THEO   “Alright, so if you click this button here… then your view changes to all of the feeds at once. See?” Brooke spins around in her chair, peering up at me. Fuck, she smells incredible. It’s taking every bit of willpower I have to not lean down, kiss those pouty lips of hers. Instead, I stand rigidly, positioned behind her desk chair in the hub, blinking at her monitor. “Uhh… sorry, which button?” I ask, scrubbing a hand over my face. It’s hard to focus when she’s sitting in front of me looking like that, smelling like that. Brooke sighs, her brow furrowing in frustration. She spins back around, placing her hand on her mouse, demonstrating. “This one.” My eyes follow the cursor on the screen as she moves it. We’ve got the new border cameras wired, and Brooke has been spending the afternoon getting the feeds connected and the system up and running. I don’t know anything about this tec

BROOKE   “You ready?” Theo asks, twirling the keys to the Jeep around a finger. My eyes trace up his inked arm to his handsome face. “Yeah!” I chirp, leaning down to grab my duffel. Before I can straighten and toss it on my shoulder, Theo’s taking it from my hands, hauling it onto his shoulder instead. “Thanks,” I breathe, a smile creeping across my lips. It’s little gestures like this that have me believing this thing with Theo really could work out- little ways he shows me that he cares; that he’ll take care of me. My instinct is to show my appreciation by planting a kiss on those delicious lips of his- but I quickly remember where we are and think better of it. I step out of my room into the hallway of the squad dorms, pulling the door closed behind me and locking it. I adjust my backpack on my shoulders as I spin back around to Theo and we start down the hall, out of the complex and to Gray’s Jeep par

BROOKE   I don’t know what possessed me to invite Theo to stay in my room tonight. I was lost in the moment, not thinking about the ramifications of what could happen or what it would mean. Blinded by the connection of the mate bond and my own reckless desire. It’s what I want, and for once, I’m not over-thinking or proceeding with caution; I’m allowing myself to be bold, free. To live in the moment. To be the person I always wanted to be but was too afraid to become until Theo walked into my life and started knocking my walls down.   I know we’re in a suspended state of reality right now. This happened the last time we were in Denver, like we were in our own little bubble. Like all we had was each other. And today only intensified those feelings, because when I walked into that chaos unfolding at the hive, when I felt that fear curling in my belly, the first thing I thought of was Theo. And then he was there, and through t

BROOKE “Why are you smiling at your phone like that?”“Like what?” I tear my eyes from the screen to glance up at my sister, realizing that I’ve got a big, goofy grin still spread across my face.Fallon sets her hands on her hips, tilting her head. “Spill.”I laugh, shaking my head. “It’s nothing.”I re-read Theo’s text messages, the grin returning to my face.Theo: been thinking about you all day, beautiful Theo: can’t wait to see you tonight“Liar,” Fallon smirks, lunging for the phone in my hands.I giggle, flopping back on her bed and rolling in a ball, protecting my phone close to my chest as she pounces on me, wrestling me for it.“Let me see!” she laughs. She tickles my ribs and my body jolts, my fingers

BROOKE Sunlight spills through the crack in the curtains as I blink my eyes open on Sunday morning. I can hear Theo breathing behind me, feel his chest rising and falling against my back. He’s got me caged in with his arms- one under my neck, the other draped over my waist. We’re naked, skin against skin, tangled in the bedsheets.Though vulnerable in my nudity, I’ve never felt so safe. I smile thinking of how amazing last night with Theo was- while I felt awkward at first being on his arm in public, he had absolutely no hesitation. In fact, it seemed like he was eager to show me off, proud to show everyone that we were together. And yeah, I probably could’ve done without him being such a jerk to poor Connor, but that hot quickie that we had in the woods afterwards? Worth it.When we went back inside the bar, Theo didn’t leave my side all night. Every time my drink got low, he brought