“They’re important to her, Spencer. We will need to figure something out,” Bear said firmly.
“She can resume classes once we’ve caught the sick fuck who tried to kidnap her at knifepoint,” Spencer declared, the fury rising in his voice. “What can you tell us about him?”
Bear grimaced “Not much, really. He was smaller than any of us, but that’s not unusual. His face was completely covered by a balaclava and sunglasses. He moved like someone without any training, though. Clumsy.”
“So definitelynota professional,” Spencer pointed out.
Bear shookhis head. “No. Everything about him screamed amateur, down to what he chose to cover his face with. It’s almost like… Well, if I had to put money on it, I’d say he’s a student who has developed an obsession and doesn’t know what to do with himself.”
“I know what I’ll fucking do to him,” I said under my breath, the image of Flora at knifepoint burning into my brain. Unfortunately, Bear was the only one who had gotten close to him, so I didn’t have any clue who I was going after—but I was determined nonetheless.
“Get in line,” Spencer growled, malice radiating off him.
“It’s not like he’s a ghost.” I huffed out a breath. “He’s got to have a digital footprint somewhere, and I’m going to find it. I’ll tear apart those cameras and find out where they came from.”
“If you need anything, just let us know,” Bear said, nodding in a silent promise.
He and Spencer tended to leave me to my own devices when it came to technology. I had a habit of getting lost in the process and working for hours on old computers or equipment without even realizing it. The two of them kept me grounded.
Plus, they were especially interested in protecting Flora, so I knew they’d beveryinvolved in her time at the apartment and tracking down the bastard that was following her.
“One of us needs to go back to her place ASAP, check if there are any more cameras,” I said. “She… she asked if there was a camera in herbathroom. God, Flora looked so fragile when she said it. We need to catch this fucker.”
“Fuck,” Bear muttered, blinking slowly as he let out a rough breath. “I'm guessing there wasn’t time to check when you installed the camera.”
“There wasn’t. I took a lot of time removing the first one andreplacing it,” Spencer confirmed. “But we need to go back to her place and clean it the best we can. We also need to remove any traces ofourcameras.”
He grimaced. The next few days were going to be a fine balancing act. One of us needed to watch Flora. One of us needed to take care of her apartment, and there needed to be someone on Pack Garnett, too.
“Do you think it's worth asking for help from a friend? There are only three of us, after all,” I asked, leaning against the doorframe.
“Who are you thinking of?” Spencer asked.
“Henrik? I think he and his pack are in the country.”
Bear nodded. “Actually, they aren’t a bad choice. Maybe it’s worth sending him a message,” he said, turning to Spencer. “If anything, it’s an extra set of eyes we trust.”
Our pack leader paused, clearly mulling the idea over. Spencer had always been the heavy thinker—the planner and the organizer of our pack. I got the distinct impression he was thinking things through even more thoroughly now our little omega was involved.
“I’ll do it,” he said.
We were quiet for a moment, all of us looking at each other, each too chicken shit to say what we were feeling.
Flora was… well, she was something. The pull to her was unlike anything I had ever experienced before, and I knew my pack mates felt the same. In a matter of weeks, our entire lives had changed to no longer revolve around work, but one tiny omega who loved learning and was lethal with a taser.
“Is she okay?” Bear asked eventually. His elbows rested on his knees, and he lightly scratched at the stubble he had growing in. “Will the nesting supplies from Mable be okay for tonight?”
“I think so.” I sighed, sitting on one of the armchairs. “She found a few items she liked. It’s nowhere near enough, but it’s better than nothing. It was a smart idea to call Mable.” I directed the last part at Spencer, who agreed.
“I wanted to go to that twenty-four-hour store. Only, it’s a long drive, and I wouldn’t be able to watch over her during that time. I considered taking her with me, just so I could ensure she was safe, but that felt…”
“Mean?” Bear chuckled.
Spencer jerked his head on agreement, swallowing before speaking again. “Not that I don’t trust you guys, you know I do. It’s just… the idea of being away from her felt so fucking wrong, I can’t explain it. I’m not being the most rational, but we are all in agreement—wewillprotect her, no matter what.”
“As far as I’m concerned, I’m hers,” Bear replied simply, a level of confidence in his voice that knocked me back. “If she doesn’t want me, I’ll spend my time protecting her and making her as happy as I can.”
His words were painfully honest. The guy had always worried about being desired. It didn’t matter what Spencer or I said about it, either. He was already sure he’d be alone forever. To see something he wanted so badly now… we needed to figure this out because I had a feeling losing Flora to circumstance would kill him.
