But my body is already carrying me toward the doorway.
I crack the door open just enough to peer into the hall.
The house feels tense. The air holds that electric edge that comes before a fight.
Another pounding hits the door, and I flinch.
Eli's voice drifts from the entryway. "I've got it."
His footsteps are quick but controlled. He opens the door, and cool air spills into the house along with the scent of unfamiliar alphas.
My eyes widen.
There are several of them on the porch—men in formal suits, dark jackets and crisp collars. Their stances are too disciplined to be casual visitors. They stand like they belong to something official.
My pulse climbs higher.
And then my stomach drops through the floor.
Chase.
He stands among them, posture straight, expression neutral and professional in a way I've never seen him before. He doesn't look like the man at the gym who teased me.
This Chase is different.
This Chase is authority.
For a beat, I can't move.
The two versions of him collide in my mind. The gym version makes my chest tighten. The version standing on our porch is intimidating.
Because this version has power over my life. This version is pure alpha.
I take a small step back into the shadow of the hallway. Part of me wants to disappear. Part of me needs to see.
Eli's expression shifts as he looks between them. "Can I help you?"
Chase steps forward slightly, hands visible, voice even. "Good morning. I'm Investigator Chase Calder."
Investigator.
The word lands like a weight.
"We're here regarding the incident at the zoo," Chase continues, his gaze sweeping briefly into the house. I can feel it when his eyes find me in the hallway. He doesn't react outwardly. Just a brief, measuring look before his attention returns to Eli.
Ragon appears behind Eli, moving into the entryway with the unmistakable presence of an alpha who owns this space.
Then his gaze locks onto Chase.
Recognition tightens his features.
His scent sharpens, citrus-smoke turning edged.
"What are you doing in my house?" Ragon demands.
It's not loud.
It doesn't need to be.
