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Eighteen
Brooklyn
If I died right now,if a meteor fell out of the sky and destroyed the pack house—killing us all—I'd go out with a smile on my face. Summer's soft snores started up almost immediately, making my alpha purr louder in satisfaction. She's smug as fuck that our mate feels comfortable enough here—and with me—to fall asleep in my arms. Her soft body is tucked sweetly against my side, and fuck if I'm not straining with my need for her. The sweet, gingerbread scent of her is intoxicating. In her sleep, Summer burrows deeper against me, kicking one of her legs over my body so it's wedged between mine. The motion makes her leg brush against my sex, and my clit throbs in response to my mate’s touch, accidental or not. I reach out one hand and place it on the back of her thigh, right under her deliciously ample ass, to keep her in place, despite it being the sweetest torture. I have to take a big breath in and expel it out my mouth to try to curb my growing arousal.
Now Summer is lying almost completely on top of me, leg kicked up over my body and head on my chest. I try to move down on the couch so I'm laying nearly horizontal to get ready for the movie. She stirs a little right as I settle into a comfortable position, and I hold my breath and hope I didn't wake her up. My mate mumbles something incoherent but stays asleep.
"I can't believe how jealous I am right now," Mason grumbles as he stares obsessively at Summer on top of me. He's on the other couch across from the oak coffee table. We have three large couches surrounding the table and all looking toward the TV. Ava and Maverick come back in from where they were dumping the trash in the kitchen, and Maverick sits beside Mason on his couch after hesitating just a second too long; which Mason chooses to studiously ignore. Instead, he places a hesitant hand on Maverick's thigh and leans into him slightly. That leaves Ava to snag the other couch. Hudson, instead of sharing the couch with Ava, grabs a throw pillow, walks over to where Summer is laying on me, and plops his happy ass down on the floor near his mate. The weirdo takes a big sniff of her scent and wiggles until he's comfortable.
"Wow," Ava huffs a laugh. "You guys are so whipped." I might have tensed at her words, but she said it the teasing and dry way that is so Ava. As rough or stoic as she may seem at the bar and to the people who know her reputation, she's actually the world's biggest marshmallow. She's got a soft spot for people about a mile long. Once she's made up her mind about liking you, she'd do just about anything for you.
In response to her teasing, Hudson looks at Summer, smiles from ear to ear, and shrugs like he absolutelyis whippedand couldn't care less who knows. I get the feeling.
"She fell asleep fast," Maverick whispers, staring at her with humor lining his eyes.
Ava sighs and says, "That's actually my fault. Someone called in so Summer traded shifts with them. She closed last night."
My eyes widen a little. No wonder she's so tired. My mate works too hard. Once she's ours, she won't work anymore than she wants to. No more running herself ragged to pay the bills.
"When did she start working for you?" Hudson asks her, keeping his voice low like Maverick had.
"A few months ago. She came into the bar, looking like she'd skipped about a dozen meals, and begged for a job. Even if she hadn't begged though, I would have given her one. She reminds me so much of my grandma. Strong, but not in the way that people think they have to be to impress you. You can just see the strength in her eyes...and the kindness. I gave her the job on the spot," Ava says, pulling her legs up onto the couch and sitting with her legs crisscrossed in front of her. She rests her hands in her shins and shrugs at the end of her explanation, like she's not the exact same person as Summer. The two are perfectly matched. It's no wonder they're becoming such good friends.
"What do you mean she looked like she skipped meals?" Mason whispers, latching on to one part of what Ava said. The same part I am, too.
"Just what I said. She was so skinny and...scared, maybe? Jumpy? I got the impression she was running from something." Ava's eyes go distant like she's picturing her first interaction with our mate.
"Do you know why? Has she talked to you about her past?" Maverick leans forward with a sense of urgency. We're all eager to know more about our mate.
Ava looks between us all uncertainly. She doesn't seem to want to gossip about Summer, and I can respect that, but...
"Please," I beg her. She sighs, resigned. Ava knows just as well as the guys do that I don’t plead often. I’m pretty good at getting what I want without resorting to begging, but not this time.
"I don't know what her story is. All I know is how scared and thin she was when she first came here and that she doesn't talk about it. To anyone. Ever. That, and with the claiming marks I saw, I'd guess–"
Hudson and Maverick's deep growls resonate through the air until I give a sharp growl back at them to get them to shut the fuck up before they wake Summer. Too late.
Summer's body tenses when we all growl, and a scared sounding whimper breaks through her lips. Her face presses closer into my chest. I raise my hand automatically to smooth her hair back and purr. I can tell the second she registers an alpha’s purr because her body relaxes again.
There's a tense pause before a small gasp comes from Ava. "Oh my Goddess. You're her mates."
A hint of incredulity and wonder limn her voice. Her eyes dart quickly between all four of our pack and Summer. Who is, for all intents and purposes, pack, too. She just doesn't know it yet. When none of us deny it, a sad look enters her eyes, and I imagine she's thinking about the claiming marks she saw on Summer.
"How many?" Hudson croaks, emotion clogging his throat as he addresses Ava.
Ava shakes her head. "I'm not sure. I saw two for sure. One each on her hip and ear."
My hand, that was still brushing through Summer's hair in a calm, coaxing manner, stutters. I brush back her hair softly until her right ear is exposed. Sure enough, there is a slightly raised, white bite mark on the lobe. It feels like a small fissure forms in my heart, causing an unbearable ache in my chest at the sight.
She's already got mates.
The thought alone makes me want to sob at the truth staring me in the face and break something at the injustice of it. She's supposed to beours.Mine. Not someone else's. Just as I'm about to meltdown, Mason stops it in its tracks, being the voice of reason,again,when it comes to our mate.
"Before we jump to conclusions, let's not forget what Doctor Tanner said about that drug. Whatever its name is–"
"Passion Pack," I interject woodenly.
"Right, whatever. It's a hallucinogen. It's been used on omegas to trick them into bonds. We don't know her story yet, but let's not jump to a conclusion before we do, yeah? She deserves to tell it to us and have us hear her out."
