Chapter 41

41

" Y ou really think this'll work?" I ask hopefully, glancing over at Cam walking beside me as we pass beneath the pale glow of a streetlight.

"It has to," he replies, carding his fingers through his dark curls for what has to be the thousandth time today. We've been up at the squad complex for the entirety of it, strategizing with the other squad leaders as to end this conflict with The Guild once and for all. The only breaks we took were for quick meals in the squad's dining hall. The sun set hours ago, and we're finally on our way back to the packhouse to get some much needed rest. I'm mentally drained, ready to fall into bed and sleep till noon tomorrow. Well, noon's a stretch. But wouldn't it be nice if I had the luxury?

If all goes well tomorrow, then I'll have earned a few days of sleeping in and flouting responsibility. We'll all have. But right now, I still feel the overwhelming weight of anxiety pressing down on me, sitting heavy like an anchor on my chest.

"You'd better not be playing both sides here," I grumble, half joking while also giving words to one of my deepest fears. No matter how I feel about Cam, it's a risk to trust him and let him in on our planning. I just hope it's one that'll pay off.

Cam whips his head sideways to cut me a disbelieving glare, his brow furrowing and lips twisting in a scowl. "You mean you still don't trust me?"

His harsh tone immediately puts me on the defensive. "Would you, if you were in my shoes?" I snap, scowling right back at him. "Think about it, Cam. There's a lot riding on this."

"You think I don't know that?" he scoffs, shaking his head and turning his gaze to the pavement ahead right as we hit the bottom of the packhouse driveway. "There's a lot riding on it for me, too. I get why the others may not trust me yet, but I thought you and I were past that." He slams to a stop, scrubbing a hand down his face and turning to gaze past the packhouse to the woods beyond. "I need some air," he mutters, swiveling to stomp off around the side of the packhouse toward the forest.

I just stand there for a beat as I watch him walk away, chewing on the inside of my cheek.

In my heart of hearts, I do trust Cam. If I didn't, I wouldn't have agreed with including him in our strategy planning. I wouldn't have moved him into a guest room in the packhouse, and I wouldn't be sneaking into his bed in the middle of the night. But admitting I trust him also means admitting I forgive him for his past; that I want him in my future... and that's what scares the crap out of me. Because while it's an impossible situation, I've come to care about him. And I don't want to let him go.

"Wait, you don't even know where you're going!" I call, jogging after him.

"Why would you care?" he grumbles as I catch up, falling into step beside him and grabbing for his arm.

"You think I don't care about you?" I huff, yanking on his arm to halt his advance.

He swivels to face me, and despite the packhouse casting us both in its shadow, my shifter vision allows me to make out every rugged detail of his face through the darkness, his jaw locked tight and expression stormy. "Do you?"

"Of course I do," I snap, rolling my eyes.

"But you don't trust me?"

"I never said that."

"You insinuated it."

He goes to pull away, but I tug on his arm, reeling him back in. "I want to trust you," I breathe, meeting his hard gaze. "More than anything. I'm just nervous about how this is all going to go down tomorrow. I'm scared about all the ways it could go wrong…"

"And what, you think I'm not?" he scoffs.

"I didn't think you were afraid of anything," I tease, flipping my long hair over a shoulder. "You sounded pretty damn confident back in that meeting."

It was enlightening to see Cam in his element today. I shouldn't have been surprised, since he's spent the last decade running missions with The Guild, but seeing the way he took charge in there, refusing to back down from the challenges thrown at him and handling any dissension with ease opened my eyes to another side of him. He's a true Alpha; born to lead. And from the shifty looks the guys were exchanging, they saw exactly what I did.

Doubt it made them as hot as it made me, though.

"Because I have to be," Cam growls, shaking my hand off his arm and advancing a step closer. "Because there's no room for fear or doubt when it's life or death."

I roll my eyes, clucking my tongue. "You make it sound so simple."

"Trust me, nothing's simple about going up against men you used to fight beside."

So that's what this is about.

My chest tightens and I step closer, reaching up to brush a loose curl out of his eyelashes. His hair's gotten longer since I first met him, and there's a tousled, unkempt look about it that's undeniably sexy. "I can't even imagine," I whisper, tracing my fingertips down the curve of his jaw.

He catches my wrist, using it to draw me closer. "I'm not afraid of going up against them," he murmurs, leaning in until we're breathing the same air. "I need to set things right, and that's what I'm gonna do."

"Then what are you afraid of, big man?" I ask, tilting my chin so my lips brush against his.

"You being caught in the crossfire," he rasps.

" Me ?" I bark a laugh, pushing at his chest and rocking back a step. "I survived getting captured, weeks of confinement, and then pulled off a pretty epic escape and made it back home." I fold my arms across my chest, lifting my chin smugly. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm basically invincible."

"Nobody's invincible," he mutters as he steps forward, his hands landing on my hips. "You need to stay safe, Avery."

"Says the guy who hasn't even mastered his wolf yet," I tease, sliding my palms up the hard planes of his chest. "Trust me, I've got this. But it's sweet that you're concerned."

He cocks a brow. "Sweet?"

"Yeah, who knew underneath all that growly, brooding shit you were just a big softie?"

A growl rumbles in his chest as he moves forward, backing me up a few steps until I feel the siding of the packhouse at my back. "Soft?" he questions, slapping a big palm up against the wall beside my head, caging me in. "There's nothing soft about me." He punctuates that statement by grinding his hips forward, the hard ridge of his dick nudging my belly.

Between his body pressed against mine and his delicious scent enveloping me, I'm done for. Heat rushes to my core, a needy throb pulsing between my thighs. "Prove it," I challenge, lifting my chin and licking my lips as I hold his dark-eyed gaze.

Cam meets my challenge head-on, his mouth crashing down onto mine. Sparks ignite between our lips, fire burning a path through my veins as he claims my mouth in a filthy hot kiss, picking me up by the backs of my thighs and wrapping my legs around his waist.

Is it a bad idea to fuck him right here, out in the open on the side of the packhouse?

Probably.

Do I care?

Not one bit.

I tilt my head to deepen the kiss, my tongue exploring every corner of his mouth while my hands fist the fabric of his t-shirt.

Why the hell do we still have our clothes on?

Cam's lips leave mine to trail a path down the side of my throat and I throw my head back on a moan, the back of my skull thumping against the outer wall of the packhouse. He shoves a hand beneath my shirt, palming my breast, and I'm so lost to the sensations that the vibration of my phone in my pocket only distantly registers.

It doesn't stop, though, and Cam notices it too, nipping my shoulder as he murmurs, "Do you need to get that?"

I heave an annoyed sigh, lowering my legs from around his waist and planting my feet back on the ground. Shoving a hand in my pocket, I retrieve my phone, the screen lighting up with a missed call from my brother, followed by a text message.

Madd

Where the hell are you? Mom and Dad are here

"Shit," I hiss, tucking my phone back into my pocket and smoothing my hair. "We've gotta get inside, my parents are here."

Cam flinches back, blinking at me like a deer in the headlights. "They're here ?"

"Yeah, they probably wanna wish us luck for tomorrow or something," I mumble, waving a hand dismissively as I sidestep around him and tug the hem of my shirt back down over my belly. "Just be cool."

Cam combs his fingers through his own hair, worry lines creasing his forehead as he glances toward the front of the packhouse.

"It's fine," I reassure, moving toward him and slipping my hand into his. Threading our fingers together, I lead him back around to the front, taking a deep breath and steadying myself as we make our way toward the door. "I still haven't gotten a chance to fully explain everything to my parents, so just follow my lead, kay?" I ask, flicking him a glance over my shoulder as I reach for the knob.

He jerks a nod moments before I push the door open, strolling inside with my hand still clasped in his.

"Hey fam," I greet, nonchalant as fuck.

My parents are seated on a sofa in the living room, both of them snapping their heads in our direction as Cam and I file inside and he nudges the door closed behind us. Madd's slumped on another couch with Sloane in his lap, and the moment his gaze locks on our joined hands, his jaw clenches, eyes pinging up to meet mine in silent question.

"There you are," Mom breathes, beckoning us into the living room with the wave of a hand.

"Sorry, I didn't know you guys were here," I explain, dropping Cam's hand as I kick off my shoes by the door. "Cam and I were just talking about the plan for tomorrow."

"Didn't we do enough of that in the meeting?" Madd grunts, not buying my bullshit.

I shrug a shoulder, smiling sweetly as I strut into the living room. "Can't be too prepared, right?"

"Exactly," my dad agrees, and I beam my smile his way, giving him a little nod.

"Cam, nice to see you again," Mom says as Cam follows behind me .

"Likewise, Mrs. Kessler," he replies smoothly.

"Please, call me Fallon," she tuts. "I'm looking forward to getting to know you at dinner on Friday."

" This Friday?" I ask as I drop down onto a vacant sofa, sliding over so Cam can take the seat next to me.

Mom's brow furrows. "Madd didn't tell you?"

"Must've slipped his mind," I mumble, sliding him an accusatory glare.

He just smirks smugly, fingers toying with the strands of Sloane's hair as she reclines back against his chest. Leave it to my brother to put Cam in another awkward position- though I've gotta admit, the two of them were getting along surprisingly well today. They've got more in common than he may believe- both hard asses on the outside and all warm and gooey in the center.

"Madd just filled us in on the details for tomorrow, including our role," Dad provides as Cam settles on the couch beside me.

Right. That's a crucial part of the plan- or rather, the backup plan. Some of the squad leaders are Alphas of their packs, so they'll be entrusting the former Alphas with the safety of their packs while we're away, just in case any trouble comes knocking. We've considered every angle, and if Cam's man on the inside double crosses us and they try to spring an attack here on our territory while we're gone, we're prepared to defend it.

Dad swings his gaze to Cam, his expression stoic. "He also told me about yours. What do you think the chances are of resolving this without bloodshed?"

"Not sure, but I'm gonna try," Cam replies, dragging a hand through his hair with a sigh. "And if not, then I'll do what I have to do. Either way, this ends tomorrow."

My dad considers him for a moment, then tips his head in a respectful nod. "You get my daughter home safe, and the slate is wiped clean," he offers. "We can get to know each other properly, without all the ugliness of the past hanging over our heads."

The corners of Cam's mouth lift in the ghost of a smile. "I look forward to it."

"Be careful out there tomorrow," Mom cautions, her blue eyes rimmed with concern as they bounce between me and Madd. I swear, no matter how old we get, she still sees us as her little pups.

"We will," I say confidently. "We can do this, Mom."

"I know you can," she replies with just as much confidence. "Just remember how much we love you."

I smile softly, blowing her a kiss. "No matter what."