“These are our work areas,” Leah explains. She pulls the door open and tugs me through, walking down a corridor and waving her hand as she labels each room.
“Max’s medical bay, Luc’s office for all his financial wizardry, Bastien’s tech room…”
A ruffled head pops out of the last room, and I squeak. Bastien meets my eyes with a small smile.
“Good morning, ladies,” he purrs. Leah whacks him across the back of the head and I snort out a surprised laugh, flushing when they both turn to stare at me.
“Don’t flirt with her,” Leah warns. “I mean it, Bastien!”
He grins, unrepentant, and winks at me. I wait for disgust to fill me, but there’s nothing. Then I realize… I can’t smell anything. Just the smallest hint of herbs.
I try to sniff unobtrusively, and his eyes flick to mine, his smile dimming slightly.
Bastien is abeta. Not an alpha.
Leah misses our exchange and pulls my arm, encouraging me to move past Bastien.
“Bastien is Lucien’s brother,” she confides as we move along. I can feel eyes on my back, but when I turn around, he’s nowhere to be seen.
“Twins?” I ask, even though they don’t look exactly the same.
Leah laughs. “Nope, that’s just me and Max. Bastien is two years younger than Luc, and Luc never lets him forget it.” She rolls her eyes, and I bite back a smile. Having only met Lucien for a short time yesterday, I can see it.
“Bastien is a certified genius. He’s crazy smart, IQ of more than two hundred. They tried to get him into Mensa when he was a kid, but he didn’t want any of that. He’s better with technology than anyone I’ve ever met. Hacking, math – he just does it. Bastien’s the one who filled out the plan to get you out.”
Surprise stops me in my tracks. “Bastien did?”
Leah nods. “It was obviously Max’s idea, but Bastien took it and worked on it until it was actually doable. Plus he changed all of the cameras and everything so they couldn’t track you.”
Track me.
Track me.
I stop short, and Leah pauses. “What is it? Ava?”
She’s shaking my arm, and I turn to stare at her, my eyes widening.
“Tracking,” I whisper. She looks at me, confused.
“Leah,” I whisper. “Did anyone scan me for a tracking device?”
Leah goes pale.
“Bastien!”
He’s there in seconds, grabbing her arm. “Leah?”
A door bangs and Lucien appears from a room down the hall, striding up the corridor as his green eyes flicker between us with concern. “What is it?”
His sandalwood scent hits me, a wave of pure alpha that combines with the fear in my stomach.
I’m vaguely aware of Leah explaining, Bastien cursing and Luc—
Luc crouches down in front of me. I don’t remember being on the floor.
“Ava,” he says gently. “Ava, sweetheart, we need to scan youright now. Can you get up?”
I stare at him blankly, and he sweeps his arms around me and scoops me up. I shudder, and he stares down at me, a tic in his jaw working.
