Pack Darling Part Two

by Lola Rock

One week, three kidnapping attempts, two armed break-ins, and a smoke bomb smuggled in through the laundry.

Rumor’s out. I’m awakened, unmated, and a total slut for anything sweet.

For the first time in my life, I have admirers. Turns out, I hate having admirers.

“Call me Cale,” he says. “Your debt’s not a problem. Wyvern Pack only owns half the city. Who do you think owns the other half?” Weird flex, but okay.

Boozy aunt energy.

Me

you’ll experience more erratic behavior, moodiness, and intensified nesting instincts.” “You think?” I gesture to myself, wrapped like a pig in a blanket and vibrating like a freaking loon.

What would I even do with a baby? Teach it to stab the other kids?

The little voice inside still screams at me to run away, to hide, but the more practical, still-in-the-hospital part of me knows this is my best option.

I dive behind the sofa, whipping out my scalpels. “Lilah? Are you—” Max Wyvern pushes open my door with a bearded grin that dies when he chokes on my scent. “Whoa. Wasn’t expecting that.”

Oh shit. I need brain bleach. Fucking hormones.

I’ve earned the right to be psycho.

I creep out, moving onto the couch with a scalpel in each hand. Kieran strips off a knife holster and kicks it across the floor. “You need better than that, little wildcat.”

Thing is, they had a choice. They always have a choice, and they always choose something, somewhere, someone else.

“You can’t leave an omega alone after a traumatic heat. Unless you want him to be crazy?” “But you’re not…” Max frowns. “Um.” Are his eyes working? I’m like a cavewoman after a thaw, brown hair a colony of birds’ nests, covered in patchy scabs, melted fudge, and pillow lines. My pheromones need no further introduction.

You literally stole scalpels from the doctors…. Are they blind

I clutch Kieran’s knife strap, waiting for them to drop the other shoe. Hope it’s a stiletto, because I’ll stab them with the heel if they try to tell me what to do.

There’s no walking away from that bond.” How ‘bout running away?

When I think of the Wyverns’ mansion, I think of the cold basement. Bodies lumped on the grass. Dead moths on the kitchen counters. The garage where Craig injected me and the lawn the Redfangs dragged me across before shoving me into their car. Worst of all, the stairs. Crawling up and down in bone-breaking agony. I’m supposed to walk those halls and feel safe?

It’s the first time he’s not dead-eyed in days, staring me down like he’s deciding which organ to skewer. Arson will only keep him high so long,

I can’t bring myself to take away his gasoline backpack.

I won’t run back to Lilah with shallow words. I need to prove the danger’s gone. Get down on my knees and gift her Dom’s goddamned head in a sack.

Sometimes, I think Finn’s the most unhinged. Then I remember Jett never had a fucking door.

“We don’t have to punch them to death individually,” Hunter says. “Shoot the fuckers.”

I want anyone to tell me what’s wrong so that I can finally fucking fix the problem. It’s my job to fix the problem.

It’s you. Like wtf

Jett and Finn make a killer team. Not good cop, bad cop but the cold sociopath and the crazy sociopath. They’ll get the info.

“Fuck that.” Hunter hurls my phone. It shatters against the breezy tile.

He knows you can just end the call right 🤣🤣

“That bad?” I mean, I can smell myself, but it’s freaking me out how strongly everyone keeps reacting.

I’m the goat at the dinosaur park.

Safe? Are my instincts fucking high?

I can hear my heart cracking. But I’ll staple that shit right back together.

I’m not listening to their words, their pity-me eyes, or their crazy fucking pheromones. I’m listening to their actions. All that other shit lies. Actions don’t.

“Don’t do this to us.” I let the words wash over me, but they’re just noise.

I would be fucking fuming. I KNOW this bitch did not just say that.

“You’re not sorry.” Not when the apology comes on the same breath as the accusation that I’m doing something wrong.

“Stop!” Lilah’s voice rings out, clear, sweet, and full of righteous fucking fury. And shit do they stop. They freeze. The guards. The guys. Every male, like his heart just stopped pumping and obeyed because Lilah Darling said so. Hot.

It’s official. Love her. Want her forever.

“We’re sorry.” Atlas rumbles. “Don’t do this to us.” Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck. Way to make it selfish, asshole.

She’s going to hate their plan. And if they piss her off even more? I need to distance myself. Because if I have to choose between the pack or her… I choose Lilah. Every time.

Am I that desperate for touch? Thankfully, weighted blankets are a thing.

With eyes dark and dangerous as hell pits, he absorbs the report. When he’s had enough, he sets it on the desk and starts counting his knives, muttering. “Didn’t bring enough.”

Lilah was always my Lilac. Pure and perfect and good.

I turn to sprint, to flee, but I’m ended by a freaking ceramic toad. I stub my toe hard enough to see the deities.

“Star.” Finn’s soft, toxic whisper seeps into my ear, and I jump high enough to catch air. Finn snuck past Orion’s barricade, circling behind the bench while I was worrying about other alphas. Should’ve remembered who’s the most trouble.

Watching me the same way I watch lava cakes, Finn offers me a shard of green pottery. “Killed it for you.” “What…” I suck in a breath because holy shit. The toe-breaking toad is dead. The perfect gift. He pushes it into my palm before I can react.

Jett is not a prince. He’s the king of mixed fucking signals.

Atlas is on his knees. I kick him in his muscular ass, knocking him onto his elbows. Falling restarts his brain. Jett’s still mid-lobotomy.

What I want to do is puke in the bushes.

“Your pack doesn’t want me.” “That’s because my pack is deadass stupid.”

I feel warm inside, but not cozy warm. Like my internal organs just went sploosh. Melted.

“They don’t understand how fast they can lose you.” “They’re going to find out.”

“You think they can change?” “They will for you.” I make a disgusted noise. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

I push him away. “Why are you here?” “Because you’re here.”