"How long were you living down there?" Whiskey asks, leaning forward with his elbows on the table. "In the tunnels, I mean."
I hesitate, not sure how much I want to reveal. But they already know I was hiding, and I need to establish some level of trust if I'm going to navigate this bizarre situation.
"Almost two months," I admit, watching their reactions carefully.
Thane's jaw tightens, a muscle jumping beneath the skin. Plague goes perfectly still, his face unreadable but his scent sharpening with something like anger. Whiskey looks openly shocked, his mouth dropping open.
"Twomonths?" he repeats. "You were under our arena for two fucking months? How did no one notice?"
I shrug, taking another sip of coffee. "I was careful. I only moved around at night. Found an abandoned VIP suite to sleep in. Used maintenance badges I found to access restricted areas." I don'tmention that I'd been sharpening their skates at night. They don't need to know all my secrets yet.
"That's..." Thane starts, then stops, seemingly at a loss for words.
"Impressive," Plague finishes for him, his pale blue eyes studying me with new interest. "And concerning."
"You must have been desperate," Thane says quietly.
The understatement nearly makes me laugh, but there's nothing funny about the memories that flash through my mind. Burning off Wade's mark with a flat iron in a gas station bathroom, sleeping with one eye open, counting pennies to make sure I had enough for food each day.
"Yeah," I say simply. "I was."
"Who were you hiding from?" Whiskey asks, his voice dropping to a low growl. "What alpha did this to you? It'salwaysa fucking alpha."
I hesitate, not sure I'm ready for this conversation yet.
"We won't push," Thane says, much to my relief. He gives Whiskey a look that leaves zero room for argument, even though Whiskey looks like he's considering it anyway.
"What about Valek?" Plague asks, redirecting the conversation. "He arrives in less than two hours."
My stomach drops. "The alpha I hit with the fire extinguisher? He's cominghere?"
"Management decided he should recover at the pack house," Thane explains, rubbing his temple with his fingertips. "They're worried about legal issues and want to show 'team unity' or some bullshit."
"Valek has already seen me," I say, already starting to panic. "In the shower room. If he recognizes me?—"
"He won't get near you," Whiskey says immediately. "We wouldn't let him—scent match or not."
"You don't understand," I press. "It's not just about him recognizing me. It's..." I hesitate, trying to find the right words. "The alpha I'm hiding from has connections everywhere. If Valek says anything to anyone..."
"You think Valek might know the alpha you're hiding from?" Plague asks, his analytical mind clearly connecting dots I haven't explicitly drawn.
"He might," I admit. "They were on the same team a few years ago. Not for long, but still. I can't risk it either way."
Wraith's hand finds mine, not quite holding it, but brushing it.
Maybe I do need to tell them. If Valek's coming here, they need to understand the full scope of the danger he presents to me. And after last night with Wraith, after the way he's protected me even from his own pack...
I take a deep breath. "The alpha I'm hiding from is Wade Kelly."
All four alphas freeze. Whiskey lets out a string of curses, pushing back from the table so violently his chair nearly topples over. Wraith's soft growl vibrates through the air, the sound protective rather than threatening.
"Wade fuckin' Kelly?" Whiskey snarls. "The star forward for the Demons?"
I nod, throat tight.
"You were withhim?" Plague's voice remains calm, but there's an edge to it I haven't heard before.
“Not only that, I was his fiancée,” I say bitterly.
