"You can make something," I say, knowing how much he dislikes going out in public.
He types again.Will be bad.
"It's okay," I say, stretching across his lap again, trying to keep him in bed.
Wraith's massive hand strokes my hair, running through the strands. Despite his size and strength, he's so gentle and tender with me. I close my eyes, soaking in the comfort of this quiet moment together.
My stomach chooses that moment to growl loudly, the sound breaking our peaceful bubble. I press my face against his chest, embarrassed.
"Sorry," I mumble. "I guess I really am hungry."
His chest rumbles with what sounds like growling laughter. When I peek up at his face, his eyes are smiling again. Based on what I felt last night when I kissed him through his mask, I don't think the rest of his facecansmile. I doubt he was exaggeratingwhen he told me he doesn't have lips or cheeks. But I try not to think about it, if only because I know he wouldn't want me to. It doesn't matter anyway. I don't care what he looks like.
And those blue eyes smile plenty.
"I should take a shower while you're downstairs," I tell him, reluctantly pulling away. "Oh, and you can move the dresser from the trapdoor instead of going down the fire escape. Just... you'll still be in the pack house, right? You won't let anyone else up here?"
Wraith nods and signs,I P-R-O-M-I-S-E.He slides out of bed, and I try not to stare too openly at his incredible body as he pulls on a pair of loose gray sweatpants.
After moving the dresser away from the trapdoor as if it weighs as much as a cardboard box, he pauses to look back at me, his gaze intense and questioning. I offer a small smile of reassurance.
"I'll be fine. And I'm not going anywhere."
He nods and disappears through the hatch in the floor, closing it gently behind him.
Once alone, I roll onto my back and stare at the ceiling, allowing myself a moment to process everything. But my brain feels like it's full of molasses right now, so I force myself to get out of bed and head into the bathroom to turn the shower on. As I climb in and steam fills the space, I let my mind wander.
There's an entire pack downstairs. Three more alphas who are my supposed scent matches along with Wraith. What does that even mean for me? And what happens when they all realize who I really am?
I rinse my hair, watching suds swirl down the drain. If I stay with Wraith, which is something I now know my heart has fully decided it wants, Wade will find out. And he won't be alone. He'll bring the full force of his family's money and influence.
I'm not just hiding from Wade. I'm hiding from an empire.
Can Wraith protect me from that? Could the whole pack, if I decide to accept them along with him?
God, Wraith doesn't even know I'm Wade's ex. It's not like I was allowed to go to games with Wade. He was too jealous.
Funny how the universe works.
I'm going to need to tell him. All of them, honestly. There's no way around that.
The water begins to cool, and I reluctantly turn it off. At least I don't have to make any decisions right now. I can put it off for a while.
I finish my shower and wrap myself in a towel, realizing I don't have clean clothes. After a moment's hesitation, I borrow one of Wraith's t-shirts, which hangs like a dress on my frame, and a pair of athletic shorts I have to roll several times at the waist.
When I emerge, Wraith still hasn't returned. I check my phone. Twenty minutes have passed. How long does it take to make food? Does he even cook? The overcooked noodles he brought me suggest he might be struggling down there.
My curiosity gets the better of me. If I'm potentially scent-matched to this entire pack, shouldn't I at least meet them? Find out who they are beyond what Internet searches told me?
Taking a deep breath, I approach the trapdoor. It's time to stop hiding and face whatever's waiting downstairs, even if I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to do about any of this.
Well, any of it but Wraith.
Chapter
Thirty-Three
WHISKEY
