“Marty’s.”
Kenzo let out a choked hoot. “Oh man. It’s that sort of night, is it? Well… I haven’t had good makeup sex for a while. Might as well start a fight with my girls.”
His mate, Luce, was a fiery beta wolf whodid nottake any of my friend’s shit. Vanessa was the peaceful center between them,and I shouldn’t be screwing up his day just because mine had gone to hell.
“Fuck,” I groaned, dropping my forehead against the wheel. “This is a bad idea, isn’t it?”
Kenzo remained silent until I lifted my head and met his dark gaze. He was good at letting me mull my life choices over, while only offering advice after I’d sorted my thoughts out. “I’ll never ask you to be in a situation that hurts you. If you need cheap booze and my company tonight, that’s what you’re getting. My girls will understand. We’re blood brothers. Now and fucking always.”
My chest grew tight, but I was nothing if not an expert at compartmentalizing my emotions. “I hated fate for a long time for not making us a scent match, but I think the universe already knew our bond was strong enough. In return, we got my brothers and your girls. A real family who’ll have our backs no matter what.”
“For life,” he agreed, and for a fraction of a second his demons—which he hid better than me—spilled into his features, before a loose grin replaced his darkness. I wasn’t the only one able to compartmentalize like a champ. “Now, let’s go and get you proper fucked up.”
Shifting into drive, I released all thoughts of the toxic omega from my mind.
I already had an amazing family and pack, and enough puck shifters to keep me satisfied when I needed a release. There was nothing this omega could offer me except heartache, and I was full up on that to last a fucking lifetime.
Chapter
Sixteen
After Kellan left for hockey training, I spent an hour exploring their mansion, and it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that these alphas had everything. Including more bedrooms than they could ever need, unless they planned on having a dozen children.
My favorite part of the house was their gorgeous library, with a stone fireplace and row after row of wooden shelves filled with at least ten thousand books that I’d never read. It felt strangely calming just sitting amongst them though.
Next, I found their massive cinema, outfitted with a popcorn machine and candy bar. It was connected to a games room with a pool table and a bar, and farther on was a gym, jacuzzi, and sauna. Outside, there was a huge pool with a waterfall feature, and lots of couches to laze around and enjoy the luxury.
Reeves Pack house had more amenities than a resort, and I found myself wondering how they felt living amongst this opulence. Did they have a clue how lucky they were, or was it all taken for granted?
“Excuse me, Ms. Anders.”
Turning from the pool, I found a blond delta shifter standing a few feet away. She was older than me, wearing jeans and ablack shirt, holding a cloth against her hip. “Sorry to disturb you, but the alphas asked me to ensure that you have everything you need. I’m Florence, their head housekeeper. I don’t live on-site, but I’m here most mornings and can assist with shopping, cooking, and cleaning needs.”
I wanted to joke and ask her about my neednotto be in Golden Claw, but I got the feeling she wouldn’t find it funny. “I’m just exploring,” I said with a shrug toward the pool. “That’s okay, right? I made sure not to go up to the third floor, or inside any of the occupied bedrooms or offices.”
Florence nodded vigorously. “Oh, yes. Alpha Hunter told me that you are to treat this as your home. There’s nothing off limits except Alpha Slade’s domain. We don’t even clean in there.”
Kellan had already mentioned he was on the third floor, hence why I hadn’t set foot up there.
“Can I use the pool and sauna? I’d like to paddle while it’s still warm out.”
Florence’s face lit up. “Of course! The pool is heated all year, but it’s the perfect day to swim. There are towels in that large cupboard over there.” She pointed out a set of cane doors behind an outdoor lounge. “I’ll bring out snacks and drinks for when you finish.”
“No, you don’t need—”
She was gone before I could finish, moving fast for a shifter so tiny. I’d never been waited on in my life, and my immediate urge was to follow her and help make the food. Fighting against that instinct, I faced the pool again, searching for calm in the clear, blue depths.
I had no swimsuit, but I was wearing black cotton underwear which covered as much as a bikini, so I stripped off where I stood and dropped my jeans and shirt on a lounger.
When I dipped my toe in, I was unsurprised to find the water cool but not freezing.Heated all yearwas most definitely a rich person perk. Along with having a pool in the first place.
Without further thought, I dove in from the side and enjoyed the sensation of water sliding across my skin. I moved from the shallows to the deeper end, without a worry that I’d no longer be able to touch with only minimal swimming experience behind me. I just needed this mindless release.
When my lungs screamed for air, I surfaced near the middle, and awkwardly doggy-paddled my way over to the rocky outcrop of the waterfall. It was like having the largest bath and shower combo in the world, and only the faint hint of salt and chemicals on my skin reminded me I was in a pool.
Tilting my head back and closing my eyes, I let the water run over me. Their backyard was massive, going far beyond the pool area. From my bedroom window this morning I’d seen pockets of forest, fruit trees, and flowering gardens.
Add in the chirping song of birds this afternoon and it was the complete picture of tranquility.
