Page 140 of Psycho Pack

"Look who's decided to join the fashion show," Whiskey mutters behind me.

Valek turns at the sound of Whiskey's voice, and I catch a flash of something strangely vulnerable in his expression before his usual sharp mask slides back into place. The scarf shifts as he grins, though I can only tell by the way his eyes crinkle at the corners.

"Jealous?" he purrs. "I'm sure we could find you something suitably gaudy. Perhaps with little guns and flags embroidered on it."

I bite back a smile at that.

Some things never change.

But there's definitely something different about Valek. The drugs must be wearing off, but instead of making him sharper, more dangerous, he seems... softer somehow. More human.

Not that I'd ever tell him that.

"The scarf suits you," I say instead, surprising myself. "Silver and white. It looks nice."

Valek goes very still, his eyes widening fractionally. For a moment, I think I see a flash of that same vulnerability again. Then he laughs, but it's not his usual harsh cackle.

The softness in Valek's laugh catches me off guard. I've never heard him sound like that before. It makes something twist in my chest, a confusing mix of lingering anger and unexpected sympathy.

"You're being kind to me," he says, his eyes glinting with something that might be amusement or pain. It's always hard to tell with him. "How... unsettling."

I move closer, drawn by that unfamiliar vulnerability in his voice. "Maybe you deserve a little kindness. Just a little."

He tilts his head, studying me with those too-bright eyes. The accents in his scarf catch the light as he moves, making the geometric patterns dance. "I deserve many things, little omega. Kindness isn't one of them."

"That's not for you to decide." The words slip out before I can stop them.

He falters. For a moment, I catch another glimpse of that raw vulnerability before his usual mask slides back into place.

"No," he agrees quietly. "I suppose it isn't."

I study Valek's silver eyes, trying to reconcile the vulnerable creature before me with the monster who kidnapped me. Who betrayed us all. His scarf whispers as he shifts his weight undermy gaze, as if being watched so carefully by me is making him uncomfortable.

"You look less unhinged," I say carefully. "The drugs wearing off?"

"Must be," Whiskey adds from behind me. "Too bad. I was starting to get attached to Brainfucked Valek."

"Attached?" Valek echoes, sounding almost hopeful.

Whiskey's eyes narrow. "Don't look at me like that."

"Like what?" Valek asks innocently.

"You know what," Whiskey says with a snort, rolling his shoulders until they pop before taking a long swig from one of the sparkling wineglasses on the refreshments table the attendants clearly keep stocked. "Like a freaky cat that wants me to pet it."

"Wraith did," Valek says.

Whiskey gives him a long, hard stare. "Yeah, don't wanna know," he mutters under his breath, peering into the glass to see if there's anything left. He drains the last few drops.

"It was nothing likethat,you pervert," Valek snaps.

Whiskey shrugs. "Who knows with you?" he says, taking a huge bite out of a buttery croissant. He stares at it like it just changed his life, then grabs another and holds it out to me. I take it hesitantly. "Try one of these, Ivy, it has plums or somethin' in it."

"You're the one that eats cock for breakfast, not me," Valek remarks.

I almost spit out the croissant I just bit into.

Plague seems to materialize out of nowhere. "Are you fools getting in another fight?" he mutters, casting a judgmental glance over both of them.