Page 199 of All Packed Up

A chasm still pulsed in his chest whenever he lifted his head and looked at his gym, but Grif and Wendy had done a good job to stop the bleeding emotions.

“What do we do now?” Nic asked, voice raw.

Wendy was attached to his hip, and he wrapped an arm over her shoulder. Grif released him from the bear hug, but stayed close enough that Nic could feel his warmth.

Alpha.

Just like Wendy had confessed in the tent, Griffith was just that type of alpha. One who made you look twice and listen with intent, and at the same time made your chest feel all fuzzy and warm because instinctively, you knew he was safe.

“Whatever it is, we can handle it together,” Griffith answered.

Nic breathed out a sigh, fading away on a cloud in the chilly night air. He’d gone and done it. Despite the distance he’d tried to force between them, despite the circumstances of their past and reunion, and the things they had yet to talk about… Nic had let Griffith back in. Had come to look forward to just being with the alpha again. And now the alpha was taking care of him alongside Wendy, holding him while his heart broke for the piece of his life he’d worked so hard to build.

How was he supposed to keep his distance when Griffith was that type of alpha?

There really wasn’t anything for Nic to do in that moment. He had the photos he needed. Arlo had exported the security footage.

Even with all of that evidence, Nic had to see it for himself. He had to see with his own eyes the destruction of the gym.

The ashes of the Sterling Pack’s anger.

“I think its safest if we find a hotel. They’ve proven they can get in our building,” Nic mused numbly.

The quiet of night only found at three in the morning surrounded them. No cars on the roads, no passersby, not even any lights on in the sparse businesses in the area.

Everyone was asleep, at home, like any sane person would be at this time of night.

But then again, Nic didn’t think he’d ever considered himself sane.

“We can wait in the car?” At least the heater would be on. They could sit tight until Arlo and Tate arrived, then go from there.

Pack suites were a pretty penny, but Nic would be able to swing a room big enough for them. It was what Wendy needed after her intense heat.

And to be honest, being around this mismatched set of alphas didn’t sound so bad right then either.

“Well, isn’t this sweet,” an oddly familiar, cruel tone snarled.

Nic jerked his head toward the street, to the newcomers in the process of crossing the road.

The bitter scent of alphas reached his nose, and he instinctively stood taller, pushing Wendy behind him. Grif stepped up beside him as they drew closer.

A warning was going off in Nic’s mind, that voice bouncing around in his head.

“I think it’s time you fuckers give us our omega back,” another one snapped.

Hello, this is Derek Sterling from—

It was like the fog that had descended on him ever since he’d talked to Ashley finally lifted as he realized exactly who the fuck stood in front of him.

“I’d like to see you fuckers try,” Nic spat, disgust filling him at the very idea of these alphas’ existence. At the knowledge of what they’d done to Wendy.

Suddenly, the maw in his chest from the gym didn’t seem so catastrophic. It faded to the background along with the heartache and worry and slowly burrowing stress.

All of his attention centered on the alphas stepping up onto the curb, the cruel twists to the smirks and the anger burning in their gazes.

Nothing mattered but the fuckers in front of them and making sure they never touched her again.

Right then, the gym didn’t fucking matter.