Page 27 of Her Shifter Pack

MARKUS

I’d left home around nine in the morning, hoping not to encounter either my brother or Lexie. It had been a sin to get up that early on a Sunday morning, but neither my wolf nor I could sleep any longer. Ollie had been in the shower, and I couldn’t hear Lex moving about. So as soon as I was up and dressed, I headed for the gym, then to the nearby diner for lunch.

After that, I hadn’t known what to do, so I’d gone over to a buddy’s place for a beer and a game of pool, delaying going home as long as I could. The worst part about it was the fact that it wasn’t like I didn’t want to go home. If anything, it fucking hurt to stay away, which made me work even harder not to fall into the trap Lexie and Fate were setting for me.

I shouldn’t be aching for a woman I’d barely kissed, surely? I couldn’t be jealous that my brother was spending the day with a woman he believed was his mate. Our mate. Could I?

Of course, not. So, whatever this horrible, twisted, sickening feeling was in my gut, it could fuck right off.

By six o’clock, I was freaking dying. I couldn’t stay away any longer.

I headed home, half hoping Lexie would be gone, and half praying she’d be lying on the couch ready with a welcoming smile for me. My feelings were all churned up inside. I had no idea what I wanted, or what I’d be walking into, but it was time to find out.

When I parked my truck in the driveway behind Ollie’s vehicle, my heart rate picked up.

I sat there in the driver’s seat as long as I could, trying to work out what I actually wanted. Did I want to walk inside and see my brother happily cuddled up with his mate? How would that make me feel? Would I be pleased for him? Or jealous as fuck?

My fingers tightened on the wheel as my phone buzzed from beside me. I’d been ignoring the damn thing most of the day, but when I glanced over at the screen, I saw Ollie’s familiar text bubble.

You comin’ inside? We’re looking at dinner options. You wanna weigh in?

He said “we”. Fuck.

I slid out of the truck and slow-jogged up to the front door, a strangely excited buzz coursing through me. A feeling I’d never known before. Half happiness, half... I wasn’t sure. But it wasn’t fear, it was something else. Something primal. A feeling that I generally only got when I was in wolf form.

I tried to shake off the strange sensation and stay calm and focused. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much success with that.

I opened the front door of my home and the first thing I smelled was Lexie’s delicious perfume. It was a subtle flower aroma mixed with her own individual skin scent. I fucking loved it. One whiff, and my dick was already on its way to being hard.

I shut the door, stifling a groan, and hung up my keys on one of the hooks before heading into the main living room.

That’s when I froze.

My heart hurt.

There, on our massive sectional couch, was Lexie curled up with Ollie. She had her head on his lap and his hand was tangled in her hair.

The coffee table was littered with bowls of candy and popcorn, cans of soda and a single beer.

I was hit with the strangest feeling, like I was viewing a snapshot in time.

My future. Right there, in front of me. If I wanted it.

I gulped down the sudden fear that rose inside my chest, prickly and hot.

I couldn’t want it. It didn’t suit me or my chosen lifestyle. This future wasn’t for the likes of me.

“Hey,” I managed, somehow, despite the churning in my gut.

Lexie sat up and rearranged her legs until she was sitting like a genie on the couch next to Ollie. “Hey.”

My heart was pounding. She was so kissable, her pillowy, red lips calling to me.

My fingers tightened into fists as I tried to control my inner urge to leap across the room and take her in my arms. I crossed my arms over my chest, so I didn’t follow my instincts. Damn, I wanted to hold her. So bad.

Ollie studied me for a moment before picking up the remote and pausing the movie they’d been watching. I hadn’t even noticed the TV was on. “We were gonna order some pizza. You want your regular order, Markus, or you want Mexican or something?”

I looked from my brother to the woman sitting next to him, then back again. “Um... pizza. Fine. Yep.”

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