“You only get her tonight. Packmates share.”
The look of frustration on Saint’s face has me giggling under my breath. “Yeah,” I whisper. “You need to learn to share.”
He considers this for exactly one second. "I can't wait to share you," he says, waggling his eyebrows.
And there he is. Saint. The real one.
By morning, Saint is calm enough to allow me to leave his room and head upstairs to my own suite. I shower and wash my hair properly, taking time to dry and style it. Then I put on a pair of leggings, one of Graham’s East Rock University T-shirts and Silas’ softest, thinnest flannel shirt. I look like a Nirvana groupie, but I’m comfortable.
Saint’s already in the kitchen and has my latte waiting on the counter. “Extra caffeine. I kept you up.”
I take the cup then lean into his strong chest and give him a kiss. “You did, but I’m not complaining.”
“Enough of that,” Graham says as he enters. “You hogged her all night.”
I chuckle and turn to him. Instead of hugging me like I anticipate, he lifts me and sets me on the counter. Then he steps between my legs, palms my cheek, and leans in. “Morning, beautiful.”
His kiss is claiming. It leaves me breathless. “I missed you,” he whispers.
“I missed you, too,” I say. “But last night was Saint’s. You’ve had plenty of nights with me. He’s only had one.”
Graham kisses my nose. “Whose fault is that? I can’t help if I’m a fast learner and he’s slow.”
“Hey!” Saint protests, but there’s no animosity in it.
Saint presses into my right side, turning my chin so that I’m facing him and not Graham. “I’ve got to go, princess. Can I call you tonight?”
“I would be sad if you didn’t.”
He kisses me. “No promises on timing. It depends on if we have a run.” Then he swats Graham on his shoulder. “Enjoy your time with her. I’ll be hogging her again when I’m off duty.”
“We’ll see about that,” Graham grumbles, shoving Saint out of the way with his elbow. Saint laughs, blows me a kiss, and heads out to the garage.
I stay on the counter, sipping my latte while Graham fills his travel mug with the drip coffee Saint prepped for him and Silas.
“Tell me about the gala.”
He places the lid on his mug before answering. “It’s a fundraising event. The university invites its biggest donors and spends ridiculous money wining and dining them.” He pauses. "I find them excruciating. But it always leads to a significant spike in donations.”
“And they want to recognize your work?”
He returns to his place between my legs. “They do. Finn and I are both being recognized. His pack will be there, too.”
He looks at his watch and sighs. “I have to go. I’m chairing a dissertation defense today and I need to get to the office earlier than usual.” He helps me down from the counter. “Silas will be down soon. He said he’s taking you back to the warehouses today.”
I nod. “Yeah. I’d rather stay here all day, but I need to meet with the insurance guy, talk to the building’s owner, and check on a few other things.”
“Be safe.” He bends to kiss my nose. I watch him leave. The kitchen feels too big without my alphas there to keep me company.
I decide to hunt for Silas when I hear his footsteps on the stairs. I wait patiently for him to round the corner. When he does I notice the shadows under his eyes and the tightness around his mouth.
“Hey.”
He blinks at me from across the room. “Hey,” he says. “I half convinced myself Saint would keep you holed up in his room all day.”
I shrug. “He’s feeling better today. Besides, I’ve got too much to do to lounge in bed all morning.
I walk to the machine and pour him a mug of coffee. “You look like you need this,” I say, handing him the cup.
