“What was that?” Chad steps back, ready to go investigate.
“The back door’s locked,” Lakelyn says.
I tug my fingers through my hair, urging my heart rate to go back down. “Stay here, I’ll check it out.”
Chad huffs out a laugh at my overprotectiveness, but he’s going to need to get used to it.
He gives me a crooked grin, one eyebrow raised as he crosses his arms, clearly amused by my instinct to take charge. “Really, Alpha? You think I’m just going to sit here while you go play hero?”
I shoot him a look, my jaw clenching. “I’m serious. Both of you, stay here.”
Lakelyn glances at Chad, then back at me, clearly torn. Her lips part, but no words come out as she wraps her arms around herself, the flush of our moment still lingering on her skin. I can feel her worry, mixed with the adrenaline from everything we just went through. She doesn’t want to stay behind any more than Chad does, but this isn’t up for debate.
“I’ll be quick,” I add, trying to reassure her. “Just—wait here.”
She bites her lip, her eyes softening for a second before she nods. Chad, on the other hand, isn’t so compliant. He steps closer, his expression hardening. “I’m not some damsel in distress, Mason. If someone’s here, we’re handling this together.”
I sigh, knowing it’s pointless to argue. Chad’s stubbornness is one of the things that drives me insane—and makes him sodamn attractive. “Fine,” I relent, stepping toward the hallway that leads to the back of the shop. “But stay close. Both of you.”
Lakelyn’s steps are light behind us as we make our way toward the noise, and my senses are on high alert, trying to pick up anything out of place.
The tension between us is thick, the charged energy from before still humming under the surface, but now it’s twisted with a sharp edge of caution.
As we reach the backroom, I pause, listening. The clatter from earlier has left the air tense and too still. Chad, standing beside me, peers around, his jaw tight.
“Nothing seems out of place,” Lakelyn whispers, her voice barely audible.
I glance around the room, scanning the shadows, trying to make sense of the sound that had broken the moment. A stack of paint cans is toppled over in the corner, scattered on the floor, but other than that, everything seems untouched.
“Maybe it was nothing,” I mutter, though I don’t fully believe it myself.
Chad snorts. “You seriously think a random stack of cans just decided to fall over on its own?”
I grit my teeth, annoyed by his tone, but even more annoyed that he’s probably right. Something feels off, but there’s no sign of anyone here. Just the heavy tension between us that hasn’t eased since we left the front of the shop.
Lakelyn kneels beside the paint cans, running her fingers along the spilled paint that’s splattered across the floor. “It looks like someone knocked them over,” she says, her brows furrowing. “But there’s no one here.”
I take a step forward, my gaze scanning every corner of the room. “We’ll double-check the doors and windows, just in case.”
Chad is still watching me, his lips curved into a lazy smirk like he’s enjoying watching me take charge. “You’re not letting this go, are you?”
I shoot him a glare, but he just laughs softly, the sound low and teasing. “Fine, Alpha. Lead the way.”
I shake my head, trying to ignore the pull of both him and Lakelyn. Now’s not the time. But damn, the way Chad’s eyes flick over me, challenging me with that smirk of his, it’s hard not to get distracted.
CHAPTER 24
Chad
The second Masonsteps into the backroom, his shoulders tense, the air thickens between us. I follow close behind, more curious about what’s lurking beneath his alpha composure than the mystery of the toppled paint cans. But when we get to the door, all thoughts of teasing vanish. It’s wide open, swaying gently in the night breeze.
“Shit,” Mason mutters, stepping closer. His hand grazes the doorframe as he checks the lock, his jaw tightening. “I thought you said it was locked.”
“It was,” Lakelyn answers, stepping beside me, her voice softer now, filled with the unease we’re all trying to ignore.
I scan the dark alley beyond, feeling that familiar instinct to deflect. “Maybe the wind just has something against you, Mason. It’s not like anyone broke in for free paint samples.”
He cuts me a glance, half-annoyed, half-amused. “You’re hilarious.”
