I shrugged. “You guys are established. It would be understandable not to want another member.”
When I told Theo I wouldn’t be offended, that was true. It didn’t mean that the rejection wouldn’t sting a bit. But I knew how I was perceived. It wasn’t always positive.
“We aren’t in the habit of walking away from obvious connections,” Logan said. “It will be strange for a bit because it’s always strange when packs form. You should have seen all of us trying to figure our way around each other. Like a bunch of baby giraffes trying to stand for the first time.”
I laughed at the mental image.
“Honestly, it might be easier this time around.”
“I shall do my best not to embody an infant giraffe.”
He showed me through the rest of the two-story apartment. Though it was large enough that calling it an apartment was a bit misleading. The offices, their bedrooms, and the free room that would become mine. There was a door toward the other end of the hallway that Logan steered me away from.
Probably something to do with the circumstances Theo mentioned.
I was sure I’d learn soon enough.
“This place is great.”
“We like it. Maybe not where we’ll want to live forever. I, for one, would love a house closer to the beach. I’m a surfer.”
“Ah, the last sport I didn’t know.”
We arrived in the living room again. The others were scattered across the couches. Suddenly Brooks snorted a laugh. “Holy shit.”
Logan looked over. “What?”
“He’s a hacker.”
His brother raised an eyebrow, and Theo looked as confused as the rest of us. “And?”
“Our pack name is Breaker.”
A laugh burst out of me. “Really?”
“Really,” Theo said. “We thought with surfing and fighting, the term applied. These guys tease me about breaking records. It makes sense with you too, since hacking breaks into things, right?”
“Right.” I laughed. “That’s incredible. I know it’s a bit strange, but I’m glad to be here.”
“We’re glad too,” Theo said. “But there’s one more thing we need to tell you.”
“The circumstances you mentioned?”
He nodded. “This past Friday we were at a local kink and sex club named Element.”
“I’m in the middle of their vetting process now,” I said.
Brooks gave a thumbs-up. “We’ll have to let Amber know you’re with us.”
“Well,” Theo said, “While we were there?—”
The front door opened, and I heard a feminine voice echo through the apartment. “I’m here. I promised I’d leave work early. But I haven’t heard from Theo. Did he survive the hacker?”
Her voice came closer as she spoke. Moments later, she stepped into the doorway to the kitchen. A beautiful blonde, hair pulled up off her neck, with pieces escaping that I immediately wanted to tame. Legs that went on for miles and a smile so sweet I wanted to taste it.
That smile turned to confusion when she saw me.
Her movement pushed a wave of her scent toward me. Sweet as sugar and richly floral. Something that reminded me of frosting and the pastries I looked at through bakery windows. If they bottled that fragrance, I would buy a vat of it simply to get inside.
