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VIC

J osie’s hand lands on top of mine, and my world freezes.

She’s always extremely careful not to have skin-to-skin contact since she can’t feel when a Match is found.

In the past, I never pushed it, wanting to respect her boundaries.

Now thought? I absolutely feel it, and it’s almost like time stops as the realization sinks in.

I was right.

I’ve thought we are a Match for years, but with how careful Josie is, I’ve been respectful not to touch her skin to skin.

The closest we come is when I put my nose in her hair to smell her, even then I’m careful not to touch her scalp.

When she touches my hand, though? A rush of energy zips through me, lighting my nerve endings up and bringing an awareness of her that I didn’t have before.

It’s almost like seeing color for the first time.

Everything’s the same, but there’s more depth to it now.

Her eyes shoot up to lock on mine, and I can see the panic running through her.

She didn’t mean to touch me, and I’m sure she’s having an internal meltdown over the “what ifs” now.

When she lifts her hand from mine, I have my own panic moment and quickly grab it back.

I thread our fingers together, and she responds exactly the way I’d hoped, by accepting the touch.

“Josie,” I whisper, needing to clear my throat before I can go on.

“It’s fine, Victor, really, um, we can just pretend I didn’t touch you and… and just…”

“Listen,” I tell her more sharply than intended.

She stills and focuses on me. “I have suspected we are Matches for a long time. However, you are more important to me than having a Match is. I am fucking elated to tell you I feel the Match, but I also know you. I know you’re not really ready for it, and that’s okay.

I’m not leaving you. Okay? You’re still my Josie Girl, and I’m still your Vic. ”

“Do you promise?” she whispers.

“Yeah, sweetheart, I promise.”

I see her breathe out and relax her body, and the tension she was carrying starts to drift away.

This girl needs to be touched and cuddled by someone, and now that she knows we’re Matches, maybe she’ll let me.

My touch will actually help, rather than drain her.

Not as much as a full Bond with a Pack, but it will help a little.

“Can… Can we snuggle?” I ask, “It might help since the Match is there. I’m not asking to solidify anything tonight.”

Josie smiles, “I think I would really like that.”

I shift on the couch, using its L shape to move into the corner where I can prop myself up and stretch out my legs.

Holding my arms out, Josie takes the bait and wedges herself between my body and the couch.

Her hand darts out to grab a fuzzy blanket, so I help her pull it over us so we’re cozy and toasty.

Her cheek rubs into my chest where she’s getting comfortable, and I wonder if she’s aware that she just scent-marked me. I haven’t had a chance to see this side of Josie before, so I’m curious to see what else she’s going to surprise me with. I can’t wait to find out.

Josie and I snuggled for hours before I realized how late it was getting.

So, I left and now I’m walking into my house, still feeling like I’m on cloud nine.

It’ll be a slow process courting Josie, but it’ll be well worth it.

I know Simon will love her, and everything is going to be fine.

Even if he doesn’t Match, he’ll be happy to be Pack with her.

I find Simon on the couch, watching a reality baking show.

Taking a moment to admire him, I stand quietly, leaning against the wall.

He can’t quite see me from this angle, but I can see him, and I love watching all the microexpressions that cross his face.

Grinning, I take a seat on the couch next to him.

“I thought you’d never sit down,” he comments in that deep bass of his.

“How’d you know I was standing there?” I pout.

He’s still looking at the TV as he speaks, “Your scent. It’s stronger than usual, and you smell like someone else.”

Frowning, I look between the TV and him. “Are you upset with me?”

He sighs and pauses his show. We sit in silence for a moment while he gathers his thoughts.

“I’m worried about whose smell you have on you. You’re super happy, I can tell that much, so either you’ve finally met an Omega you want or your Match. I’m not mad, just… well, I don’t know how to put it into words.”

“Josie. You smell Josie. She’s my Match, her hand accidentally touched mine, and that confirmed it for me,” I tell him softly.

He finally turns to look at me, and I can see the confusion and heartbreak on his face. Does this asshole really think I’m going to leave him? God, why do the two people I love seem to think I’m going to leave at any moment? I refuse to lose either of them. I reach a hand out to him.

“Come here, please?”

Simon hesitates for a moment before taking my hand and moving closer to me.

“At least take a good smell, tell me what you think,” I suggest softly.

He leans in close, first taking a deep inhale at my neck, greedily taking in my own scent first. Then he moves down to my shirt and chest, taking his time to savor Josie’s smell.

It’s not the same need that he had smelling me, but I can tell he doesn’t hate it.

I can tell his dick doesn’t hate it either.

“Fuck,” he groans softly.

Hook, line, and sinker.

“Amazing, right?”

“I’ve never smelled something that feels like a slap in the face before. It’s amazing, so full of cinnamon and sweetness. I almost want to lick your shirt,” he says with a small smile.

“So what’s your hesitation?” I ask. “I can see your brain working through some shit, and while I know you and Mr. Happy down there like the smell, you’re not as pleased as I had hoped.”

He sits back in his own space, licking his lips as if the scent is tangible to his tongue. Closing his eyes, he heaves a deep sigh, putting his words together as best he can.

“There’s no guarantee that a Match is there for me, or that she’ll even like me. If one is there, she can reject me as a Match. If one isn’t there, she might just reject me to get you all to herself. If she wants a full Pack, I don’t know if I can do it.” He shrugs.

I reach out and take his chin gently, holding his face so he’s looking at me.

“I don’t want to lose either of you. I refuse to do it. We’ll find a way to make it work even if Josie doesn’t like you. If, for whatever reason, you guys don’t get along, we’ll find a way to make it work. I swear it.”

“I want to believe you, but it’s really hard when everything feels so off-kilter.”

Using my hand, I pull his face to mine and kiss him gently, trying to convey to him that he matters without being pushy.

I may not be an Alpha, but I can be just as pushy as one.

Knowing the situation is delicate, I try to handle it as such.

There’s something Simon isn’t telling me, and I bet it’s about what happened to him.

He’s never told me the full story of his bad experience, and I’ve never asked.

It might be time to have some serious discussions.

We pull apart and look at each other for a moment before my mouth starts running again. “I think there’s some other shit that we need to talk through as well.”

Simon sighs and leans against the back of the couch. “Okay, give it to me.”

“Did you feel the Pack Pull to the guy from the coffee shop the other day?” I ask.

I’m not sure if Simon will admit to it one way or the other, but his reaction to the guy makes me think the pull was there.

I know he’s generally uninterested in Pack, but he’s not cold or stand-offish as a rule.

So, why the hesitance? I brace myself, telling my brain that I need to remain calm for Simon so he doesn’t feel attacked.

He sighs, “I’m not sure, but maybe?”

“Have you felt it before?” I ask.

“Yeah,” Simon murmurs. I almost don’t hear him because he’s talking so quietly.

“You don’t have to tell me until you’re ready, but I’m curious why you’re so hesitant. Do you think I’m going to abandon you?”

Simon’s hands cover his face, muffling his answer, “Yeah, I’m afraid of that.”

My eyebrows shoot sky high. I hadn’t actually thought he’d feel that way.

It makes sense, though, now that I think about it.

He’s happy enough to be physical, and when it’s just me, everything is great, but his insecurity skyrockets when others come into play.

He doesn’t play games or push anyone away, but he does get really quiet and keeps to himself.

I reach out hesitantly and put my hand on his knee.

“Simon, I’m never going to abandon you.”

I hear a sigh filter between his hands. “That’s what they said, too.”

Frowning, I turn my body fully toward his, making sure I keep contact with him.

“Tell me, Si, please.”

Hands falling from his face, he looks at me with watery eyes, and I gaze back steadily at him. Trying to show him, without words, that I’m here for him. I always will be, even if he decides to reject the Pack Pull and go his own way. If he does, it’ll hurt like hell, but I want him happy.

“In college, before I met you, there was this group of people. A few Betas, two Alphas, and they were hoping to find an Omega,” he clears his throat, “Honestly, the idea of an Omega terrifies me, but only because I’m worried I’ll never be enough for one.

So, after a few months of hanging around with them, they started talking about Packing up and being serious about courting an Omega.

Even though I wasn’t bonded in, they swore we’d all stay together.

When it came time to start making dates, I tried to be a part of it, but they shut me out.

“One night, I saw them out on a date with someone new, and just knew it was an Omega. So I walked over to them and asked what was happening, wanting to know why they had gone out without me. All they would say is that I was a joke, and they were surprised I hung around as long as I had without any kind of commitment from them. The Omega looked sympathetic, but she hadn’t ever met me, so she didn’t interfere.

When I tried to introduce myself, one of the Alphas clocked me and told me to stay away.

The Alpha had a class ring on and split my eyebrow. Thus, my charming scar.”

My heart is frozen, and my lungs are screaming for air.

I’m pretty sure I stopped breathing as he told me about his past. For someone to string along another with the promise of a future Pack is awful.

Add in how they treated him when he saw their date, and I hope like hell they never found their Omega.

They don’t deserve one. The anger washes through my body, and I feel my heart go into overdrive, rage taking over my body, making me shake.

“Those motherfuck—” I stand and pace angrily around the room. “Who the hell do they think they are? Who treats someone that way? Especially you , you’re amazing! What are their names? I’m gonna go beat the shit out of every single one of them!”

Simon stands and puts his hands on my shoulders.

I look down slightly at him, the anger making my hands shake.

One of his hands lifts to my face, cupping my cheek as he searches my eyes for something.

I have no idea what he’s looking for, but he must see it because he pulls me tight to him.

I grasp him hard, my arms banding around him protectively as he buries his face in my neck.

“We’re Pack, aren’t we?” Simon whispers into my neck.

“Yeah, Si, we are.”

“I don’t… I don’t know if I can handle a full Pack, Vic.”

“One day at a time, okay? I’m not leaving you, but I’m not going to force a bond on you either.”

He nods, and his hair tickles me a little as he does so. I understand why he pulls away now, and I’m so grateful he opened up to me like this. I only hope that I can be his rock the way he needs me to be.