Page 134 of All Packed Up

Tate seemed to think over his words for a moment before finally nodding. “You’re right. Over our dead bodies.”

“Over whose dead body?”

Nic heard the voice before the alpha producing it popped his head around the corner. Arlo’s brow was arched in a curious demand.

With a groan, Nic laid his head in his hands.

How were they going to protect Wendy from this if they couldn’t even keep it a secret for more than five minutes?

“Oh my god,” Nic murmured, as Tate shortly explained to Arlo what had happened.

Arlo’s lips were firmed into an angry line by the time Tate finished.

“I guess we know who’s the cause of the break-in then, huh? Shit. Can I hear the voicemail?” Arlo asked.

Nic nodded, suddenly regretting how many times he had listened to the recording previously. The sound of the alpha’s voice was beginning to make his skin crawl.

How must Wendy feel?

His stomach rolled at the thought of facing her with yet another worry, especially since her heat was so close. He suspected that was why she’d been so short with Griffith. Though from experience Nic knew how frustrating the alpha could be.

“I don’t think we should tell Wendy about this. It would be undue stress, since it means nothing,” Nic said.

Tate and Arlo remained quiet for a moment, and Nic could practically hear the gears turning from where he sat. Knowing the alphas were threatening Nic would probably make her feel guilty and worry her more.

Right?

After sharing a look, Arlo cleared his throat. “I think that’s a natural reaction… but more than that, she needs honesty and loyalty, to be able to trust someone, and we can be that for her.”

Nic cocked his head to the side in thought. Arlo wasn’t wrong. Was Wendy full of nerves and doubt and second thoughts about them? Not just the Sterling Pack.

Could that also be why her heat seemed delayed?

Tate cleared his throat. “I think it would be a relief for her, knowing she can trust us to keep her in the loop. She’s probably more tense just waiting for the other shoe to drop, you know?”

They had a point. Trust was something she’d never had from those damned alphas.

And they could give her that.

Nic stared up at them, a smile growing on his lips. There was no doubt these alphas crushed hard on the omega, but it was comforting to know they actually cared. They wanted to protect her, and Nic had made a good decision bringing them along.

“Well, I guess we should tell Griffith too.” Nic mused and watched the two alphas smile to themselves.

Glancing out the window again, he saw no sign of Griffith. With a few clicks on his laptop, he sent the recording to his phone and shut the device. “Let’s go find them,” he said, waving a hand at the two alphas.

“Sooner the better, right?” Tate voiced as they parted like the Red Sea for Nic and then followed closely behind him. Something about it made him want to chuckle, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

“Something like that,” Nic answered, and made his way down the hall toward the stairs. As he made his way to the first floor, he eyed the house, but found no sign of the alpha or Wendy.

They didn’t have to look very hard. They found Griffith sitting on the porch, a cup of steaming tea in his hand, and Daisy staring sadly up at them from a few feet away. “Where’s Wendy at?” Nic questioned.

The alpha turned toward him with an arched brow. “Why do you assume I know?”

Nic met his gaze with a dry stare, projecting a warning to the alpha. It worked, because Grif took a sip of tea before nodding over Nic’s shoulder, holding his gaze the entire time. “I think she went to go find Knuckles. Check my room.”

Nic refrained from pinching the bridge of his nose and pulled out his phone. “Alright. Listen to this.”

Griffith took the device as Nic held it out, and the voice of that damned alpha sounded.