“It’s nothing—” Warren’s phone rings, cutting him off. “Give me a minute.” He pulls his phone out of his back pocket.
The sound grows louder, cutting through the otherwise quiet room.
Warren glances down at the screen, his jaw tightening. “Shit,” he mutters. Then, to Cass, “It’s Dominic Hale. That’s not a call I can ignore.” He pauses, then holds his phone up like he’s offering it to Cass. “Do you want to take it?”
Cass quickly laughs. “No.” He lifts a hand in a short, dismissive wave. “You’re running things right now.”
Warren’s mouth tightens. He doesn’t love that. I can see it in the way his shoulders tense, in the flicker of frustration he doesn’t bother hiding. But he nods once decisively.
“Alright,” he says. “I’ll deal with it.”
He steps away, already bringing the phone to his ear as he turns toward the hallway. His voice drops as he answers, all business now, the warmth from the kitchen completely gone.
Cass shifts slightly, careful of his leg, and Beck adjusts with him without thinking, the movement practiced and intimate. Cass’s arm stays firm around me, anchoring me in place.
Then the couch dips again.
Grason moves in behind Beck, all quiet weight and warmth, settling close enough that we’re all packed together shoulder to shoulder. The big alpha drapes one arm along the back of the couch, and the other around Beck’s middle, then he leans in and breathes the beta in, nose buried briefly in Beck’s hair.
Beck makes a soft, content sound and melts back into Gray.
Grason’s eyes lift and meet mine. He smiles at me, slow and easy, then his eyes float closed.
I snuggle deeper into Cass’s side, staring at Beck and Grason while inhaling all three of their lovely scents. It feels so good to be touching and connected to them. Comfortable.
Familiar in a way I hadn’t expected.
And for the first time since I arrived, I realize how much I like these men.
And that I could get used to this.
Cass’s Office
Cassian
I’m in my office,door shut, laptop open, skimming through emails I’ve already read twice.
It’s not that I don’t trust Warren. I do. He’s more than capable of running things. But he’s been running himself ragged lately. It’s a lot of work for one alpha to do alone. That, and old habits die hard. I like knowing exactly what’s moving through our businesses, even when I’m sidelined.
Especially when I’m sidelined.
My knee throbs faintly under the desk, a dull reminder to take it easy. I ignore it and flag a message to follow up later when my phone starts ringing.
Jimmy.
I sigh once through my nose, trying to decide if I want to answer it.
Jimmy is…exhausting. The young alpha is always hovering, and he talks way too much. He’s not a bad kid, but he’s way too fucking eager. Half the shit he calls me about should go through other people, but he clearly craves my approval.
But I’m feeling generous, so I decide to answer my phone.
“Yes?”
“Hey, boss,” Jimmy says, too upbeat. “Man, it’s good to hear your voice.”
“What’s going on?” I ask, hoping he’ll get right to the point.
Jimmy laughs, a little breathless, like he’s been waiting a while to talk to me. “I’m just checking in. Seeing how you’re doing.”
