Page 43 of Hidden Fates

Skye’s tinkling laughter fills the air, her head tosses back, highlighting the curve of her throat. Beneath the venue lights, the silvery scars where her mate bonds shimmer, and a bolt of longing hits me in the chest. It’s too soon for that. I still need to find my place in her pack and earn a second chance in her life.

“You’ll swell up like a balloon if you drink a hundred milkshakes, Bee.”

He waves his hand in the air, pushing his sweaty blonde hair away from his face. “Would be worth it.”

“Diner food is fine,” Onyx interjects as we reach their SUV. He opens the back door and points to Bellamy, his eyes narrowed. “Two milkshakes, max. No one wants to be cleaning your throw-up out of the car.”

When Bellamy pouts, grumbling about fairness beneath his breath as he climbs in beside Skye, Onyx slaps his ass. The clap is loud, but the Beta’s sharp inhale is louder.

Did he just whimper?

Wait, no, I don’t want to know.

Do I?

Rubbing my eyes with my palms, I empty my mind and enjoy the ride to the diner. I’m still turned on from getting Skye off earlier. Food will distract me until we get back and I can take care of myself in the shower.

Layney’s is your basic corner diner, with black and white checker floors and brightly colored booths. The scent of fried food and salt fill the air.

We cram into a large corner booth, and I spend the night listening as they talk, sharing stories from their lives together. The one I wasn’t a part of.

I’m still standing on the outside, looking in.

The thought clings to me as we enjoy our food and make the long trek back to Starburgh. I have no history with them. No foundation to build upon. The bridge I’m trying to cross to join them is slippery, and one wrong step could send me crashing into the misery that awaits below.

“So, dude, you game?” Bellamy asks, bumping into me on the way into their house. A spark flickers between us, and I’m surprised when it dims the all-consuming feeling of loneliness I was drowning in.

“On occasion. Mostly action RPGs. You?”

He walks backward through the foyer, his arms raised and locked behind his head. My dick twitches in my jeans at the sliver of stomach revealed when his shirt rides up, revealing soft blonde curls that disappear beneath his jeans.

“We play a mix of everything. Sports, FPSs, cozy games. Wanna chill and play something?”

I peek at Skye, checking what her plans are, when Emmett interjects. “Or we could play a proper game.”

Bellamy perks up, his eyes full of excitement, like a puppy. “Monopoly?”

“No.” All his packmates answer with varying degrees of exasperation. His lip purse, and he shrugs..

Arms wind around my sides, the soft florals of Skye filling my nose as she hugs me. “Someone gets too intense during the game. Pulling out the rulebook every five minutes and flipping the table if he goes bankrupt.”

Chuckling, I peek at Bellamy, who shrugs and doesn’t deny what she said.

“He’s a brat,” Sterling adds, wrapping an arm around his Beta mate’s shoulder and pulling him into a headlock. They wrestle across the family room, grunting and teasing. Reaching the large beanbag gaming chairs, they collapse onto one, lips fused together.

Annnd I’m hard again.

Is that what being here will be like?

Constantly being turned on because Skye is?

Glancing down, I find her eyes closed and her body limp against mine. Is she… asleep?

“Here,” Quentin scoops her into his arms. “I’ll put her to bed. You can join us whenever you’re ready.”

“Ah, she never said…” I rub the back of my neck awkwardly, wanting to spend the night with her in my arms, but unsure if she wants me there when she didn’t explicitly ask for me.

Jolting from the hand that claps down on my shoulder, I find Onyx standing beside me. His stony expression narrows, and I turn away.