Pack Darling: Part Two (Pack Darling, #2)

by Lola Rock

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

“We had a mission,” Atlas insists. “We had to—” “You didn’t have to. You chose to. Shocking concept, but you chose to leave me and you chose to leave Orion.” I push a breath through my teeth. 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.

You tell them!

I thought the universe was fucking huge, all dark ooze and evil motherfuckers. No reason to keep kicking around except to take a few more with me before I go. Newsflash. The universe is tiny. Just one star. Five feet balanced on pretty pearly toes. When Lilah dances, I find all the colors I forgot. I don’t give a shit about the pack, the Redfangs, and these ballerina bitches. All they have to do is die. Easy. Then I get forever with my star.

Finn is so unhinged and I am here for it

My pack brothers are like those broken bowls you can glue back together with gold. I’m powder.

Poor Finn....we love you anyways

I draw LILAH in big, big letters. Galaxies of stars, flowers, and balisong knives with butterfly wings. All the deadly sweet and beautiful things. Prove I can be a good alpha? I can’t wait to headshot every asshole who looks at Lilah, even thinks of Lilah, but that doesn’t make me good for her. I’m empty except for a borrowed thread of starlight that I have to figure out how to lock down and keep in a pretty jar. With air holes. And, like, purple Easter grass and little cookie snacks in there. What I offer is a shittton of nothing. So Lilah can have me. The whole fucking nightmare package. I’ll put her name on my chest so she knows she owns me. Then I’ll dig in so far, she can’t breathe without sniffing oranges. Gonna keep my Star forever. And she’s gonna have to keep me.

They share a silent glance, as if I’m a hound that needs to be put down. That’s fine. If Lilah wants it, that’s what we’ll arrange.

So gloomy...

I’m less and less able to keep up my act. My control. It was all doomed to be shattered the second Lilah returned to my life, and I’m oddly looking forward to the moment she puts me in my place. I want Lilah to pull the trigger. Too soon, and we’re at the OCC’s gates. I shudder. Hunter drives us through the checkpoints to the performing arts center. “If you don’t want to—” “I’m going.” Hunter levels me with a look that drips in his newfound dominance. “You swear on your life you’re good to watch her?” I tsk. Swear on something with value. “I swear on her life.”

He’s almost to the door when the word stuck in my throat finally pops. “Wait.” Orion whirls, blue eyes bright. “What do you need?” So many things. I need to be independently wealthy, have an unlimited supply of chocolate cake, and a harem of knotted manservants who fuck me and then disappear. Maybe what I need most is a lobotomy. Because when I look at Orion standing in the doorway, the thing I want the most is the courage to ask for what I actually want. I want him to stay. I don’t want to do everything myself.

When it’s our turn, I order a cookies n’ cream milkshake. Orion tsks. “You want to lecture me about nutrition?” “All you ordered was onion rings.” “You told me to eat a vegetable.”

Atlas and Jett sit on the sofa like two kids in time out. Stacks of flattened cardboard pile by the door from whatever they spent the morning moving in. They snap to life when I careen past, shooting into the kitchen. Atlas jumps to his feet in those stupid pants that hug his thick thighs. “What happened?” “Nothing!” I say, too high-pitched. “Just hungry. Gonna cock. I mean cock. I mean cook!”

They stormed the castle. I tried flaming arrows and boiling oil, but I forgot. Wyverns can fly.

My heart and throat tighten, but I force myself to speak. “What are we?” “House cats.” My lips fall open. “What?” “House cats,” he insists. “Kinda cranky and cuddly and we’ll fuck shit up if you leave us alone too long.” “That’s not what I mean. What—” “I know what you mean.” Orion bites the tip of my nose. “You’re my other half. And I’m yours.” Flutters explode in my belly.

I’m toast, but even more baked—a fucking biscotti.

Fuck with Lilah and you can get fucked.

Hunter and I need to— I don’t know. Probably move farther apart before he gets me pregnant through two layers of clothes and an implant?

“No way. This is the greatest.” Kipp bounces, absorbing the mercenary ambiance like a kid at combat camp. But his happy expression morphs into a mask when he looks over my shoulder. Finn? I peek back. Not Finn. Jett. He stands in the shadows of the bleacher seating, black clothes, black hair, black eyes. He is the shadow. No one else notices him, but people make a space like they’re walking past a ghost. I’m not at the point where I want to give the guy a hug, but you know what I do know? Jett’s waiting for me in those shadows. One word, one touch I don’t like, and he’ll stomp throats. My favorite kind of promise.

It’s the warning of a predator. A jagged growl that doesn’t come from my throat. It rips from deep in my chest. The feral, protective omega snarl fierce enough to cow an alpha. I’ve only heard the noise in videos because there are only two ways to really, really piss off an omega. Come after their mates. Come after their young. Renee came for more than that.

"Now me." JJ lifts the collar, a fallen knight offering his queen her crown. He’s at my feet. Kneeling. So why does it feel like I’m the one being forced to submit? His gaze devours. I dry swallow. “Why?” “Giving you my leash. Use me. Hate me. Punish me. Don’t think you can love me, but I’m already yours. I’ve always been yours, even when I forgot. I won’t forget again. Can’t. There’s nothing left of me but you.” JJ pushes the collar into my shaking hands.

His heat, his scent, his earnest insanity wash over me as I latch the band around his throat. “Too tight?” I ask breathily, tugging him forward by the ring. “Fuuuck.” His head tips back and his scent spikes so hard I taste cherries and cream. “You own me. Tell me who to kill. What you need. I’m yours, Lilac.”

“JJ picked his own. I just put it…“ I make the mistake of turning. Jett is fucking gone. But JJ. He has a finger hooked in his collar ring and a soul-stealingly soft smile that robs the air from my lungs, the room, and the entire fucking planet. It’s mass extinction. Crops die, people suffocate, and solar systems collapse under the force of those gravity-destroying lips. How’s my heart supposed to survive? I drop the spoon. My chest is so heavy. Eyes, suddenly wet. Everyone freezes. Atlas nudges them aside, lifting me off the counter and into his rock solid arms. I press my face into his neck and clench my jaw. I will not cry. I do not cry.