“I think Hale may be right.” Riven looks up from his puzzles. “She smells…” A dreamy look that I’ve never seen on him before crosses his face. “Perfect.”
I arch an eyebrow. “Need I remind you that this is the same woman who put us in jail?”
The same woman who also ignited a fire in my belly from the moment she strolled intoTheValley Voiceoffice like she owned the place. She can’t be our scent match, can she?
“She tried to stop them from taking us away,” Riven points out.
“That doesn’t matter.” I clutch at straws while my mind reels. “How can we trust her after everything that’s happened?”
“She had her reasons for lying,” Hale shrugs. “You saw the alphas she was pretending to court.”
Ezra tsks. “You’re not thinking clearly.”
“We need to talk to her,” Hale insists. “To prove or disprove my theory. It’s the only way. I’m not giving up on her. Not yet.”
EIGHTEEN
Kady
I delete the third voicemail of the day from my father. They’ve all been the same over the past few days—a version of, “you’re a disappointment, return my calls,” blah, blah…
I haven’t left since returning to Stella House three days ago. When the news of my alleged “kidnapping” was reported as a misunderstanding, people were angry. Many think I’m an attention seeker. Others think it was a big publicity stunt. And now that my father will have heard the truth from Warren about my courtship with the Blandon Pack being fake, he’ll be planning his next move.
For now, I’m safe in Omega Village, free from any alpha assholes—or deliciously scented alphas who have double-knots and make the best cocoa. Thankfully, news of Hale’s pack’s questioning hasn’t seemed to spread, but I’m sure they’ll never want to speak to me again.
I’m sprawled across the sofa, wrapped in my pink, fluffy Stella House robe, hiding from the world while indulging in Delilah’s decadent black forest cheesecake. I’ve eaten half of it already. The creamy sour cherry topping melts in the mouth, and the decadent dark chocolate provides a rich, punchyaftertaste. Maybe I’ll just stay here and drown my sorrows in amazing cheesecakes forever.
“Are you sure she’s going to be okay?” I hear Sabs asking Delilah. They’re both standing in the kitchen, talking in hushed voices. “I’ve never seen her like this. She hasn’t been to the library since she got back. Maybe she’s ill?”
“She’s fine.” Delilah sounds so confident, I almost believe it myself. “It’ll all blow over soon.”
Larry purrs, as if he senses my unease, then jumps onto my lap.
“Hello, little guy,” I scratch the special spot behind his ears that he likes. He snubs me completely, only using me as a means to steal cheesecake remnants. “At least someone’s happy today.”
Delilah’s soft, brown eyes sweep over theFriendsrerun playing on TV.
“Okay, Larry.” Delilah approaches, holding up her hands, her shoulders tense with apprehension. “I need to put that plate in the dishwasher, okay?”
As if he can hear her, his squashed little face looks up in defiance, and he lets out a hiss before his pointed tongue continues to lick the plate clean of buttery crumbs.
“Fine. You win this time, Larry.” Delilah sighs and shakes her head. “I don’t know why your father insisted on hiring campus security to watch over you when you’ve got this monster. Larry’s way scarier than someone like Damon.”
“Larry wouldn’t hurt anyone.” I pat his head. He’s seriously misunderstood. He’s cranky and likes his own personal space, but he does have a soft side under his wild, orange fur.
“For a lawyer, you’re pretty blind to the evidence.” Sabs joins us, pulling up her leggings to show scratches on her ankles from where Larry used her as a scratching post for trying to pry him off her gym bag this morning. “That kitty has serious claws.”
The doorbell rings before I get a chance to defend Larry, and Sabs scampers to answer it. From the look on Delilah’s face, the visitor is expected.
Before I can ask, Faye’s soft voice floats through the hall, bringing a gentle, calming energy with her as she pads into the room.
“I brought you some tea, Kady.” She’s holding a wicker basket loaded with goods. “And some of the new cream from Blooming Brew that my gram’s trialing. You apply it to your pulse points to encourage relaxation.”
Faye’s gram’s lotions and potions look and smell amazing, but it’ll take more than an herbal moisturizer to relax me.
“Thanks, Faye.” My eyes narrow, noticing the way she and the other Stellas are looking at each other. “What is this? Some kind of intervention?”
Faye plays with the corner of her flowery sundress. “Well, maybe…”
