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For such a stoic man, he’d been quite playful with me. I hated that it put me at ease—that I liked it.
“Any decent being knows black coffee is for when you’re at the end of your rope and have to stay awake for a few more hours.”
“I always knew I was less than decent.” He added cream and sugar to my mug and placed it in front of me.
He leaned against the counter, crossing his arms over his hard chest. Even relaxed, his presence dominated the space.
I nodded my thanks and tried to stop my foot from bouncing with nerves as we waited for Isolde to arrive.
Had they been telling me the truth about their pack? Or was there more to Hidden Creek than my mates wanted me to believe?
My father’s voice wafted through my mind. Possibilities are a double-edged sword.
“Nervous?” Ezra asked.
Yes. This excursion could be the difference between putting a blade in my budding feelings or letting them blossom. But I couldn’t tell him that. “I’ll be okay. I don’t meet new people often, that’s all.”
“Sorry to say, but you’ll be doing a lot of that over the next few days. If you don’t want to, let me know.”
“I want to,” I said hurriedly, unwilling to lose my chance to get the lay of the land. “I’ve been by myself for a while, so I’m wondering if they’ll like me.”
“They will. And Iso—”
A knock on the door interrupted Ezra, and he went to answer it.
“Isolde,” Ezra greeted. “Brielle is ready for you.”
“Wonderful. Honestly, I almost wish she’d take longer. It would give me an excuse to use my newfound independence. My mates seem to think hovering is a hobby.”
Erza’s large frame completely blocked the female from view as they entered the kitchen. When he stepped aside, a petite, dark-haired female with glowing blue eyes stared back at me.
Her eyes widened with recognition. “You . . . you’re Brielle?”
It was the girl from the last Hunt.
I’d seen many girls over the years, but this one stood out. There was a fire in her—a desire to do more than survive.
It was why I broke one of my cardinal rules and told her about the rebels and the path. She had wanted to be free and would fight for the cause.
“I am.” I noticed her rounded abdomen and the subtle signs of happiness in her relaxed shoulders and smiling mouth. “I’m pleased everything worked out for you.”
“It did.” She placed a hand over her stomach.
Ezra looked from her to me. “You guys know each other?”
“We met briefly during the Hunt,” I said.
For a moment, I worried she’d already told her mates about the carved doves, the doves that marked the escape route for Omegas to find sanctuary, but as Isolde’s blue eyes met mine, a silent understanding passed between us.
It was still our secret.
The knowledge should have calmed me and given me hope. Instead, it left me wondering why she hadn’t disclosed the information to her mates. Didn’t she trust them?
Stepping forward, she took my hand and said, “Come on, I have so much to show you.”
***
Isolde wasn’t exaggerating when she said there was a lot to show me. Hidden Creek’s territory was something out of a dream. Rolling hills, meadows, glades, and open forests blended seamlessly into the wilderness beyond pack lands. The pack itself was structured like a small town. Pack members lived in homes on the outer edges of the community, while shops, cafes, and restaurants occupied the center. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen.
