“Told you.” I grin at Calder. “Don’t worry. He’s good at what he does.”
Calder must realize he’s facing a losing battle. “Our readers have sent in a bunch of questions, so I thought we could do a profile piece. Are you okay with answering some quick-fire questions?”
“Sure.”
“What is your favorite?—”
Behind me, the office door slamming against the wall makes the entire room vibrate, the energy shifting in a flash.
“Calder!” a high-pitched voice rages as a blonde tornado bursts in. “Why didn’t you tell me this was scheduled?” She whips off her coat and flings it over a chair. Despite the time, she’s impeccably dressed with her hair braided in an intricate design that looks like it took hours to do.
Calder loosens his collar, gnawing on the inside of his cheek as he shifts on the spot. “I thought it’d be easier if I handled this interview alone.”
“Why?” Her chin juts up. “I’m sure Jagger won’t mind if I join you. We’ve already met. Kady Sinclair.”
She offers me her hand, yet when I reach out, she snatches her fingers back and opts to glare at me instead. The temperature in the formerly cozy office seems to plummet.
“The more the merrier,” I reply with a nervous laugh, although her incensed gaze makes my skin prickle.
“See?” Her eyes quickly dart to Calder before dragging over a chair. “Where were we?” she asks in a snippy tone.
“We’re just about to get to the quick-fire questions.” A bead of sweat appears on Calder’s forehead. Obviously, he’s worried about the loose cannon that’s now been unleashed.
“The questions.” She clicks her fingers. He grumbles under his breath as he hands her a piece of paper before offering me an apologetic look. “I can take it from here.”
Something tells me that it was no accident that Kady was left out of the interview. She pops on her thin, silver-framed glasses that make me feel like I’m about to be quizzed by a schoolteacher.
“Done,” Nash declares proudly, standing and rolling down his sleeves. “That radiator won’t be causing you any havoc now.”
“Thanks.” Calder gets out his wallet. “What do we owe you?”
“Forget it.” Nash waves him off.
Kady looks Nash up and down, tilting her head to the side with intrigue crossing her features. “Is he a member of your secret pack too?”
A pink flush creeps up Nash’s neck.
“I already know that you’ve added a barista to your ranks.” She puts down the paper, folding her arms in front of her. All she needs is a light to shine into my face, and I’d feel like a prisoner being interrogated. “Why not a security guard too?”
For a 6′7′′ alpha, Nash suddenly seems very small under the scrutiny of this omega. He shuffles in his boots, his mouthopening and closing, looking to me for help, but I’m equally dumbstruck.
“You don’t have to say anything. Your face says it all,” she declares smugly. “How many more of you are there in the pack? Are you creating some kind of Jagger cult?”
I splutter. “Cult?”
Nash finally finds his tongue and adds sarcastically, “He wishes.”
“There’s only me, Tae, and Nash,” I say. “That’s it.”
Valerie would be pulling out her hair extensions if she knew I was revealing this to a reporter, but Kady is one of Delilah’s best friends. If I want to win her back, I have to start by being honest.
“I didn’t see anything about a pack in my research.” Calder rubs his chin. “Is this a new arrangement?”
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t print it,” I implore. “I’d rather keep my packmates’ privacy for as long as possible. When people find out…” I shake my head. “Well, you’ve seen the crowds outside Bouncing Bunna every morning.”
Kady’s lip curls. “Yeah, you’re the reason I haven’t been able to get my morning coffee for the last week.”
Calder’s nose scrunches. “My girl needs her caffeine.”
