King
I pulled into a parkingspace near the Red Lantern and flopped back in my seat. I’d spent all day in miserable meetings, missing my omega…missing my pack. Why did this keep happening? I was supposed to be on leave, but I kept being pulled into emergency meetings. To be fair, I’d told everyone I would be back at work within a week. Two months later, I was still in Starlight Grove.
And I never wanted to leave.
All the things I thought would annoy me about small-town life—the small talk, ridiculous festivals, and nosy neighbors—were somehowendearing. I’d come to enjoy Marisol replacing things in my shopping cart becauseyou’ll like this better(she was correct), talking with Ella as she made my morning latte about the newest episode ofRut Islandthat Leo had forced us all to watch, and the town’s children chanting “Fish King” anytime they saw me.
Starlight Grove felt like home.
The past few months had flipped my entire life upside down. My parents would be horrified to see me neglecting work like this. They’d spent the past few decades shutting themselves off from their humanity after my brother died, but that wasn’t how I wanted to live. I wanted to build a life with my pack at the center.
I got out of the car and headed toward the restaurant. Leo waved from his spot on the bench outside. His rust-red suit was perfectly tailored to his broad frame, and the wind tousled his dark curls as he fidgeted with his cane—the one I’d gotten him. My alpha rumbled with satisfaction.
“Hey,” he said as I got closer. “How’s it going?”
I sat down beside him. The small bench made it so our legs werepressed together, and the heat of him against my skin sent a strange sensation through me.
“Long day of meetings,” I grumbled. “Lucy isn’t here yet?”
I’d offered to pick my pack up on the way back from my rented office space, but Wilder was on shift and couldn’t get away, Leo’s physical therapist had told him to incorporate light walking into his routine, and Lucy was on her way back from a networking event she’d attended with Summer in Briar’s Landing.
My alpha had been desperate to go after her all afternoon, but I didn’t want to be too overbearing, so I’d settled on texting her hourly and tracking her through the app I’d installed on her phone. It was hard to imagine a safer area than Starlight Grove and the surrounding towns, but apparently my protectiveness had no limits.
“She texted me not too long ago. The networking meeting went long so she’s running late.”
The night was quiet, so different from the honking cars and sirens I was used to. Silence stretched between us, but Leo’s presence was soothing. His light cardamom scent settled the tension I’d been carrying all day.
“Have you eaten here before?” he asked.
I shook my head. “I don’t eat out much.”
Leo groaned, and my eyebrows shot up.
“I’ve suspected this for a while now,” he said.
“Suspected what?”
“That you’re one of those healthy gym-bro alphas who meal-preps chicken and spinach to eat every day.”
Actually, it was arugula this week, but I wasn’t about to admit that.
“Nothing wrong with eating healthy,” I muttered.
Leo grinned, the expression transforming his face into something breathtaking. “You ordered a salad at the diner the other day. Asalad.” He said the word with the same inflection someone would use to describe drugs or cannibalism. “I’m going to have so much fun corrupting you.”
His tone made my cheeks heat, and I looked away, disoriented. Myphone vibrated and I fumbled as I pulled it out of my pocket, grateful for the distraction. Leo looked at his phone, too, because Lucy had texted the group chat—the one she’d named Blossom’s Daddies.
Lucy
Hey so sorry! We are stuck in traffic and are going to be late. You two go ahead and eat!
Leo
We don’t mind waiting for you
Lucy
No seriously please go ahead! I’ll feel so bad if you don’t
