Page 19 of Shades of Scars

Unbridled lust.

It makes my thighs clench again before I can clear my throat to formulate any words. “We all need to talk about what has happened.” I feel stupid for pointing out the obvious yet again, but it literally can’t be helped. These alphas already have the ability to turn my brain to mush just by being in their presence.

It makes a sick sense wash through me like a cold wave at the realization that I’m never going to be able to do the right thing here.

They’re all staring at me like they expect me to go off like a bomb. I blow out a breath before I can continue. “This is never going to work.” I make a gesturing motion to include the entire table, us included, but I don’t have to go into detail for them to understand.

I expect all four of them to go into an uproar about it, but I’m pleasantly surprised when they don’t. Lark clears his throat, setting his wine glass down and drawing my attention to him. “Because of that.” He dips his chin at me, but I know without even following his gaze what he’s referring to.

My entire body trembles even when I lift my chin to steel my resolve. It’s fucking pointless, but I have to try, anyway. “There are many reasons, but yes.” I concede. “This is one of them.” I don’t lift a finger to touch the ruined mark on my good shoulder because I don’t want to end up vomiting up all of the delicious food Lark clearly worked so hard to make.

“Tell us about it.” Wren’s words borderline his alpha bark, but it’s just out of reach. He clearly doesn’t want to overstep thatboundary and force my compliance, even if it pains him to do so. He wants answers just as much as the rest of them, I’m sure.

Sadness crackles through me like a live-wire when I shake my head and lower my eyes to the half empty plate still in front of me. “I can’t.” It’s a lame response. A coward’s response. But I can’t open that can of worms up here.

When did I become so goddamned meek?

“Can’t or won’t?” Caito leans back in his chair then, his plate still untouched. I refuse to lift my eyes directly to him as I shrug.

“Both.”

He growls, but I ignore him. “Look at me,mo chroí.” This time, just the hint of his alpha bark cracks through his demand, and my spine snaps straight when my eyes are forced up to meet his.

I bare my teeth at him in a defiant snarl, but he looks like he could give two fucks less what I have to say on the matter. His dark green eyes are wild as he lets them rake over me like the promise of a claiming, and I can’t stop the shiver that expands out through my entire body, from the tips of my fingers, to the tips of my toes.

“Tell us about the walking dead man that put that mark on your skin.” Caito holds my glare without a care in the world.

“No.” I bite out the word through clenched teeth, my hands squeezing into fists on my lap beneath the table to stop myself from throwing my meat knife at his stupid, perfect face.

He tips his chin up, a smirk curling the corners of his lips and making him look entirely too sexy for my own good. “Caito.” The way Wren says his name is meant to be a warning, but the man in question doesn’t seem at all phased by it. He doesn’t even glance in the other alpha’s direction. He keeps his focus trained on me, like a hunter locked onto its prey.

“She’s going to tell us what we want to know.” He sounds so sure of himself when he says it that I almost believe him.

I scoff. “You’ll have to chain me up and start the torture session before I even consider giving in to another alpha’s demands of me. Fuckingneveragain.” I snarl, feeling my resolve settle deep in my bones.

This is all going downhill way too fast to stop it.

Like we’re all hurtling towards the bottom of a steep ravine with no way to stop before our bodies break apart on cold, hard stone.

11

Wren

My fingers tighten around the glass of whiskey clutched in my palm before I can haul back and throw it across the table at Caito. He’s fucking this all up. I need to put a stop to this before he does something he’s going to regret. He’s going to drive her away before we even have a chance to have her.

Caito leans forward to rest his elbows on the table and threads his fingers together as he stares Scarlett down. “Do you think I am capable of that? Do you think any of us are?” He presses, and she lifts her chin in a rare form of defiance I can’t help but to admire. While I’ve never spent a significant amount of time around omegas in general, I know it takes a lot for them to stand up to an alpha. Especially one as dominant as Caito.

Apollo is to my left, body vibrating with barely contained anger. Out of all of us, he gets along with Caito the least. I’m not certain if it’s because he’d been the last to join our pack, or what. He clashes heads with my oldest pack brother over any little thing, and it is clear our omega will be no exception.

I’m just surprised he’s still holding himself back.

He must really not want to scare her.

“Caito, enough.” I say, and he finally flicks his gaze to me across the expanse of the table.

“If we are to protect our omega, we need to know all the facts. I’m sorry if you aren’t alpha enough to get the answers we need, but rest assured, brother. I am.”

I slam my free hand against the table then, fury surging through me at the taunt, and my chair screeches as I shove it back to stand abruptly. The glass in my hand shatters when it slips from my fingers onto the floor. A snarl twists my lips, and I open my mouth, ready to rip him a new asshole, but Scarlett cuts in before I can.

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