Page 65 of Pack Rivals: Part Two
“Great,” he says.
He steps outside and we find Silver and Angel waiting by the door too.
“Where are these ‘peace talks’ being held?” I whisper to Hardy.
“No fucking idea.”
I watch Axel and Angel all the way down in the escalator ride and out to the car port. There the van is waiting for us. They talk to each other, chuckling away like Beavis and Butthead. As if the last ten years haven’t happened.
I wonder if I stepped into a fucking alternative reality on my way home. Or maybe I’m fucking dreaming.
“What’s going on?” I ask, when we’re all seated in the van.
Should I tell them about the omega? About her plan to leave?
Then what, Axel and Angel will be charging around there like a pair of rhinoceri on steroids, stamping all over any chance we have to make things right with her.
I’m keeping my mouth shut.
Until I know what this is all about.
“We’ll tell you when we get there,” Axel says.
“I’d prefer you tell us now,” Silver says firmly.
The brothers exchange glances, then twist around in their seats to face the rest of us. I’m struck by how similar the two of them are. I guess I knew it all along. Somehow I’d pushed it out of my mind. Now it’s clear as day.
“We’ve been a pair of assholes. And it’s about time we put things right.”
“You suffering from a head injury?” Hardy asks. “Did your mom finally knock your heads together?”
“Something like that,” Angel mutters.
Axel scratches his chin. “The omega,” he says and the tension in the van ratchets up. Beside me Hardy stiffens. “We fucked things up. She’s not going to forgive us until we put things right.”
“What things?” Connor asks.
“Things between the six of us,” Angel says. “This bullshit happened because she ended up stuck between our two packs. And if we’re honest, that’s happened to too many people over the years. If we ever hope to win her back, we have to put things right between us.”
“Hence the peace talks,” Hardy mutters.
“You think talking can put it all right?” I say. Irritation spirals through my body. Those dark waters begging to rise.
Does Axel honestly believe everything can go back to the way it was? Can he not see the way Silver gives me a wide fucking berth, or how Connor sits in stony silence? Because things have been good with his brother for five seconds, he assumes everything can be fixed.
Like the last decade can be forgotten. Like everything in that time hasn’t rotted and decayed, festered and fermented.
I reach for my knife. It’s not there. The omega has it now. A warmness radiates in my chest, soothing away the pain just a fraction. I like that. If she won’t have me, at least she’ll have that part of me.
“You have a better solution?” Axel asks.
I snort and stare out the window into the bright underground car park.
Soon, the engine rumbles to life and we’re speeding through the city. It doesn’t take me long to know where we’re headed.
Mrs. Stormgate’s.
Molly answers the door and for once I don’t receive my eager greeting. Today she’s stony faced and looking like she would like to whip all our asses.
