But the room is empty.
The makeshift beds are gone, blankets and pillows vanished as if they were never there. No brooding Rett, no sad-eyed Diego, no embarrassed Tristan, no watchful Dane.
They’re gone.
For a split second, a sharp, traitorous pang of disappointment hits me right in the chest. Oh.
I push it down immediately, smoothing my features into a mask of indifference. “Good,” I say to the empty room. “The whole ‘can’t be far from her’ thing must have worn off. That’s... good.”
I wander back to the bed, sitting on the edge. The space feels too big now, too empty. Which is ridiculous. This is what I wanted. Space. Privacy. Distance from four alphas who make my brain short-circuit and send an unwanted, insistent pulse straight to the space between my thighs.
My phone buzzes on the nightstand, and I snatch it up, desperate for a connection to the normal world. It’s a text from Leah.
Leah
Morning! Survived the night? Need me to stage a rescue mission? I can bring bagels and my meanest-looking alpha.
I let out a sound that’s half-laugh, half-groan. If only she knew.
Me
It’s so much worse than you think. The gallery was robbed last night.
Her reply is instant, the three dots popping up before I’ve even put my phone down.
Leah
WHAT?? OMG ARE YOU OKAY??
Me
I’m fine. Physically. But the thieves targeted my office, stole my computer, and left a personal threat. So now the Sterling pack has decided I’m a high-value asset in need of protection.
Leah
Wait... what does that mean? Protection how?
I take a deep breath, close my eyes, and type the most insane sentence of my life.
Me
It means I’ve temporarily moved into their penthouse.
The pause on her end is so long, I actually check to make sure the message sent. Finally, the dots appear again, typing for what feelslike an eternity.
Leah
You... are shitting me. You’re in the billionaire alpha den RIGHT NOW? As in, you woke up there?
Me
Multi-millionaires, apparently. And last night was... a lot. And I really, really don’t want to talk about it.
Leah
OMG, what happened?? Did you “accidentally” walk in on one of them naked? Please tell me it was the quiet one with the arms.
Me
