Page 130 of Power Shift

“Not until now. I guess it makes sense. My eyes are pretty light.”

“That’s not why I chose it, Briar.”

She pauses, curiosity lighting her expression. “Are you going to tell me why, then?”

“Not yet. I thought you wanted to know what my five-year plan was.”

“That’s not fair,” she huffs.

“You’re beautiful even when you pout.”

Her eyes flick up to mine. I swallow, debating between kicking myself in the ass for saying that or being proud of my honesty.

“You think I’m beautiful?” she asks softly.

I furrow my brows. “Yes. Are you not aware of how gorgeous you are? I thought you’d have dealt with guys staring at you everywhere you go.”

“None of them are you or the other men outside this room right now.”

“You’re perfect, Briar.”

“So, why are you still pretending you don’t feel the same way I do? I don’t care what your designation is, there’s no way you aren’t aware of who we are to each other,” she declares, going right for the jugular.

There’s no point in continuing to hide from this. If everyone else can be brave, why can’t I?

“At first, I didn’t want to push Landon. When I met you, I knew Landon wasn’t ready for an omega. His history with his family wasn’t a secret amongst us, and Landon . . . he’s my brother. Not in blood, but by choice. He chose to have me in the pack and accepted me for who I was, designation and all, despite the backlash he got from too many people who haven’t outgrown the old way of thinking.

“It should have been obvious to me that there was a block between us. I put it up before I’d even met you, and the night Ronan came home smelling like an omega . . . Fear is dangerous,but so is hope. At least with fear, you always expect the worst. Hope sets you up for heartbreak. A brief period of bliss, and then with one strong wind, you’re tumbling off a cliff with nowhere to go but down. What if I’d been open from the start and Landon hadn’t changed his mind?”

I focus on the warmth of her hand and clear my throat when it grows tight.

“The draw to you is there, Briar. I won’t deny that. The way you smell and feel when we touch like this—” I slip my fingers through hers and bring our joined hands to my lips, kissing her soft skin. “—it’s right. All of it is right. There’s a tug in my chest that guides me to you, but I can’t—I can’t get past the wall completely, even now. Maybe I’ve waited too long.”

Twisting beside me, she settles on her knees and leans into my side. Before I can snag her hand again, she places it back in mine and brings the other to rest on my shoulder for balance. Even in this position, I’m taller than her, but the difference isn’t so bad now. Her mouth is level with mine, teasing me.

“There’s no timeline on this. In case you haven’t gotten it yet, I’m not going anywhere. I was prepared to fight for Landon, and now, I’m more than okay with waiting for you, Dash. I know what I feel, and that’s that you’re mine. Whether that’s today, tomorrow, or a year from now.”

I wet my bottom lip, and she lowers her stare, watching my tongue move. My voice drops an octave, dark with anticipation. “We don’t deserve you. Not a single one of us.”

“That’s okay. I like knowing that you’re going to have to work hard to keep me,” she drawls, her teasing tone returning.

Bit by bit, she leans closer to me until her chest presses against my shoulder and her hand has slid along my collarbones. The light scrape of her nails against my shirt feels euphoric. I burn beneath the touch, wanting—needing—more.

“You have no idea how hard,” I rasp.

Her smell intensifies, swirling around us so strongly that it makes my head swim despite having a weaker sense of scent than the others do. I feel it clawing at me, demanding I give us what we both want on a deep, biological level.

“Tell me your five-year plan.”

I nod, humming so quietly it might possibly be silent. “The only thing I want is for my pack to be complete. Healed.”

“That’s really the only thing?”

Time stands still when she brings her lips to mine but hovers them a breath away, offering me only a brief taste of her.

“How could I ask for anything more than seeing you spend the rest of your life as a member of the Montgomery pack? That seems like the perfect way to spend the rest of my years, Bright Eyes. The next five isn’t nearly enough for me.”

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