When someone hurts me, I lash out.”

A line forms between his eyebrows. “What did you hear?”

“I heard you say it was a mistake. Us. That’s what I get for having my ear to a closed door, huh? Clearly, I learned nothing from that filthy motel.” I quip, trying to pretend it hadn’t been a dagger in the gut.

He stares at me, then mutters a curse as he slumps back into the couch, not just shocked, but devastated. “You heard that?”

I nod.

“What else?”

“Just that. I mean, I figured I’d heard plenty, and I’m no masochist to go looking for more pain. Hmm. Maybe I did learn a little something from the motel and?—”

He kisses me hard and deep, reminding me of how perfect that night was and how much I didn’t want it to end. He breaks it as suddenly as he started it.

Cupping the nape of my neck, he looks me right in the eye.

“It was not a mistake. It will never be a mistake. I just… I didn’t want to rush you after what happened to you.

” I open my mouth to tell him that he didn’t rush me, but he continues.

“And I did. You had a nightmare because of me . You should hate me.”

“The things those alphas did to me triggered the nightmare.” I poke him in the chest. “It wasn’t your fault. Do I need to poke you again, or do you believe me now?”

He gives me a searching look and pulls me into a hug. “I don’t deserve you.” His voice is gruff and gentle, igniting a new warmth in my heart.

“I’m not all that.” I wind my arms around his waist, my cheek against his chest. “Thanks for making my bed for me.”

He kisses the top of my head. “Xavier is shit at it. You’d have still been waiting for him to finish if he’d been the one to do it.”

Laughing, I tighten my arms around him. “Really?”

“Really.” He pulls back to look down at me, and his eyes are soft as he tucks hair behind my ear. “And you are all that. Even if you don’t want to see it, I do. We all do.”