“Orin Strike.” He plucks a badge out of his pocket then holds it out for her to inspect. “Head of SVU Security.”
I groan inwardly. Clearly, our situation has been escalated. He’s not as tall as Adler, probably standing just over 6′, but his commanding presence fills the space, leaving me in no doubt as to why he’s in such a position.
“Oh, right.” Kady bristles. “Well, thank you for escorting Adler.”
“I’m actually here for personal reasons.” Looking past Kady, Orin’s dreamy eyes meet mine. They’re gray and mysterious with a deep intensity. The eyes of someone who has been through a lot, making me eager to know more about him. “I’m Adler’s pack leader.”
“Wh-what?” I finally find my voice again. All the while, Orin’s gaze doesn’t leave me. I turn to Adler, “You didn’t say that your pack leader was SVU’s Head of Security!”
“We were kinda… busy.” Adler grins sheepishly, a lightning bolt shooting through me at remembering exactly how busy we were. “I guess it didn’t really come up as party conversation. Orin can be a bit of a killjoy.”
Adler’s already starting to look a bit better, getting more color in his cheeks. I stifle a laugh. His attempts to lighten the strained mood make me think that living with him may not be so bad after all.
While I snicker, Orin and Kady glare at him. Both are clearly on the same page that now isn’t the time for joking around.
“Well, at least we know you’ll be well looked after,” Delilah whispers in my ear, her arm still protectively around me.
“It’ll be best if you stay with us, Sabrina.” Orin wastes no time getting straight to the point. He’s obviously an alpha who likes to make plans. “You can move in with us, or we can rent somewhere else, if you’d prefer?”
“Your place is fine,” I murmur. “And please, call me Sabs.”
Orin nods curtly. “We’ll make sure you have everything you need.”
Adler steps closer, his foot hovering outside the door but not crossing the threshold, even though his ticking jaw hints at how much he wants to. “I meant what I said last night, Sabs.” I canfeel his sincerity pulsating through our connection. “We’re going to make this work.”
“And your pack?” I dare to look at Orin, not even being able to imagine how he feels right now, his unreadable, serious expression giving nothing away. “What do you think?”
The vast majority of accidental bonding cases involve solo alphas, making our predicament even more unusual.
“My first priority is your and Adler’s health.” Orin’s forehead wrinkles. “We’ll deal with everything else later. Adler has put you in a difficult position. Whether you want to be or not, you’re part of Pack Strike now.”
Adler’s guilt hits me like a heavy dumbbell. He obviously cares a great deal about what Orin thinks, and disappointing his pack leader makes him feel almost as bad as biting me in the first place.
“It wasn’t all Adler’s fault.” I’m compelled to defend my alpha. “I… encouraged him.”
Adler hangs his head. “As an alpha, I should have been able to control myself.”
“What’s done is done.” Orin shuts the conversation down, glancing over at our neighbors. A few omegas from Persephone House have gathered on their porch, not-so-discreetly watching on. “Have you packed a bag? We should leave before we attract any more attention.”
“Right… A bag… Uh, no.”
The overwhelming reality hits me that I’ll be swapping my home in Stella House for the Strike Pack mansion with no idea of what’s coming next.
“Come inside while Sabs packs.” Kady steps aside to let Orin and Adler inside. “It’ll stop you from having to deal with,” she glares at the Persephone House gaggle, “them. In the meantime, I have lots of questions.”
I recognize her tenacious expression as she gears up to interrogate them, entering full-on scary law student mode. I muster a half-apologetic grin for Adler, who looks like he’s been caught with his pants down. Kady tends to have that effect on people. Even Jagger Knight—Delilah’s famous rockstar alpha—crumbled under the pressure of being scrutinized by a Sinclair.
“We can help you put some things together.” Delilah closes the door behind them, nervously peering at the nosy neighbors who are probably hotly debating why the guys have been granted permission to enter OV. Noticing Orin impatiently checking his watch, she also adds, “Don’t worry, we’ll be quick.”
“Thank you,” Orin says. “I’d prefer to handle this as discreetly as possible.”
Delilah gives me a gentle shove. “Let’s go, Sabs.”
“Damon says his boss is a good guy. He’s always spoken highly of Orin,” Faye, who has been quietly observing what’s unfolding, comments as we head downstairs while Kady stays with the guys.
“What do you know about him?” Hopefully, she can give me some information about my new hot pack leader.
“Not much,” she admits. “But I know he was in the military before he started working here. He’s honorable. A man who follows a strict moral code. He’ll keep you safe.”
