Page 37 of Pack Giroux

The thought of not having them brings tears to my eyes, but I do my best to not let them spill over. Raine is standing over by the window with his arms in the pockets of his pants. Grady is sitting with his elbows on his knees, watching Kinkaid who is sitting next to Emerson. Jameson is the closest in his pajama bottoms and arms folded across his heavily muscled chest.

He's the one who speaks first. "Is that why we're all upset here? You think that we don't want you?"

I wince even though I try not to. "Isn't it? He's kind of trapped now with no choice, right?"

Kinkaid snaps, "I had a choice. I made mine the moment you walked into our lives. I took away yours and theirs."

Grady raises his hand like he's in class, and I already know he's going to try to make light of the situation. "Umm, I'd just like to say that I found her first and am one hundred percent okay with this development."

The twins look at each other and nod before glancing at Kinkaid who then turns to Raine. He's been silent this whole time, watching everything unfold.

"I don't think any of us ever had a choice," he announces, surprising us all. He holds up a hand as Kinkaid starts to protest. "It's not very common, but there's a thing called scent matching where the chemical makeup of your body picks your people for you. We just so happened to be completely compatible all the way around."

I feel bad for some people if what he's saying is true, because what if they get matched with horrible people? A worry for a different day, so I can focus on the problem in front of me.

"I have a feeling this is the path we were headed anyway," he adds, staring directly at Kinkaid.

He shakes his head and motions toward me. "But I took it from her too."

I stomp over barefooted and in nothing other than two silky scraps of fabric in a room full of his pack to stand in front of him until he looks up at me. Dropping to my knees, I confess, "I already made my choice. If I wouldn't have, I wouldn't be here."

A tear slips down his cheek and I wipe it away, trying Grady's tactic. "You had me at the chocolate cake."

His eyes close as his smile grows and the room around us lightens when the guys start laughing. I lay my head on his thigh, needing to be close to him. He runs both hands through my hair as the room settles down. Opening my eyes, it's to find Emerson staring down at me, and he smiles the sweetest smile when ourgazes lock.

How Kinkaid or any of them for that matter could ever think that I wouldn't want them is beyond me. Any omega, or girl, for that matter, would count herself lucky with this amazing, beautiful souled pack.

With things settled and crisis averted, everybody goes back to their rooms so we can all get some sleep. Kinkaid and I are the last ones.

"Promise what you said?" he asks. "That you didn't say it just to save my feelings."

"I won't ever lie to you," I promise before admitting something that I'm still coming to terms with myself. "I think I'm in love with you."

His eyes close with his sigh before he leans down to capture my lips with his. We go back to his bed where he shows me more than one time just how he feels.

We spend all day Sunday in bed. The others giving us a wide berth to adjust to everything. It's lazy, laying naked in bed with him all day, and I love it. It's at one point where he's pressing slow kisses against my back as I enjoy the warmth coming in the window from the sun that he admits quietly.

"I think I'm falling in love with you, too."

It's all my ears, heart, and soul need to hear.

Chapter Twelve

When Monday rolls around, I'm still wishing I was lazing at the pack house instead of rushing around to classes. It's kind of made me crabby. I want hugs and cuddles and not sitting in a room full of strangers whose scents are rubbing my skin and my senses raw. If I hadn't bonded her son this weekend, I would go talk to Grace at the center and see if she has any ideas as to why I'm feeling like this. As it stands, I don't want to be the one to break that news to her.

By the end of practice, my skin feels like it's just crawling with invisible bugs. The thought of going back to my dorm feeling like this and having to deal with my roommate’s scents makes my stomach roll. So, I call the voice of calm and reason.

He picks up on the first ring, but I don't give him time to speak. "Raine, I think something is wrong."

"Why? Are you okay?" he asks.

"I don't feel good," I admit, telling him about my reaction to literally everything today.

He hums into the phone like he knows what's going on, then I hear him talking to someone else. "Hey, man. Will you go pick up Marnie?"

One of the twins murmurs something that has him answering, "Yeah, she's okay. Just wants to come home for the night."

I could cry at his words. Home never sounded so good.

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