Page 24 of Puck My Life

She knows that.

Is it the girlfriends?

They’re nothing to us.

Doesn’t she know that she’s our Vae? She’s one of us. Family. Besides…it’s been a long time since I touched one of them. They hold no interest for me.

She knocks on Deacon’s door and, to my irritation, he walks out naked, with morning wood.

Vae stumbles back, letting out a cute little meep.

“Morning, Hook. Do you need something from me?” The sly innuendo in his tone says he’s planned this well in advance.

Her eyes are wide as she looks down and then jerks her eyes back up to his face. Her cheeks burn red.

“You have…um, uh, practice. You need to get ready for practice.”

Deacon scratches his chin and reaches up to the top of the door frame and stretches. Asshole.

“Do I?”

“Yes, you have, and just get ready!” She snaps and stalks off.

Deacon catches her and hugs her from behind. Her eyes get huge, and her mouth drops open. I’m not jealous, I’m not. But the way her eyes glaze is really interesting.

Deacon lets her go. “What would we do without you?”

Okay, what is he up to now?

Vae must think the same thing because she wriggles free from his hold and bolts past me into the kitchen.

“Really, Deacon?” I hiss at him. I grab a t-shirt off the door handle and toss it at his head.

He bats it away and smirks, slowly reaching down to stroke his cock before slipping into Mal’s room. Two minutes later, I hear the rhythmic thumping and groans as my pack fuck each other’s brains out.

But I keep eyes on Vae. I half expect her to run, but she holds her ground, getting smaller and smaller.

I catch that honeycomb candy scent in the air again and find myself staring at her, a question I don’t dare voice hanging in the air. In the next second, I convince myself that I’m wrong. She exhales and relaxes.

“Let me show you Maria’s recipe book.”

I refocus on her scowl. “I’m an artist, not a cook.”

She scoffs. “You can do anything; you’re Raynor.”

“Whilst your blind faith in my abilities warms the cockles of my heart, I can confidently tell you that not even a pot of boiling water is safe around me. And you well know it.”

She closes her eyes. “I need you to try, Raynor. I need you to help me get Mal and Pan on board.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t want to be the reason their careers get flushed down the dunny.”

“So stay.”

She stares at me, and, for the first time in forever, I don’t see Vae, my best friend, or Vae, who is my family. I see a stranger, a young beta who is capable, talented, and floating away from me as surely as the wind steals a stray feather. I am afraid to lose her, but it seems inevitable.

I don’t want her to say what I know is coming, but I brace myself for it.