There’s even a staircase leading up to a second floor that the woman gestures toward. “Our couples’ suites and overnight accommodations are upstairs, if you’re ever interested in booking those.”
Nina wiggles her eyebrows at me suggestively, and I roll my eyes.
Finally, we reach the very back of the building and stop in front of large arched wooden doors that appear as if they belong in a medieval castle. They’re heavy and ornate, with iron hinges and handles.
The woman opens them to reveal a small changing area with wooden lockers lining the walls, each one numbered. There are hooks for coats, a bench for sitting, and baskets of supplies.
“You’ll need to remove all your clothes and wrap yourselves in the towels provided,” she says with a warm, professional smile. “The changing stalls are through there. Take your time. When you’re ready, the main spa suite is through that door.” She points to another entry at the far end. “I’ll be back in a moment to show you everything.”
She leaves, and I turn to Nina with wide eyes. “We’re going completely naked?”
“Yeah, don’t worry,” Nina says, already shrugging out of her puffy coat and hanging it on a hook. “You get total privacy. No one will see us, and honestly, after you’ve been sweating your ass off in a sauna for twenty minutes, you stop caring about modesty real quick. It’s too hot to give a shit.”
We each take a changing stall. Mine is small but beautifully appointed, with smooth wooden walls, a padded bench, and hooks mounted at different heights. I strip down quickly, folding my clothes and setting them on the bench. For a moment, I just stand here naked, looking at my reflection in the small mirror mounted on the wall.
I look tired. Dark circles show under my eyes from not sleeping well. My skin is paler than usual from winter and stress, and my hair needs a trim badly.
But underneath all that, I stare at the woman whom four Alphas apparently wanted. Whom they called their scent match. I shake away those thoughts.
I haven’t done naked spas with other people before. My anxiety about my body, about being vulnerable, about everything, starts creeping back in like a cold tide. But I wrap the huge, fluffy towel from the lady around myself, tucking it securely above my breasts, and slip my feet into the surprisingly comfortable slippers available in the changing room.
When I emerge from the stall, Nina is already out, appearing relaxed and happy in her own towel. Her hair is piled in a bun on top of her head.
“Lockers are over here,” she says, leading me to a row of small wooden compartments with combination locks. “Put everything in and take the key bracelet. That way you don’t have to worry about anything.”
As we secure our belongings, Nina starts talking about Oliver, the guy she went home with from The Timber Den the other night. “He’s already out of town,” she adds with a sigh, snapping her locker shut. “Had to leave yesterday morning for some work thing in Seattle. But he texted me before his flight. Said he’d keep in touch once he’s settled.”
“Do you think he actually will?” I ask, slipping the key bracelet onto my wrist.
Nina shrugs, aiming for casual, but she doesn’t quite pull it off. “Part of me thinks he probably won’t. You know how it goes. Guys say they’ll call, they mean it in the moment, and then real life happens and they forget.”
“Did you really like him, though?”
“Kinda did.” Her voice softens, honesty slipping through. “He was hot, obviously. Like, stupid hot. But we also talked for hours before we even kissed. About real things. His family, my bakery dreams, what we wanted from life. It didn’t feel like just another hookup.” She grins suddenly, mischief flashing back into place. “And then the sex was incredible. Like, mind-blowing. He fucks like a god, Anita. Seriously. I may never recover. I’m ruined for other men.”
She sighs dramatically, pressing the back of her hand to her forehead like a fainting Victorian lady. “It’s my luck, you know? I always get this little taste of euphoria, this glimpse of what could be amazing, but then it never stays. It’s like the universe loves teasing me.”
“Fingers crossed he calls back,” I say, squeezing her hand. “Because you deserve all the happiness, Nina. You really do. You’re the best person I know.”
“As do you,” she says, bumping her shoulder against mine. “And speaking of which, you can’t hide from those guys forever. They won’t judge you as harshly as you’re judging yourself.”
“I know,” I admit, my chest tightening. “But I worry they won’t ever see me as anything more than the girl who lied to them. I’m scared of how much I want them and that if I let myself hope again, I’ll just get crushed even worse than with my last pack.”
Nina studies me, her expression steady and certain. “Your last pack was full of assholes who didn’t deserve you. These guys are different. You know they are.”
“Maybe,” I say quietly. “But that doesn’t mean they’ll still want me after this.”
“We’ll see,” Nina says, her tone carrying a quiet confidence that makes something fragile stir in my chest. Then she hooks her arm through mine. “Now come on. Let’s go experience luxury.”
She pushes open another door, and we step through into the actual spa suite.
My mouth drops open.
It’s like we’ve stepped into some kind of magical stone-and-wooden cabin hidden deep in an enchanted forest. The room is enormous, stretching outward in multiple directions with different designated areas for different experiences.
In the center is a large square hot tub, easily big enough for six or eight people. The interior is lined with smooth stones as seating, and the water is a gorgeous blue-green color, rippling and steaming invitingly. But what makes it truly spectacular is the enormous window behind it, floor-to-ceiling glass that overlooks a cliff’s edge.
The view is absolutely breathtaking. Mountains in the distance, their peaks brilliant white with snow. Trees coating the slopes, their branches heavy with fresh powder. And it’s snowing outside right now, big fat flakes falling past the window in that mesmerizing way that makes you want to just stand and stare.
