Page 19 of Pack’s Prize

The cloud above my head thickened into a black thunderhead. They’d shared something so intimate, so vulnerable, with me, and how had I responded?

I’d acted like the selfish omega they’d expected, squeamish at the thought of two alphas touching each other with anything but violence in mind. I’d asked for too much, again, and ruined it, again, for the very same reason they were relying on afakecourtship in the first place.

I groaned, pulling the sheets up over my head.

It was no use. There was nothing to do but to get up, make myself as presentable as possible given that I was wearing a pair of pale blue cotton pajamas, size alpha, and excuse myself as early as possible. I shuffled to the door, wiping last night’s tears from underneath my bleary eyes, and nearly fell into Michael, standing with one hand raised to knock.

“Oh, I, uh… Hi,” I said.Fantastic.

“Breakfast is ready,” he said, looking me up and down. I smoothed down my hair.I must look like a mess.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, and followed him back down the hall past the other bedrooms toward the living area.Bedrooms, yes, but no nest.I had known they wouldn’t want me–that was the whole point, wasn’t it? That this was temporary–but still, I felt unaccountably guilty that I couldn’t hold up my end of the bargain.

Theo and Elias looked up at me from a breakfast table which held a platter of croissants and a carafe of richly scented coffee with the accompanying cream and milk and sugar. Theo’s handsome face looked tired, and Elias smiled sheepishly up at me as Michael hurried me into my chair. He waited until Elias had passed me a croissant and Theo had poured me a cup of coffee in a large mug, with a generous spoonful of sugar and a heavy splash of cream. The dishes looked handmade in a way that made me think they probably cost a fortune. I took a sip. The coffee was sweet and delicious, much better than the swill I had been making for myself.

“Listen, Ava…” Michael said, and I braced myself for what I knew would come next. “I’m sorry. Last night–”

“That’s okay,” I said automatically. “I get it. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” growled Theo, and I fell silent.

“We talked about it after you… after you went to sleep last night, and we are sorry, but–”

There it was.This whole thing was a crazy,stupididea, I had known going into it that it was, and yet I still felt guilty. I had failedagain. First Roman, and now this pack. They didn’t even want me afakeomega. I stared down into my coffee.

“...But if you’ll let us, we want to make it up to you.”

I looked up. I had to whisper around the knot in my throat. “What?”

“You were perfect last night, at dinner,” he continued. “There’s a reason we went toChez Valentin: this is a small world, and the estate is sure to hear from someone who was there that we’re seeing someone, especially given the way you looked last night. People noticed.”

The blood rushed back into my cheeks. Why was he complimenting me? I had messed everything up. “I don’t follow.”

“Obviously, you held up your end of our arrangement, and I’m sorry that we were not able to do the same.”

I blinked, trying to understand what he was saying, my heart beating fast.

“You had said at the club that you were getting over someone, but I hadn’t realized what you meant. We pushed you last night,” Elias said, shaking his head. “We pushed you too far, and you weren’t ready. Understandably so. I also want to apologize for my role in it, individually: I’m sorry, Ava.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for,” I mumbled.

“Even still,” he said. “We weren’t able to keep our end of the bargain.”

That wasn’t how I remembered it.Theyhad been ready and willing. It had been me who had panicked at the last second. Just because they had promised to–and my vision blurred again, remembering how bold I had been at the club, howstupid–tofuck meuntil I couldn’t even remember Roman’s name, it had been me,mewho had broken down last night, not them–

“We made a promise,” Theo said, and I was surprised by the intensity of his voice. “We intend to keep it.”

The promise they had made…

The smolder in his dark eyes told me he knew exactly what that was.

CHAPTERTWENTY

Michael

Ava had lookedunbearablysexy with her hair tousled, wearing a pair ofmy god damn pajamas, like she’d been fucked, even if…

Even if we’d failed her.