Chapter Thirty-Six

Caleb

My blood runs cold the second I feel the empty sheets.

I jolt up, scanning the bedroom. There's only Jaxon, snoring softly on the other end of the bed. Micah's scent is stale, like he's been gone a while.

Not good, my inner alpha rumbles.

He must've had another nightmare. Decided not to wake me up, even though I've told him a hundred times that that's what I'm here for. I'm his head alpha, for Christ's sake. I'm supposed to take care of him—of both of them.

I venture out into the living room. "Micah?" I call.

The TV has been left on, muted. Was he watching it last night, trying to fall back asleep? It doesn't sound like Micah—I'd sooner find him buried in a textbook than watching some crappy infomercial.

I check the kitchen. Still nothing.

Then, right as panic begins to take hold, I smell it.

Micah's scent … and Faith's.

I follow my nose to her bedroom door, slightly ajar. Cautiously, I peer inside.

None of my suspicions quite prepare me for what I find: Faith, slumped on top of my packmate, the pair of them joined—quite literally—at the hips. Completely exposed but for a single bedsheet.

Without warning, my cock springs to attention.

God, that's a gorgeous sight.

Micah's face is so at peace. The same goes for Faith—blank, soft, radiant even in sleep. They merge together so beautifully, breathing in almost perfect synchronicity.

I fight the urge to palm at my erection, so turned-on it's hard to stand up straight.

"God damn ."

I snap around to see Jaxon peering over my shoulder. He must've heard me calling out.

He whistles. "Our packmate's got game, huh?"

My lip curls, though I don't have much of a leg to stand on—not with my own obvious arousal. "Go back to bed," I tell him. "Better yet, take a cold shower. I'll handle this."

" Handle it, huh? Without me?"

"Jaxon," I growl.

His gaze drifts down to my crotch, then back up to me, meaningfully, before he backs off. "Sure. One cold shower coming up."

I wait until he's gone before knocking on Faith's door.

Her sharp blue eyes flick open, finding mine in an instant. I don't know what I expect to scent in her pheromones. Embarrassment? Shame? She gives me neither—purring in gentle greeting.

The vibrations must wake Micah. He purrs back instinctively, rubbing his hands along her back, before he notices me.

"Caleb!"

He jerks up, color flooding his cheeks.

"A word," I grunt.

Frowning, Faith rises out of Micah's lap. She faces me, stark naked, like it's the most natural thing in the world. If not for the glint in her eye—testing me—I might think she was being na?ve.

But no. She senses the erection in my pants as clearly as Jaxon did. She wants me to see her.

Maybe to see what I'm missing.

"Alone," I say, sharply.

She scans the room, no doubt searching for her notepad, when Micah puts a hand on her arm.

"It's okay," he murmurs. "Stay in bed. I'll bring you coffee in a minute."

She signs something, her hands moving too fast for my less-than-rudimentary comprehension. Micah smiles.

"I know, I know—two shots, no sugar."

I stand there, flabbergasted, as Micah gathers his clothes. There are scratch marks over his shoulders—I guess our omega really gave him a run for his money.

I snap at my inner alpha— stop that. She's not ours .

Once he's dressed, Micah meets me out in the living room. "I know what you're going to say," he begins, tactfully, "but before you do—"

"How did you know?" I demand, surprising myself. "What she was saying?"

He cocks his head. "You mean the sign?" At my glare, he goes on, "The pain meds have been making her drowsy. I suggested she start drinking coffee, maybe counteract the symptoms, and she taught me how to take her order." He shrugs. "It's pretty basic, but, y'know … I'm getting there. Jaxon, too."

"Jaxon?"

"Mm-hm. He keeps pestering her to show him new words."

It's hard to know what makes me angrier—that Faith's taking my packmates away from me, or that they're taking her away from me.

"Caleb." Micah takes a breath. "I promise—what you just saw, it … it wasn't planned. At least, not like that."

Like what? Me, waking up, worried you were having another episode, only to find you in her bed ?

I bite my tongue. "During her heat was one thing, Micah. But getting your rocks off in the middle of the night—"

"It wasn't like that."

"Do not interrupt me."

An acidic scent shoots out from Faith's doorway. I turn to find her leaning against the wall, snarling viciously.

"Omega." Micah hurries to steady her. "You shouldn't be on your feet."

She pays him no mind, those blazing eyes fixed on me.

Micah looks between us. "Oh. Hey, no, it's alright. Caleb and I were just talking. Nothing to worry about."

It doesn't take a genius to read between the lines: Nothing to rip head alpha's head off about.

Faith seems utterly unconvinced. She keeps glaring at me. Warning me.

And right when I thought my hard-on was finally under control, I had to see that— a gorgeous, naked omega, baring her teeth to protect my packmate.

Why the fuck is that so hot?

I don't realize I'm holding my breath until Micah sweeps her off her feet. To my astonishment, she doesn't resist as he carries her back to bed. He emerges a couple seconds later, standing in front of me with a stern expression.

"As you can see," he says, quietly, "this is about more than sex. I care about her. I—" he stops himself. "I can make her happy."

I fold my arms, fighting the urge to cover my still-hard cock. "I don't doubt that."

His eyes light up. "You … don't?"

"It's beside the point." I sigh. "We'll discuss this later. I need to get to HQ."

"Later?"

I quirk a brow, not missing the challenge in his tone.

Micah's jaw clenches. "Please, just … tell me you saw it. Or sensed it, at least."

I did. We did , my inner alpha cries out.

"Caleb," my packmate insists, "she's stable. Grounded. More than she's been since …" he shakes his head. "Since ever."

"Because of the sex," I say dryly.

"No—because I love her."

He might as well have punched me across the face—jarring enough on its own, let alone from someone as gentle as Micah. I don't move, eyeing him carefully.

Lowly, I ask, "Is that what you told her? In those words?"

"I did."

My god . I've known Micah to be a lot of things. Loved and supported him through it all. But I never thought he could be so damn …

"Selfish," I whisper. "That was a stupid, selfish fucking thing to do." I shake my head. "And I think you know it."

Now he looks struck, his eyes glistening. "Caleb—"

"Like I said. We'll discuss it later."

I hate myself as soon as I've spoken. Even more when I turn away, storming into the bedroom.

I could turn around. Take the words back, tell him I'm sorry.

But I can't do that. Not when I know, as much as it breaks my heart, that I'm right. Micah has no place confessing his love. He can't promise Faith anything.

He's not the head alpha of Pack Wilder.

It's my job to make sure my packmates are taken care of. To make sure we do the right thing by ourselves, by the mission.

And by Faith.