Well, the pack was an entirely different beast.
Koios hated feeling so damn exposed in front of people he barely knew. Sure, he’d watched them all through security monitors. He knewofthem, but he didn’t trulyknowthem. No one in the room was his friend. Well, except for Logan.
Gideon and Taj carried in large trays from the kitchen and placed them at either end of the table. Spencer, who’d returned in the afternoon from his cabin, filled the glasses at each place setting from a pitcher filled with water. Aleron followed behind his mate, putting silverware beside each plate.
They moved fluidly, so practiced that no one got in the others’ way. Even the human pack members fit in, each with their own role to play. Will, Heather, Ashley, and Joey had started their journey as Bailey’s friends. Now they were true human members of a wolf pack, with all the benefits and challenges the role carried. How had they all managed to adjust so well when all of the implications of being pack scared Koios to the core? He already felt so responsible for everyone in the building. To consider them as something more? What if—no, he couldn’t keep thinking about his failures. The reminder made him want to leave, though. Koios wanted to shrink away from the hustle and bustle, but Logan’s hand remained firm on his neck.
“Everyone will settle in a minute,” Logan said, his voice so soft Koios barely heard it over the chattering of the others. “It gets a little chaotic while everything is getting set up. I tend to stay out of the way. It’s safer. This means a lot to Bailey, though. He’d like to start inviting your family, too. And yes, it’s part of his annexation plan, but he also wants them here for you. You’re all so close, and my observant mate has noticed that your siblings miss you.”
They did. Jax kept busy with work obligations—he’d managed to get himself a job as deputy mayor of their small town. Alistair worked at the community center part time, but the rest of his time was spent in the community garden space their family had created in one of the parks downtown. The twins had opened a gym on the same strip where they had the travel agency. The agency was basically a cover for Koios’s basement hideout, but all the siblings were certified travel agents. They’d picked a business that had slowed down significantly with the technology boom.
Koios watched the pack in action and wondered if he’d ever get his basement cave back, and if he’d ever feel safe there again. There was something to be said for having a bunch of people around at all times—especially pack members trained in protection.
Finally, as if some unspoken word had been uttered, everyone took their seats. Logan guided Koios forward to a backless chair at his side. It put him directly across from Bailey, who beamed as he waved his hand in the air over the variety of platters and bowls.
“Dig in,” Bailey said.
So, for once, Koios did as he was told, even if he couldn’t explain why.
6
KOIOS
Koios’s eyes burned after another night of limited sleep. He’d been at his workstation for hours, poring over reports. Jim had to be somewhere. Koios had managed to seize most of his assets through a series of maneuvers that would send him to prison under normal circumstances.
Unfortunately for Jim, they were both ghosts. It made Koios’s quest for vengeance difficult, but it provided a level of protection he wouldn’t have otherwise. What was Jim supposed to do, call the cops?
Koios had learned his craft from some of the best sources on the dark web. He’d spent years honing his skills, hidden away in his basement, making sure his family stayed safe. Something had given him away, though.
The mere thought of it rubbed Koios’s nerves raw. How had Jim discovered his identity? No one had given away his secret. Dakota’s mate Henry had used his mage abilities to check the memories of everyone who’d known Koios’s identity and location.
It was a short list, but none of them had given up the secret. Which meant Koios had slipped. He’d made a mistake that had nearly cost him his life. Worse, it had nearly cost Scout and Coal theirs.
Koios refused to think of the consequences had one of his siblings been home at the time of the attack. Either he’d gotten extremely lucky, or Jim had known that as well. Koios had to discover how.
“Knock, knock,” Bailey said as he pushed open the door.
Koios blinked a few times while biting back his annoyance at being interrupted. “Yes?”
“Ben is on his way. You asked me to remind you.”
Koios smoothed the scowl on his face. “Right. Thank you, Bailey.”
Bailey grinned. “You’re welcome, Special K. Gideon set up the training room for you already, so all you have to do is get ready for your massage.”
Koios blinked again, distracted from his initial intent to argue with Bailey once more over his nickname. No, the end of the sentence overruled the first part. Maybe he’d misheard. He’d only been half paying attention after all. “My what?”
“Massage. Ben didn’t tell you?”
Koios vaguely remembered Ben mentioning massage therapy. At the time, it hadn’t seemed significant. Now, on the other hand….
“I…yes, he did.”
Bailey grinned. “You’re cute when you’re flustered. Also, Dr. Vaughn messaged me and said you bargained your way out of green smoothies. Nicely done.”
“Thank you. Although, I seem to have agreed to daily therapy instead. I’m beginning to think I should have stuck with the smoothies.”
“Probably so. Don’t get hyperfocused again, ’k? Ben will be here in ten.”
