West quietly came to lay beside us, placing a hand on my back. He didn’t say those three magical words back to me like his packmates did, but he did make a stuttering attempt at a purr.
And that was enough proof.
He loved me.
They all did.
Chapter
Twenty
CONRAD
Mercer and West had rushed off first thing in the morning, barely waiting for Talia to wake up and give them each a half-asleep goodbye kiss. They’d left me cuddled up in bed with her. Alone.
If I’d been more awake myself, I might have stopped them. We hadn’t been alone together since before I’d gone feral.
It felt risky.
What if I went feral again?
Why did they trust me when I’d almost hurt her?
From the moment the realization of our alone-ness struck me, I’d been an anxious mess. There had been no sleeping in late for me—I was wide awake as I held my resting omega in my arms.
I felt completely in control of myself, had made it through last night’s sex marathon without any feral traits reemerging, but that could change in an instant. It could happen so fast I wouldn’t be able to separate myself from her.
I held her tighter to my chest, trying to stop the anxiety spiral from getting out of hand.
She yawned, blinking up at me. “Good morning.”
I managed a half smile. “Morning.”
Talia let out another yawn, then sat up halfway, concern in her eyes. “Are you alright?”
It should have been easy to lie to her. She shouldn’t have to worry about my concerns, not when they were tied to traumatic memories for her too. But I wasn’t West. There was nothing about me that I wanted to hide from my omega, not even this.
“They left me alone with you. I’m just worried,” I admitted.
“About what? Didn’t they say they were off to talk to Lavinia?”
“Not about them, princess. I’m worried about me. Last time we were alone together… didn’t go so well.”
Understanding softened her expression. She cupped my cheek in her hand. “I don’t blame you for that.”
“I know you don’t.” Sometimes it felt like sheshouldblame me. “But no one has ever seen a drug like that before. What about potential side effects?”
“The doctors have said you shouldn’t have to worry about going feral again unless you have more contact with the drug. They tested your hormone levels to confirm it.”
She was being rational, but this fear wasn’t rational. They could tell me I was forever immune to the effects of the drug, and it wouldn’t make me less nervous. My neck still hurt like a bitch whenever my painkillers ran out, which served as enough of a reminder of what I’d done.
“I trust you, Conrad,” Talia murmured, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. “Even if the doctors are wrong and there are unexpected long-term effects, I know you’ll do everything you can to keep me safe.”
Hearing that from her was a small comfort.
I kissed her deeper for a second, before pulling back with a sigh.
“Thank you, princess. Now you’re awake, I desperately need a shower. Be right back, OK?”
