Alex nods, then walks off.
I keep Skyla close, refusing to let her leave my line of sight for even a second.
She’s tense beside me, her pulse hammering so loud I can practically hear it. “Why aren’t we leaving?” she finally asks, voice shaking with fear. “He’s still an hour away. Why don’t we justgo?”
Alex’s grin flashes instantly, wide and sharp. “Go where, sweetheart? Our vacation home in the vineyard?”
“Ooh! Maybe the beach,” Dakota adds, winking as he hauls a large piece of plywood toward the back door.
Skyla’s mouth falls open. “How—” she shakes her head, disbelief cutting through her fear. “How can youjokeright now? This is serious.”
I can’t help the smile tugging at my mouth. “Because we’re not that kind of pack,” I say as I tape a string of old Christmas bells to the edge of the back sliding glass door. “Sit on the couch for me, gorgeous.”
But Sky doesn’t move. She stares back, frozen between shock and fury. “What does that evenmean?”
“It means we don’t run,” Alex answers for me. The alpha is rolling his shoulders like he’s been waiting for an excuse to throw a punch. His eyes are alight with a wild kind of joy that only comes out when there’s a fight brewing. “Don’t worry, Sky. We won’t let him hurt you.”
Dakota nods, practically vibrating with energy, and pulls a power drill out of his hoodie’s front pocket. “Damn straight,” he says as he inserts the drill bit. “That asshole won’t come within a hundred feet of you.”
Tadeo’s the only one who isn’t smiling. He stands near the kitchen, unfolding a large tarp. “Let’s not underestimate him,” he says quietly, his eyes flickering to Skyla. “He’s dangerous.”
I meet Tadeo’s eyes, keeping my voice even. “We’ve got this,” I tell him, but it’s mostly for Skyla’s sake.
Our little omega finally shifts nervously as she sits at the end of the couch. She’s wrapped in her favorite blanket, looking small and shaken in the middle of our living room. Her heartbeat is still racing, though, her thick emotions rolling around in our bond.
I’d love to properly tend to her right now, pull every drop of that fear out of her sweet body, but we don’t have time.
“Sky?” I crouch down in front of her, resting my elbows on my knees until I’m eye level. “I need to ask you something,” my voice comes out low and calm. “I don’t want it to scare you, okay?”
Her gaze flicks to mine, wary and confused. “Okay?”
“How many alphas were in your old pack?”
Her brow furrows. “What?”
“Besides Brayden,” I clarify, keeping my tone as soft as I can. “How many alphas were in your old pack?”
Skyla blinks, clearly thrown by the question.
Behind me, the shrill buzz of a drill cuts through the air. Dakota braces a sheet of plywood upright, his shoulders straining as Tadeo drives screws into the frame. The sound vibrates through the room.
“Sky?”
Her gaze rips away from the source of the drilling.
“How many?” I repeat.
“One,” she says slowly. “There was one other alpha—his name was Martin. Why?”
I nod once, processing that, keeping my face neutral. “Need to know what we’re dealing with.”
Tadeo pauses to wipe sweat from his brow, muttering something under his breath before reaching for another screw. The rhythmicwhirr-clickof the drill fills the silence that follows, grounding me.
Skyla frowns, her confusion deepening. “What do you mean?”
“I want to make sure I’ve got a good handle on how many people Brayden might be bringing with him,” I say, keeping my voice even. “If Martin’s still loyal to him, that changes things.”
The drill stops again. Dakota glances over his shoulder, his tone light even as his jaw flexes. “Guess we’ll find out soon enough.”
