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He smiles at me, and scared as I am, I feel a rush of joy to feel his smile turned on me for the first time. Like I’ve done something that’s pleased him. It’s a smile of reassurance, I realize.
…or it’s a lie.
His grin falters when he catches the glint of terror in my eyes and he crouches down. Making himself smaller, though he’s so tall that his head still lines up with my shoulders.
“I’m Camden,” he says in a soft tone. “The big guy is Denver. Don’t worry, he’s not as scary as he looks.”
I glance at Denver, who’s still terrifying. His wolf eyes are fixed on me. He could pounce on me before I even know it. He’s the perfect warrior—strong, smart, lethal. A weapon wrapped in muscle and bone.
Camden snaps his fingers, bringing my attention back to him. He hasn’t moved, still cautious. He knows how close I am to running.
“The quiet one over there, that’s Memphis,” Camden says. “He only gets grumpy when you touch the crossbow. Leave it be, and he’s a puppy dog.”
Memphis snorts, crossing his arms. It only serves to show the swell of his massive biceps. His shoulders are impossibly wide, sloping down to a trim waist. If Memphis is a puppy dog, then I’m a T-Rex.
“See? We’re not gonna hurt you,” Camden croons. His low voice soothes me, despite myself. I don’t know about the other Alphas, but my instinct says this one will protect me. He radiates sincerity. For a moment, I entertain the idea that I might be safe here. Maybe if I give them their stuff back, they’ll let me go.
As soon as I give into that fragile hope, Camden shatters it.
“We were hired by your father to find you and bring you home,” he says. “You’re safe now.”
SIX
—
C A M D E N
The Omega won’t look at me. After I told her we were there to take her home, her eyes kept darting behind me, tracking every move Memphis and Denver made. She’s waiting for them to attack. To her, they’re threats. Every time they take a step toward her, she flinches so hard that it looks like she might fall over.
I’m glad that she’s not looking at me now. It means that I’m the one she trusts. Her instincts are telling her I’m not going to hurt her. My chest swells with warmth and pride—I’m going to take care of Brooklyn, and some part of her knows it.
But the guys are majorly pissing me off right now. The way they’re growling and posturing in front of her, she’s never going to let down her guard and listen to us. Her mismatched eyes are wide, her pupils blown with suspicion and panic.
I hate that she’s scared. She’s clearly been through enough, and now her supposed rescuers are looming over her like they’re wolves about to tear into her.
Fuck that.
“How about you guys give us some space?” I say quietly. I want to growl at them and demand they leave, but that’ll only freak her out more. She needs someone quiet and rational.
Clearly, Denver hasn’t gotten the message.
“If we leave, she’ll run,” he spits. “We spent too much time tracking her down. She’s not going anywhere.”
Memphis grunts in agreement.
I resist the urge to flip off my teammates. My mom taught me that girls like manners, and since they’ve apparently forgotten how to say please and thank you, I gotta be the polite one here.
“Just step back a bit, then,” I tell them. “Let me and Brooklyn talk. She’s not gonna run until we’ve had a conversation first. Are you, Brooklyn?”
She turns those brown and blue eyes on me, and I know I’m fucked. I’ve never seen eyes like that, one pale blue, the other rich brown. Like the sky and the earth. This woman is elemental. The urge to protect her overwhelms me, and I have no idea whether it’s the pheromones or whether it’s just her.
“It’s okay,” I murmur. “We’ll just talk. I promise.”
Her eyes scan my face—she’s clearly deciding whether she believes me. Finally, her head jerks in a nod. I can’t help but smile back at her.
She trusts me. The Omega trusts me.
“See?” I tell the guys. “She’s not going anywhere. So give her some breathing room.”
