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“You wouldn’t let them?” I echo incredulously. “You can’t shield me from everything, Quinn. The danger isn’t just out there—it’s everywhere. Even within your pack.”
His hand cups my cheek, his touch gentle, despite the intensity of our argument. “But I can try, and I will, because I care about you, Aria, so damn much already.”
The sincerity in his eyes and the raw emotion in his voice sends a shiver down my spine. For a moment, the walls I’ve built around my heart tremble, but I force them to stand firm. I can’t afford to let my guard down. Not now. Not ever.
“Care about me all you want, Quinn,” I say, my voice hardening, “but it doesn’t change the fact that you’ve put me in danger. You’ve risked everything I’ve worked for.”
“I know,” he admits, his hand falling away from my face. “And I’m sorry, but we can fix this together with the pack.”
“Together?” I let out a shaky breath, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. “You don’t understand, Quinn. You can’t just fix this with words. This isn’t something that can be undone.”
They will find out I’m an omega and lock me away. It’ll be like Noah all over again, and I risked it all to get away from him.
“Then we’ll find another way,” he insists. “We’ll be careful. We’ll watch each other’s backs, and we’ll make sure Malachi doesn’t find out the truth.”
I want to believe him. I want to believe that there’s a way out of this mess, that I can trust him to protect me, but the scars of my past run too deep, and the fear is too ingrained.
Not only that, but I also know I’m being selfish by wanting to keep only him out of the pack. It’s wrong of me to want to break them apart.
“You don’t get it,” I whisper, my voice cracking. “If they find out, I’ll lose everything—my freedom, my safety, my life. I can’t go back to that.”
Quinn’s eyes soften, and he reaches out to me again, his touch hesitant but reassuring. “You won’t go back to that, Aria. I swear on my life, you won’t. All the time we’ve been together, we’ve wanted nothing more than to have an omega of our own—one to love, protect, and cherish. Angel, you’d never have to worry about your past.”
Quinn’s words hang in the air, strong and sure. For a moment, my chest lightens, a spark of possibility igniting. But then memories flood back—Noah’s fist, the terror, the helplessness. The spark sputters and dies, leaving only cold dread in its wake.
Noah.
“How?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. “How can you be so sure?”
“Because I won’t let it happen,” he states simply. “Because everything I’ve learned about you thus far makes me believe you are perfect for us, and I need to get to know you better. We would protect you with our dying breath if it comes to that. Nothing would ever come between us, Aria. I swear on my life.”
His words, filled with a quiet confidence, chip away at my defenses. For the first time in a long time, I feel a glimmer of hope, a possibility that maybe they really will help.
The fear, anger, and pain are still there, though, a constant reminder of the dangers that lurk in the shadows.
He can’t guarantee how the rest of the pack will feel.
“I want to believe you, Quinn,” I admit, my voice trembling, “but I’ve been let down too many times. I’ve been hurt too many times. You can’t make promises for others.”
“I know,” he says softly, his thumb brushing away a tear I didn’t realize had fallen. “But I’m not them, and I won’t let you down. All you have to do is give us a chance. Will you give us the chance to prove ourselves to you?”
His words hang in the air between us, a fragile promise. For a moment, we stand there with the weight of our situation pressing down on us, but in his eyes, I see a glimmer of hope…a promise of something better.
I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. Instead of the expected musk of our encounter, my senses are overwhelmed by the scent of lavender and Creamsicle—my true omega scent mixed with his. The realization hits me like a punch to the gut, making my hands tremble and my vision swim.
Quinn doesn’t understand. He’s still talking, his voice a distant hum as panic rises in my throat. My suppressants have worn off completely, leaving me exposed. The moment anyone from the pack walks in, my omega status will be unmistakable. Everything I’ve built, every precaution I’ve taken, will crumble in an instant.
I need to move. Now. Every second I linger is a risk I can’t afford, but Quinn’s earnest eyes hold me in place. He thinks he can protect me, but he has no idea of the true danger we’re in.
My heart screams to stay, but my mind knows better. For their safety, for my own, I have to let them go.
No matter how much it hurts.
It’s a painful realization, but it’s the only way. I can’t risk exposing my secret or dragging them into the dangerous world I’ve fought so hard to escape. As much as it hurts, as much as my heart aches at the thought, I know what I have to do.
Noah’s face flashes in my mind, his charming smile hiding the danger lurking beneath. If he found me here, with them… I shudder at the thought.
Breathe, Aria.
