Page 55 of Crave

I looked at Quinn like that some nights, when he was asleep and his face was peaceful. He was so fucking beautiful, and everything I’d ever wanted. If I closed my eyes, I could see how our Pack would look, even if it was unorthodox.

When I opened them again, Quinn’s eyes were on my face, and I knew—the way anyone who’d spent their entire lives together knew—that we were on the same page. We’d chosen, and while Jericho might be a surprise, I was going to keep an open mind for Quinn.

“It’s almost time to eat. If you guys could stop hissing and snarling long enough to aid in good digestion, that would be appreciated. The alternative is that you have a smackdown fight and whoever wins, wins. Then we can all move on with our lives without this dick measuring.”

“Can we just measure dicks to decide the winner? Because I think I’m coming out on top,” Murphy piped up, and you know what, he was probably right. Murphy was hung like Seabiscuit, even in his human form. Considering I’d seen his dick in his Beast form yesterday and could attest to the fact he was proportionate in all forms, it was an across-the-board wipeout. No wonder the witches had been scandalized. I hoped for Merrick’s sake that Murphy was the bottom. Not that I’d ever ask that.

Well, not yet anyway. I’d rather find out for myself.

Jericho raised an eyebrow. “So I heard. Wilbur said you had the biggest cock she’d ever seen, and she once toured with an Ecuadorian football team along the West Coast when she was a man. It’s the hot topic of conversation at the Shiny Rock Cafe.”

I still couldn’t believe that they’d decided on that name for the cafe, but hey, having met Wilbur, it made sense.

Merrick tightened his arm around my waist possessively, still glaring at Jericho. “Sorry, Zanny.”

I sighed, because he really wasn’t. “Look, let's get this all out in the open, okay? I’m not one for dodging around the point.” I grabbed his face, bringing him down to me. “I want you, Merrick. I always have. Nothing and no one is going to change that. One day, we’ll be Pack, and it’s going to be the most amazing fucking day ever.”

He puffed out a quick, relieved sigh. Surely he wasn’t worried we’d change our mind, right?

A little voice inside my head told me I was being dumb, because of course they were worried. I’d already broken their hearts once. Changed my mind once. Held them at arm's length.

I kissed his lips softly. “You and Murphy have always been the Alphas for me. For us.” He looked up, past my cheek, to Quinn. Whatever he saw made his face soften again. “But I refuse to let an Alpha use his power to control me again, Merrick. Whether that be within the Pack, or who my friends are, or what I can do with my time. I refuse to be a possession again.”

“Never,” he growled. “I would never try to control you.” He hesitated slightly. “But I want you to be Pack, and that means some decisions have to be made as a group, especially something as important as who’ll be part of that Pack forever. There’s no takebacks, Omega. We’ve all seen what happens when Pack members hate each other.”

Yeah, we had. Over and over again.

I kissed him once more. “I would never make such a decision without you and Murphy. Neither would Quinn. But you have to trust us, not growl and snarl at every male who steps in our direction.” I chewed my lip, keeping my eyes on Merrick for this next part because it felt too raw to say to Jericho. “Something about him calls to me; it always has. I saw him across a fucking bar parking lot and my gut said to go with him. I trusted him when I trusted no one. My Beast trusts him, and more than that, she wants him. But she’s fickle, and quite frankly, a little horny. I promise that I’ll figure out if it's fate or some kind of weird hybrid magic before I fully explore the feeling, but I need you to trust me on this.”

Merrick’s jaw flexed, and I could hear him grinding his teeth. “Okay, Omega. I trust you. But just know, if he so much as hurts your feelings, I’m going to tear him to pieces, bit by fucking bit, and then let Tanner eat his heart.”

“Duly noted,” Jericho said behind me, closer than he’d been before. I could feel his warmth on my skin, feel the soft puff of his breath across my bare shoulders. “I’ve needed this for so long. I’m like a rejected Pack animal without a Pack. All I’ve had is the memory of the anchoring feeling in my chest that I got when I met these two a decade ago to keep me sane. I promise, I won’t fuck it up.”

I believed him, and from the resigned look in Merrick’s eye, so did he. He gave a single nod, and I smiled at them. I felt that expression right down in my chest, and I knew this was how it was supposed to be.

Merrick straightened, looking at Jericho. “Let's go. We can talk over beer.”

I watched them walk away, feeling right. This was what Omegas were made for: to calm the internal fire inside Alphas.

“You have him by the balls—you know that, right?” Murphy whispered beside me.

Turning, I kissed him softly. “I know. But I promise to take good care of them.”

He kissed me hard and quick. “I know you will. Mine too.” With that, he slapped my ass and walked up to Quinn, kissing him and moving back into the house.

Pack. This was what it was all about.

33

JERICHO

Iwas happy. It was a completely foreign feeling that felt a little bit like I’d drank a pop way too fast and gotten a massive gas bubble in my chest. It wasn’t indigestion, so happiness was the only other answer.

I was with Quinn and Susannah, having a picnic on the prairie. They’d knocked on my door and asked me if I wanted to come hang with them this morning, and I had been embarrassingly overeager. Not that I’d let it show. I maintained my cool facade, giving them a half-smile and murmuring, “Sure.”

I’d walked with them across abandoned train tracks and into the wide expanse of open field on the other side. It was like a sea of grass that swayed in waves. It was truly beautiful. I carried a basket filled with treats, and I could smell the faint scent of Alpha on it. A gift, obviously.

I helped lay down the blanket they were using as a picnic rug, making a mental note to order them a proper one online. They deserved all the good things, and I’d read that Alphas wooed their Omegas with gifts. I needed to up my game if I was going to convince them to let me be Pack, even if I wasn’t an Alpha.

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