If I ever really could.

I swallowed and looked into the center of his chest, where the green fabric of his shirt stretched to accommodate his size. My voice was barely a whisper. “I don’t want anyone to think I’m silly for wearing something like that. Or for wanting it. So it’s okay, we can just go.”

His purr started, so strong it practically rattled the wall behind us. One hand slipped behind my neck and tilted my head back so I was looking at him. He stared at me in silence for a minute before speaking. “You’re still waiting for us not to want you.”

It wasn’t a question, just a steady, solid observation.

And that statement had me collapsing, curling in on myself with shame and pain. I didn’t want to feel like this—I didn’t constantly want to feel like I was just a replacement. But at the same time, it was all I’d ever known, and I didn’t know how to break out of the thoughts.

Avery let out a long sigh as he pulled me to his chest. Not a sigh of disappointment, but of realization. I wanted to apologize for the thoughts, but I knew better.

With one hand, he fished his phone out of his pocket and dialed. “One of you come back. We’ve got one more thing.” He paused. “Yes, I’m aware.”

Ending the call and pulling back, he looked at me. “Don’t move. I want you standing right here when I get back.”

“Okay.” I leaned against the wall, pressing my lips together and trying to resist the urge to run. It was so much easier to just get out of a situation than to sit in the awkwardness. But I owed Avery more than that. All of them more than that.

Through the racks of clothes I saw Luke appear, looking for me, and I saw Avery hand him the pile of blue silk and pearls. Luke didn’t blink at the garment in his hands. All he did was look for me, and I pressed myself further back into the wall behind a display of bras.

Avery took his place in front of me when he returned, using his body to pin me to the wall, ensuring my chance of running was now completely gone. And the way he was looking at me brought all my fear back.

Not because I was afraid of him, but because all these men saw through the shell I’d carefully carved to protect myself, and they were asking me to leave that shell behind.

“Now,” he said. “The others are buying everything, and they’re going to meet us at home. But you and I need to talk a little about this.”

“Do we have to?”

“Yes.” There was enough Alpha power in the word to make me shudder.