Page 55 of The Pack Next Door (The Wolfverse #4)

Briar

I was trying to let Jace down easy, but that winning grin, the way he made a show of listening to every word, had me smiling despite myself.

Didn’t change the conversation I needed to have with him though. I sucked in a breath, ready to make my case when the cook called out, “Thirty-two!”

“Saved by the bell,” I said, getting to my feet, ready to retrieve our order.

Jace got their first, making sure to thank the man, then carried the food outside. If I thought he was distracted by the savoury smells coming from the paper packaging, I was wrong. Those keen eyes found mine in the darkness as we walked towards the pier.

“We’ve talked about this,” I said finally. “I told you what I was thinking.”

“Not what you were feeling.”

We found a concrete picnic table and he unpacked the food with a flourish.

My juice bottle lid was cracked, then he handed it over.

I shook my head. He was treating me like a child, but I sat down anyway.

The stomach I had been studiously ignoring all day started making its presence known very insistently.

I was almost nauseous with hunger, collecting a few chips and crunching on them before hauling a piece of fish my way.

Jace spared me a look, obviously happy to be proven right as I demolished it in seconds.

Catching my breath, I paused and then finally met his gaze.

“What’s there to say?” There was way more challenge in my tone than I meant, but he just sat there, pulling a piece of fish off and munching it, waiting me out.

My wolf started to whine and pace inside me.

The silvery shine of his eyes made clear his animal was looking right at mine.

My therapist looked at me the same way, right before she told me I was intellectualising again.

“Everything went the way I expected it to. Well,” I winced when I remembered the last trial, “except for capture the flag.”

His chewing stopped, his whole body going still, and then I was feeling bad.

“See, that’s why I don’t want to talk about this. I’m just hurting you for no reason.”

“Hurting who?” He made a show of sitting up straight, hands on the paper. “I’m just your friend, ready to listen. So what happened at this trial thing?”

My lips twisted as I shook my head, and for a moment, I considered steering this conversation back to safer waters. Maybe because I was tired, even hangry, as he said, but I sucked in a breath and let him have it.

“Growing up, every girl was transfixed by the idea of revealing as an omega,” I explained.

“It meant that all the uncertainty of beta life was gone. You didn’t have to worry about what you would do or who you’d spend it with.

Fate had already decided. I’d find my mates in one of the younger packs in town and then I’d spend my life pampered by them.

I’d have a…” I paused, then forged on. “A few kids and ensure the family line continued, all while being adored by the men fate chose for me.”

My focus shifted, following the dark shapes of the waves on the beach beyond as they pulled back and then rushed back in again.

“But that’s not what happened. I revealed as an omega, only to find out I wasn’t fated to be with any of the packs in town.

Nor the next town or the next…” My voice trailed away, swallowed by the hiss of the sea.

“All the certainty I thought was my birthright was stripped from me and I had to work out what the hell to do instead.”

My focus snapped back to Jace.

“So I did. I built something solid…” A frown as I remembered how shaky the foundations of that was. The phone calls, all of those damaged pieces… “Well, up until last week. But here’s the thing, Jace.”

He didn’t correct me. We weren’t playing the game where he was a female friend and confidante. He asked for this, I reminded myself, so he couldn’t complain about what he got.

“A lot of beta women talk about the fact that if a man doesn’t add value to their existing life, they don’t want him in it.

It sounded kinda transactional the first couple of times I heard it, but I think I understand now.

Women have been doing it for themselves for some time now, making their own happiness, their own wellbeing their priority, because no one else will.

That’s what I did. All on my own and without the aid of any alphas.

My business, my heat, all of it. I managed it all.

So when it became clear you guys weren’t at all interested in fitting into my life here… ”

I looked around me, seeing the pier with fresh eyes. The first time I saw the sea was down here, my mind unable to comprehend so much water in one place.

“That tracked. I don’t really get why you’ve had a change of heart, but in the end…

” The sounds of the wind, of seagulls whirling overhead, helped drag this out of me.

“It doesn’t really matter. Do whatever you need to, but my decision still stands.

I have a life I love living, a home that’s all mine, and I’m not jeopardising my peace for anyone. ”

I’m not sure what response I was expecting. My chest heaved as I sucked in breaths, my body betraying a reaction that didn’t manage to penetrate the cool of my brain.

“I guess it would be kinda scary.” My brows drew down as I stared at him, unable to understand where this was going.

“To relinquish any kind of control after you’ve demonstrated that you’re eminently capable of keeping it all together.

” This was about as serious as I’d ever seen Jace.

It was as if he was another person. Silver eyed, speaking slowly but with complete confidence.

“To trust someone to take any of the burdens off your shoulders, especially when we’ve already proven how fallible we can be. ”

“That’s not what I meant,” I said.

“Isn’t it? What if we turned up for you every day?

What if you came to rely on us? What if you trusted us to do some of the shit that doesn’t require your skill set?

” His questions hit me hard, leaving me staring at him with incomprehension.

“We managed to prove every one of your fears correct, and for that I’m more sorry than I could say. ”

Jace toyed with a chip but didn’t eat it.

“Say sorry and make amends. Not sure who taught us that, because it wasn’t my family.

” He nodded slowly. “Don’t know what else but to do that.

” His eyes narrowed as he saw me just sitting there.

“Make sure you’re looked after, that’s one thing.

Not gonna pretend you don’t have an emergency at work.

You do. Not gonna say don’t worry your pretty little head about it.

” His smile was rueful. “I know how little good that will do me. But I do know that you are going to be able to roll with the punches and meet the challenges of the day with proper rest, food, and hydration.” The chip dropped to the paper.

“Which makes me realise I should’ve suggested somewhere a bit more health conscious for us to eat dinner at. ”

“I’ll have you know I lived off McDonalds Happy Meals most of the first year I spent in the city,” I replied despite myself.

“Omega…” He groaned and then caught himself. “Briar, if making sure you get something decent to eat is something we can take off your shoulders, consider it done. Now, I’m convincing myself that fish at least has omega threes in it, so eat up.”

I did, because otherwise I’d be forced to consider what he said.

Jace’s words rattled around in my head the entire drive home.

I dropped him off at his hotel, noting how close it was to my place, but before he got out, he darted over, pressing a kiss to my cheek before I had a chance to stop him, his grin making clear he knew he was taking liberties.

“So, I’ll see you bright and early for breakfast then.”

“What?” He jerked the door open and got out. “No, I?—”

“Promised, remember?” Jace leant down to stare at me. “I got the tally done, and you said you’d have dinner and breakfast with me. Well, I’m a man that lives up to his promises now, as you’re about to see.”

I sucked in a breath, ready to let him know that this wasn’t needed, but he closed the door firmly, winking through the window at me before sauntering off through the hotel foyer door.

Bastard.

He made sure he had the last word, something he was well aware of, leaving me to stew in the car. Maybe he thought I’d follow after him, yapping at his heels like a noisy pup, but the wolf and I were in agreement. When I put the car in gear and took off, she didn’t fight me.

Up until I returned to my apartment.

Gideon had done his best to erase all evidence of their presence here, but a mop couldn’t exorcise their ghosts.

Memories flooded back the minute I stepped inside the door.

Of panting while bouncing on Mads’ dick, of Jace feeding his cock past my lips.

Of Gideon’s curious restraint, his eyes the only indicator of how I was affecting him.

They burned into me, right as my hand wrapped around his knot.

It was almost as if I could feel them touching me as I dropped my bag onto the hall table then kicked off my shoes, but I stripped off my clothes to step into the shower, not their arms.

But what would it be like if I did?

That thought came unbidden as I rubbed soap all over me, trying to scrub away the tension of the day.

It didn’t swirl down the plughole along with the soap.

It stayed with me as I finished showering, then again as I scrubbed my hair dry.

The sound of my phone ringing was the only thing to break the train of thought.

As I snatched it out of my bag, I felt adrenaline rise, sure it was one of the Whitlocks ringing to push me harder.

Instead, I grinned when I saw who was FaceTiming me.

“Hey, how’s it hanging?” Candy asked the minute I accepted the call. “Tight, wet, and not done yet?”

“Bloody hell…”

Laughing was a relief I hadn’t felt in days.

“So still in Hicksville, panting after your neighbours, or have you gotten to the part where you’ve been railed by three wolf shifters behind a dumpster?”

“Candy!” That muffled exclamation could only come from Riley. She appeared in the corner of the screen, looking concerned. “Look, I’m really sorry about that. I wish I could say the troll doll would be more professional, but that would be a lie.”

“It’s fine.” I waved my hand. “You should hear what she comes out with after a few Long Island iced teas.” I shifted focus to Candy. “And Moon River isn’t Hicksville.”

“A place where there’s no UberEats, and the population thinks TikTok is a dance the Devil created to corrupt our youth?” Her eyebrow quirked upwards. “I beg to differ. So?—”

“I’m back home.” I moved the phone to give them a view of my apartment.

“Mum’s not out of the woods, but as she’s stubbornly refusing help…

” I paused for a second, remembering my own refusals today.

“I made sure she’s got a friend staying with her and am in the process of trying to locate a nurse who can drop in and check on her. ”

Something else I needed to add to my very long to-do list. My hand rubbed at my forehead, a dull headache starting to throb.

“Your face is doing that pinchy thing.” Candy peered at the screen. “It shouldn’t be doing that if you’ve been enjoying multiple orgasms. Riley is like one hundred times more tolerant after she goes through her heat.”

“So I only want to choke you most days, rather than every single one?” Riley shot back.

They were friends as well as colleagues. It was either that or fight it out in the laboratory Thunderdome style, until one left alive.

“I’d wear your hand necklace with pride, Mummy…”

Candy’s moan was cut off as Riley took the phone from her.

“I just wanted to touch base and see how you were going? Did you try the heat suppressants? If they aren’t effective, there are other options.”

“We can explore that next time,” I replied. “My heat has broken.”

“I knew it!” Candy crowed in the background. “Briar got knotted.” She danced past the screen. “Briar got knotted!”

“Is she doing the Macarena or something?” I said.

“Best not to ask.” Riley focussed back on me. “So the heat broke naturally? Interesting. Usually it takes longer to resolve.”

“Well, it might be because I had help.” Suddenly both of them were quiet. “I came back to town and my… the Whitlock pack followed and they… helped me. In my apartment, not behind a dumpster,” I added quickly.

“No way!” The phone was wrenched from Riley’s grip and Candy’s face swam into view. “So are you mated now?” She peered at my neck.

“Not quite.” With a long sigh, I told them exactly what’d happened.