Page 44 of Pack’s Prize

I squeezed my eyes closed.God, I must still be emotional from heat hormones.There was no reason for me to be feeling teary at his simple suggestion.

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s better that we go. Keeping up appearances, right?”

His face clouded over, his blue eyes going gray, and he twisted a tassel on the pillowcase between two strong fingers. “Right,” he said finally.

“Help me pick something to wear,” I said, wanting to distract him–and myself–from the gloom that had descended over the room.

“Anything will look amazing,” he said, then with a small smile, “you already know that.”

I laughed. “Thanks for that insight into my charming personality.”

“It’s true, don’t deny it.” I shrugged, but kept my mouth shut, playing along. He stood, leaving the pillow behind him, and came to riffle through my closet. He stopped at a black dress, one of the three that Theo had bought as potential gallery opening dresses.

“Not black,” I said suddenly. “It’s too…”Too funeral.That was how I felt, but I didn’t need to dress the part.

“Not black,” he repeated. “Then… this one.” He stopped at another dress.

“Hmm,” I said, “I think you’re right.” He was: I was already going through my drawer of new lingerie, mentally picking out what would work underneath. The pale pink set, I thought.

My hands went to the closure of Michael’s robe.

“Wait, wait!” Elias said, his hands up in front of him. “We definitelywillbe late if you take off that robe in front of me.” His face was pink. This man had spent the past three days fucking me every which way–literally–and now he was blushing to see me naked?

“You’re cute,” I teased, raising my eyebrows and pursing my lips. “Alpha.”

His blush deepened, but he stepped toward me.

My breath caught in my chest, but he didn’t react the way I thought he might: pull off my towel, maybe, or throw me on the bed.

No.

Instead, he extended one hand, his first two fingers coming to rest underneath my chin, tilting it up, and bent down. My eyes fluttered closed as his mouth landed on mine, opening it gently, just a brush of teeth on my lower lip, the hint of a tongue against the bite, and then gone.

“We don’t want to be late, omega,” he whispered against my lips.

I was still standing there, eyes closed, when I heard the door click shut behind him.

I’d spent the past three days getting fucked every which way, and a simple kiss had me blushing.

Only later, when he smiled a private smile as he helped me out of the SUV at the door of the restaurant, did I realize:

That kiss hadn’t been public.

It hadn’t beenstrictlysexual, although it had certainly made my face flush and my belly warm.

It hadn’t been part of our agreement.

Could it be…

No.

I didn’t dare hope.

CHAPTERFORTY-FOUR

Elias

I knewthat Theo had good taste, and more importantly, I hadn’t been lying when I’d told Ava that she’d look incredible in anything she picked out. But when she emerged from her bedroom in that dress…