“I don’t understand.” I shake my head. Their punching holes in the very foundation I stand on.
“I’m sure Moss will be able to explain things much better than my bulldozing brother.”
“What? Cubby needs to know the truth. The sooner, the better. It’s a good thing you ran while you had the chance.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“One thing you should learn about me, Cub. I’m always right.” Lev winks, and I can’t keep the smile from curving up my lips. The man is unlike anyone I’ve ever met.
“Lev means to say hebelieveshe’s always right, even when he isn’t.” Orion leans on the console and turns to face me. His plump dark pink lips part, revealing straight white teeth. I giggle.
“Hey. Don’t forget who’s older because there’s a pretty girl in the back,” Lev says.
“Omegas are the cornerstone for us, Brook. We wait all year to meet our mate.”
“Mate? Oh. You mean the one you’re paired with?”
“Paired?” Orion shakes his head. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“The one your elders chose for you via the Lunar Goddess.”
“When you meet your mate, you’ll know because your soul recognizes its other half. It’s part biological, part spiritual,” Orion whispers reverently.
This is the kind of connection I crave.
“Your soul knows?” I tilt my head and bask in the sunlight streaming through the window. “That sounds incredible. I’ve never heard of a mate.”
A growl rumbles in Lev’s throat, but instead of fear, I feel something move low in my belly. He’s not angry at me, but for me. It’s a new experience. Is this what it’d be like to be cherished? To be someone’s mate?
“Something is very wrong at the Fellowship. You’re not going back there, Cub. You’re stuck with Wolf *name now.” He meets my gaze in the rearview mirror.
“Yes Lev.”
“Good girl.” He nods his approval, and I nearly melt in my seat. My panties grow wet, and I shift in my seat.
Orion clears his throat. “We’re here to help you any way we can Brook. I know this must be overwhelming –.”
“It’s not though.”
Orion pauses, tilting his head in question.
“It’s a relief. I’ve questioned things for some time and hoped there was a different way. That life could be more.” Leaning forward, I place my hands on their forearms. “Thank you for proving it could be.” Muffled electricity travels through me. Heat flows through my body, pooling at my core. I snatch my hands away, embarrassed by my visceral response to the two men.
The smell of salt and lemon blended with oranges and bergamot increases. I want to bury my nose in the crook of their necks and breathe deeply.This is reverse Stockholm syndrome. They saved me, and now I’m latching on to them.
Orion inhales and peers at me through low-lidded eyes. The spark of desire makes my pulse speed. Clearing his throat, he blinks, and the spark is hidden away. I immediately want to bring it back.
“I like nothing better than corrupting an innocent flower such as yourself, Cub.”
“He’s kidding,” Orion adds.
“Am I?” Lev wiggles his eyebrows, and I can’t help but giggle. It’s laugh or cry, and I’ve shed enough tears over the past few years to last a lifetime. “Our girl likes it.”
Our girl.I wish they could see me as more than the silly girl they’d rescued and fed common knowledge. I’ve left our land behind, and I still don’t belong. Slouching in my seat, I feel my spirits plunge. Will I always be on the outskirts looking in, wondering?
“We lost you for a second there. Where’d you go?” Orion asks.
“In my head. It’s a crowded space at the moment.”