Tristan’s sour apple scent is enough to make my hackles rise, especially when Lily has drawn my alpha so close to the surface. I can feel my own scent spiking, my pheromones suddenly harsh and overpowering in the small trailer. Ellis shoots me a troubled glance as he steps protectively in front of Lily, but she surges to her feet, her anxious gaze fixed on Tristan. “What is it? Is Leo okay?”
A chill like a winter breeze cuts through me at his hesitation. “Tristan…”
His head snaps my way at my warning growl, and he gives himself a shake as he holds his phone out towards me. “Leo is fine. He’s inside with Cooper. But there’s this…” He bites off whatever word he was planning to use, stepping further into the trailer. “It’s everywhere. All over social media.” He casts Lily a look that makes my stomach clench into a fist. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. But everyone knows.”
He doesn’t need to elaborate. I’ve been fighting this outcome on multiple fronts since Ellis arrived in Idaho. But Lily blinksat him, her scent a swirl of alarm. “What, Tristan? What’s going on?”
“They know about Leo. Well, you and Leo.” He bites his lip as he looks at Ellis. “They’re calling him your love child, amongst other things. And they have pictures…”
Lily makes a pained sound as she lunges towards him, snatching the phone out of his hand. I watch her chest heave as she scrolls, her mouth falling open in horror. “There’s so many… And they haveschoolpictures. Pictures with Cody and…Oh, my God. They’re calling him ‘Ellis Castle’s Shameful Secret’. And this one… This one says I’ve blackmailed you to quit Hollywood and move to Idaho!”
Her face crumples as she continues to read the poison they’ve cooked up, and I step forward to ease the phone out of her hand. I drop it into my pocket without a word, but Tristan is already moving to take her in his arms. “We’ll fix it, Lily,” I murmur, but she steps away from us all, turning her back so she can pull her shirt back on. The scent of her distress is now so pungent, it engulfs the sweeter notes of her last heat. Rage curls in my gut. These vultures haven’t just invaded our privacy, they’ve damaged the bond with our scent match that we were only just starting to repair.
“Where's Leo?” she asks again, sounding close to panic.
“Kaysie and Cooper are feeding him cobbler in the kitchen,” Tristan tells her “Everyone else has gone home.” She nods jerkily as she pulls on her shoes, and Tristan turns to Ellis. “Your security guys want to talk to you.”
“They can wait,” he says sharply, then reaches out to draw Tristan to his side, kissing his head. “I’m sorry for snapping, babe. I just…” Even while he takes comfort from our mate’s closeness, his jaw flexes, his fingers twitching to reach for Lily. But she’s backed away from us both, her face as gray as the dingy cabinets behind her. “Sweetheart, what do you need me to do?”
It’s a good question, but Lily just stares at him blankly. “Everyone knows? Leo's school friends? The kids on his baseball team?”
By now, I doubt there’s a household in Knotty Falls who isn’t aware, or who won’t discover the news over their breakfast cereal in a few hours.
“Most likely,” Tristan says softly. “Reporters are already calling for a comment.”
I grind my teeth at that. I’m caught between storming into my office to wreak havoc and staying here so Lily doesn’t fall apart completely. It’s unusual to feel this out of control, so it’s almost a relief when a large, leather-clad alpha looms in the doorway, his face creased with anger.
But it melts into concern when he finds his mate huddled against the kitchen cabinets. “LeeLee. Are you okay?” As he steps inside, he shakes his head. “Stupid question. Come here, babe.”
He doesn’t offer any words of comfort, just takes her into his arms while we all try to edge out of the way. But the Airstream is a relic from an age when people either enjoyed cramped quarters or had no concept of personal space. I scowl at the rising damp above Lily’s sad little nest, while Tristan watches me with concern, and Ellis stares at Lily like his heart has been splattered on the drab walls.
“How did you find out?”
Her voice is a muffled whimper against Logan’s chest. It shoves the fucking damp off my list of priorities, and when he catches my eye, he grimaces. “It came on the TV in the gym.”
“The TV stations are airing it?” She heaves a shuddering breath. “God, I’m sorry, Logan. You know Leo thinks of you as his dad.”
Ellis goes still, but the guilt leaking off him is like an open wound in the room. I know Logan can scent it, but insteadof snapping at Ellis, he gives him a small nod. “I’m okay, sweetheart. The world can speculate all they want, but we know the truth.”
“I’m so sorry for putting you in this position,” Ellis says softly, his gaze full of remorse as it rests on the other alpha. “None of you deserve to have your lives disrupted like this…”
“I want to see Leo,” Lily interrupts him, staring up at Logan as if he’s the only other person in the room. “We need to talk about going home.”
The snap of Ellis’ mouth is audible in the sudden silence, and I frown at Lily. I’m not sure if this is a fight or flight reaction, or if she’s drawing a line in the sand. Logan, after all, is her only mate. It’s natural for a frightened omega to seek shelter with her alpha. The decision to stay or go should be solely theirs to make, but the thought of her packing up and leaving has a soft growl building in my throat.
Logan’s glare slices towards me like a carving knife. “We can go check on him,” he murmurs, dropping a kiss on her lips, “but I don’t think we’ll be able to go anywhere tonight. The press is ten-deep at the gate. I had to leave my bike a mile back and hike in.”
Lily shudders and buries her face back in his chest. “I want to go home.”
It’s the forlorn plea of an omega in distress and it burns through my blood, worse than any damage her mate could inflict. “You’re safe here, Lily,” I tell her, the growl still vibrating in my throat. “The security team won’t let anyone past the gate.”
Logan shoots me a skeptical glance, but he refrains from a direct challenge in front of Lily. Instead, he steers her towards the door, and we all follow them back to the porch. One of the guards is posted at the front door, and if I didn’t believe Logan before, this confirms that we’re on lockdown. Ellis and I havealways insisted that our protection blends into the background, only becoming visible when absolutely necessary.
Cooper is the only exception to that rule, and I read all I need to on his face when we join him in the kitchen. Kaysie is sitting on a stool at the counter, swinging her legs and telling a giggling Leo a story, while Cooper digs the cobbler from my baking dish. I shoot him a nod as I take over, adding fresh marshmallows and cracker crumbs to the s’mores pots.
While I’m fiddling with the food, Lily has joined Leo at the table. I watch her pull him close, her lips pressed against his temple until he finally protests and pulls free. Tristan hands Kaysie one of the s’mores pots, and while they occupy Leo with more sugary distraction, Logan jerks his head towards the hallway door. Cooper comes with us, and we exchange a grim glance as we step out of earshot.
“How bad is it?” I ask, looking between the other men.
