Page 85 of Stuck with my Pack
I laugh, shaking my head. “Go,” I nudge them toward the shop they spotted down the street. “Surprise me with whatever you’re planning. I’ll grab our order and see you in a few.”
Brodie leans in, brushing his lips against my temple. “We’ll be quick, pretty girl.”
Ethan lingers a beat longer, his hand grazing the small of my back before he follows the others. I watch them disappear into the store, their broad forms cutting an imposing figure even from a distance. Their absence makes the world feel suddenly bigger, a little too open.
Shaking off the unease creeping at the edges of my mind, I turn and push open the café door, the bell chiming as I step inside. A rush of warmth greets me, and the smell of delicious things baking and roasted coffee instantly soothes some of the tension in my shoulders.
I breathe in deep, letting the nostalgia wrap around me. This place has always felt like home—the faded wooden floors, the old chalkboard menu hanging above the counter, the case of oversized cinnamon rolls staring back at me like an old friend.
The woman behind the counter gives me a warm smile as I order, my voice laced with quiet excitement. “Five of the biggest cinnamon rolls you have and four coffees, please.”
The barista chuckles, grabbing a to-go box. “Sounds good.”
I glance around the café as I wait, taking in the quiet murmur of conversation, the clinking of mugs, and the hum of an espresso machine. A strange sense of contentment washes over me, a feeling of rightness, of belonging.
But then?—
There’s a shift in the air.
The scent hits me before I even see them—strong, musky, and tinged with something sharp and bitter. The hair on the back of my neck rises, my hackles going up instinctively. My fingers tighten around the edge of the counter as I recognize it.
Alphas.
Not my Alphas.
The scent is invasive, pressing, and demanding. My stomach knots, my pulse stuttering in my throat. I keep my chin up, my breathing even, but my body is already reacting, every Omega instinct inside me warning—danger. Telling me to run.
I turn slowly, my heart thudding as my gaze lands on them—a pack of Alphas coming into the café, their presence heavy and unmistakable. My blood runs cold when I see the one in the middle.
Adam.
The memories hitme like a punch to the gut, dragging me back to a time I’d rather forget. Back in high school, Adam hadbeen the golden boy—handsome, charming when he wanted to be, but cruel in a way that only those who thought they were untouchable could be.
He was an Alpha born to lead, spoiled by the way the world bent over backward for him. And he wanted me.
Not in the way my Alphas want me now, with tenderness and reverence. No, Adam had wanted to own me, to break me down until I saw myself the way he did—small, weak, something to be controlled.
He pushed, he cornered, he made sure I never forgot that he was an Alpha and I was an Omega.
But there had always been one thing standing in his way.
Ethan. Even before we were together.
And Adam hated me for it.
And now, Ethan isn’t here to stop him.
I swallow hard, fighting the instinct to shrink back. I won’t. I can’t. Not in front of them.
“Look what we have here,” Adam drawls, walking up to me like he’s been waiting for me. “Didn’t expect to see you back in town, Sophie.”
I force my expression to remain neutral, my voice steady. “Didn’t expect to see you anywhere I cared to be.”
The words come out strong, but my stomach churns.
Adam chuckles, stepping closer, his scent wrapping around me.
Adam’s fingers brush my wrist, his grip firm and possessive, sending a shiver of revulsion through me. “You always were too stubborn for your own good,” he murmurs, his voice dripping with mock affection. His thumb strokes over my pulse, a slow, deliberate move that makes my skin crawl.
