I don’t care if it breaks me, plotting her future with another man. I don’t care if it hurts me, if it kills me.
The last time I didn’t get to do that. This is my second chance, my chance to redeem myself and satisfy that primal instinct that insists I take care of her because she’s mine.
She’ll always be mine.
Fuck.
“You need to court her,” I tell him.
“Yeah, Ryder mentioned that. I thought that was an old-fashioned thing.”
“It’s an alpha thing,” I growl. “And the right thing.”
“Hear, hear,” Ryder says. “Omegas like old-fashioned rituals, cub. Young generations may think courting is outdated, but listen to the patriarch.”
I bare my teeth at Ryder. I may have sort of apologized to him, but he still gets my hackles up. Not because I think he’d hurt anyone, not anymore, but there’s a sharpness about him that cuts me to the bone.
“Courting, huh?” Zach mutters.
“I think Coco would be one to appreciate formal courting,” Ryder says thoughtfully. “Right, Atticus?”
“I have that feeling, too,” I say, kind of surprised that he sees her in the same light. “She enjoys being a classic omega with all the frills.”
“Almost like trying to prove something to herself,” Ryder says.
“Or immerse herself in the role,” I say.
We nod at each other. We’re of the same mind.
“You two are weirdos,” Zach grumbles, finishing his drink. His cheeks are flushed. “You’re acting like you’re my older brothers or something. Which is weird.”
“You already said ‘weird’ a couple of times.” I chuckle. “Is it because I slept with her?”
I frown at Ryder. “Or because I slept with her?”
Zach groans. Flags the bartender down. “I need something stronger for this discussion.”
“Zach, am I to understand,” I say, “that you didn’t sleep with her?”
“Fuck off,” Zach slurs.
He’s smashed already.
“He has a knotty problem,” Ryder says.
Zach snort-laughs. “Yeah.”
“Meaning?”
“He pops a knot whenever she’s around. Which puts an actual crimp on his courting.”
“A knot, huh? Well, there is only one solution,” I say.
“Really?” Zach grins. “Let’s hear it. See if you agree with Ryder.”
“Talk to her about it,” I say.
“Are you mad?” Zach hiccups. “She’ll laugh her ass off.”
