Renewed interest sparked in Brad's eyes. In hindsight, my blatant actions probably weren't the best idea. I could see his hunger growing and forced back the bile in the back of my throat.
Brad shifted, then adjusted his junk.
I downed another shot of tequila and waved dramatically to the bar as I bowed to the men. “Sorry, boys, but it's time for me to leave.”
There were at least three other men in the bar who eyed me, but none approached. Being the enforcer of the Lowell pack, I was off limits, but Brad had missed that message.
“I'll take you home.” His heated gaze shifted over me and landed directly on my tits.
I was tired and on edge, but I wasn't stupid.
There was only one person I wanted to go home with, but he wasn't bonded. Not to me. I was a phenomenon, a half bond. I shook my head. Connor. Tension rolled through me in waves. My body called to him like a siren, but he wasn't imprinted. I had checked the day I became infected, but his wrist bore no mark. So, I kept mine a secret and avoided the pack for the past three months.
A chilly gust of air and a familiar vanilla scent wafted through the air—no doubt Bryn’s—, but it was the musky scent that had my nose twitching. Chills ran down my back. He is here. My heart raced.
Clueless to my internal turmoil, Brad grabbed my hand. “Doll, I will rock your world.”
Connor's growl resonated off the bar's walls. My skin tingled and my nipples hardened. A small sliver of hope entered my thudding heart.
“The fuck you will,” Connor bellowed.
My imprint continued to heat until pain surged through my arm, scorching Brad's hand and driving me to my knees. I couldn't breathe. The weight of his touch upon my body felt debilitating. Heavy. Earth-shattering—and not in a good way.
Brad jumped back, shaking his hand. “Shit!”
The loss of his touch felt like a dam bursting. I hunched forward and heaved. My shallow breaths made it difficult to pull oxygen into my lungs.
“Aylin!” Bryn and Connor shouted at the same time. Their footsteps rushed forward. I placed a hand on my knee and pushed myself up. When I wobbled, Bryn rushed to steady me.
“Here, take a seat.” She guided me to a table in the corner. I laid my head on it and closed my eyes, concentrating on removing the pain. When Brad had touched me, my imprint recoiled. Its defense mechanism pulled me through the shards of hell. But now, a different flame ignited my soul. One that throbbed with Connor's presence.
“Connor?” my voice croaked.
“Connor's taking care of the situation.” Bryn's wafting voice calmed my nerves. As the alpha's mate, she was acutely in tune with every pack member.
Her soft hand rubbed my back. Weak from the pain, I tried to align my core being. I sensed her power surging through me, assisting me in my recovery. I hated being weak, but didn't block her intrusion. I needed to straighten up and get the hell away from Murphy's Bar and Connor.
“You okay?” Bryn asked as she took the seat across from me.
I slowly opened one eye. There was pain, but it was bearable. “I think so.” I straightened in my seat, but couldn't quite make myself meet her stare. I didn't want her to judge me, and I definitely didn't want her to discover my secret.
She gently rubbed her hand over her slight baby bump. She tilted her head and stared at me, before growing still. “What’s it been, two weeks?”
“Something like that, but I was actually on my way out. I only stopped in for a drink.” Steadier now, I stood. Being so close to ranking members of the pack made it next to impossible for me to stay calm. I was hiding a vital element from them, and it was killing me—driving me insane.
“Sit back down,” Bryn commanded.
When a perky, overly-anxious waitress came to our table, Bryn smiled sweetly and ordered an herbal tea. I sulked and ordered two fingers of whiskey neat. If I was going to be around happy energetic people, then I was going to get another drink. “So, what brings a pregnant woman and the second-in-command to this fine establishment?”
Bryn waited for the waitress to leave before responding. “You do. I can sense your struggles, and it worries me. Liam is beside himself, and Connor's been trying to find you for months. Every time he thinks he's close to you, you move on. He's been acting as strange as you lately. Did you two have a spat?”
“No, and I don't know why you all worry about me. I'm fine.” But I am not.
Bryn grabbed my hands. “You need to open up and let us know what's bothering you so we can help. Ever since the accident, you've been acting off. Connor wants to tie you up until you admit what's going on, and Liam wants to...” Bryn gestured to her head and then mine “... do that telepathic thing you like to do where he can see all of your thoughts.”
“Well, tell them not to worry. And Liam is absolutely not getting into my head.” I took a sip of my whiskey. The fire did little to settle my nerves. There was no way I was agreeing to the alpha seeing the dreams I was having of Connor. Just the thought of them infused my cheeks with heat.
“Oh, honey, I think you need to do something.” Bryn sipped her tea.
“I think you need to back off.” I glared at her. She was perfectly happy. Married. Mated to my alpha three months pregnant with our pack's first child in two decades. It was nothing short of a miracle. She was happily content. Whereas I was... well, not.
“I have. For three months. At first, I thought you just needed time to adjust to me joining
