Buried and Shadowed (Branded Packs #3)(14)

He swallowed hard, knowing he needed to give them space before he did something stupid like bend them over the table in question.

“Really?” Mandy asked. “Is there anything we can do to help? I know it has to be a lot all at once.”

“Plus, we still don’t know who attacked you,” Oliver said, his tone dark. “There’s something going on. I can feel it.”

Gibson squeezed Mandy’s hand as her wolf brushed up against his. He liked the feeling. “I feel it, too. There’s an undercurrent I can’t place.”

Mandy sighed. “I thought the leaders of SAU going underground but leaving their guards in place would be enough of an undercurrent. Between that and the three Packs learning to live together as one, the amount of tension should be enough. But if what you’re saying it true, if what Holden scented when you were hurt is true, then we have more problems than just humans.”

Gibson’s jaw clenched. “It was a shifter.” He’d known that of course, had scented something not human, but it’d happened too fast for him to fully gauge what kind of shifter.

Oliver nodded. “Though we don’t know who. They did something to their scent.”

“So we have humans after us, keeping us in cages, and now infighting within our own,” Mandy said slowly. “I don’t like it. I feel like we’re right on the edge of so many things, and with one breath we could fall, changing it all.”

“We have strong Alphas and Betas, as well as shifters who can take care of their own,” Gibson said, more to himself than them. “I trust those in power more than I thought I’d trust anything, and that’s saying something.”

Oliver nodded. “I agree. Whatever is going on isn’t happening with those in the upper hierarchy.”

Mandy frowned. “It’s not with the submissives either. I’ve never seen us so healthy. Now that Holden and Soren are mated, things are settling. And I know it’s a lot to put on your shoulders, Gibson, but with you now as the Omega, it’s almost complete.”

“I hope I can do something to help at least,” Gibson added. “But you’re right, this feels like it’s someone we’re missing, someone in the center of the Pack that might feel ignored.”

Oliver reached out and gripped Gibson’s other hand. He sucked in a breath, his wolf content for the first time in his memory. He pushed that aside, though, knowing his Pack needed him to think about what had happened, instead of what could happen between the three of them.

“I think…I think we need to look at the Pack as a single unit, instead of three. There are three sections now forced to live as one.” Oliver tilted his head. “I think this might be something we haven’t thought of.”

“A vision?” Mandy asked.

“Not this time,” Oliver answered. “A sense of knowing.”

“We’ll be on alert,” Gibson said. “We all will be. And we’ll figure it out. Because we’re too close to the end of the SAU for us to fall apart from within.” He paused. “And while we’re doing that, we’re going to take a chance.” He met their gazes. “And see what we can have between the three of us, because my wolf knows what you’re feeling, at least part of it, and I don’t think I can keep to myself anymore.”

Mandy narrowed her eyes. “Between Oliver’s visions and your emotional seeking, I’m at a disadvantage here.”

Oliver stood then and walked around the table to cup her face. “No, you never will be. Because you’re the center. You’re the one who came here, who opened up to us first. You’re the one with true bravery. Never forget that.” And as he finished, he lowered his mouth to hers. Gibson stood up, aching for those in front of him, his wolf so damn pleased at the turn of events.

Oliver finished the kiss, and before Mandy could get her bearings, Gibson slid his palm over her cheek and kissed her soundly. She tasted of sweetness and the future. He wanted to hold her, be with her, have her, and yet he knew this was just the beginning. This was what they were fighting for, what they had sought to protect all those years ago. And now, instead of being on the outside looking in, he was a part of this. Part of them.

He pulled away, leaving Mandy breathless as well as himself.

“Okay, then,” she whispered, her lips swollen and her eyes wide. “Okay.”

“We’re not finished yet,” Gibson said and turned to Oliver. The big bear titled his head. Oliver was a good three inches or so taller than him, but he didn’t care. He leaned over Mandy, gripped the back of Oliver’s head, and brought him in for a kiss of his own.

The other man’s lips were different, more firm and supple. Their kiss was harsher, a clash of dominance and teeth. He nipped at Oliver’s bottom lip before licking the sting away and deepening the kiss. When he pulled back, the two of them faced off and Oliver grinned.

“This is going to be fun,” Oliver said softly. They both looked down at Mandy, whose eyes were even wider, her mouth open.

“That was so freaking hot,” Mandy said with a grin. “We need to do that again. Often.”

Gibson smiled fully then, aware he hadn’t done that in far too long. “Yeah, we do. But right now, I need to go to Holden’s. I have a meeting.”

Mandy nodded, and Oliver slid his hand over Gibson’s shoulder.