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“Yes, nicer. Maybe it’s a pack thing, I don’t know, or maybe I inherited something from Skylar with the bond, but I want to try to not be a prick all the time, okay?” he snaps.
“I’m not sure that’s possible,” I counter, hiding my smile.
He narrows his eyes. “Asshole,” he mutters. “You could at least be supportive. I’m turning over a new leaf.”
“Does that include the Vincent leaf?” I ask.
He nods and kicks at the dirt with the heel of his boot, watching dust gather around his foot. “Yeah. I mean…nothing is going to change the past. I don’t have a fucking time machine, and even if I did, I don’t think we could have found Lauren in time.”
I pause. “That’s true,” I say slowly, surprised he’s bringing her up. I’ve never heard River say her name before.
“Yeah, so,” River continues, clearing his throat, “what I’m saying is, I’m tired of being angry at him all the fucking time. And now that we’re bonded with Skylar, she doesn’t need to be in the middle of us fighting.”
I nod.
“He loves her. I love her. You love her,” he says, waving his hand dismissively. “So, it is what it is.”
“You’ve got a point,” I concede, looking over to Ben, who’s still on his phone call, frowning.
“Who do you think it is?” River mutters.
“No idea,” I say, as anxiety grows in my stomach. He turns the corner of the building, and I’m left with just River.
“We have to fucking find her,” River says. “She’s one of the few Omegas left that’s missing. We have to.”
I nod. “I agree. We just keep doing what we’re doing.”
He huffs. “I don’t want to fail Skylar,” he says.
I want to tell him that even if we don’t find April, we’re not failing Skylar. That we’re doing everything we can.
But I don’t want to lie.
“Me neither.”
River kicks at a rock on the ground. “Why did she choose us? We’re workaholics, we’re assholes—why did she choose us, out of anyone she could have?”
I shrug. “I know why she picked me, but not you. Maybe she was feeling merciful.”
He growls at me, and I smirk.
“You’re a prick,” he says. “I open up to you, tell you all my shit, and you’re still an asshole.”
“True. I’m still happy to lend an ear, though.”
He looks at me and nods. “Yeah. I appreciate that. Even if you’re a prick.”
I almost smile.
Ben races around the corner, breathing heavily.
“We need to go,” he says. “Now.”
42
SKYLAR
“I just wanted to tell you that I saw you online, and your speech made me cry.” An older woman stands at the counter, misty eyed as she speaks. “I really hope you find her.”
