Page 91 of Wolf It Down, Knot Me Up

“Not sure if it’s possible. Mr. Colby made it clear that moving them back is highly unlikely.”

“Maybe I can take the training course with them, then⁠—”

“Lucy,” she says, and it pauses me because I’m pushing when it’s being ripped away whether I want it or not. It’s happening again to me…

“Listen, Lucy, the men aren’t dying. They’re just relocating for the rest of their program,” she says firmly. “You haven’t lost them. They’re just moving. That’s all. This isn’t like it was with Jerry.”

Yet, I can’t stop the tears from falling, from my chest feeling like it’s cracking open. “I know. I…” I swallow. “I should go and tell them, as they don’t have much time to pack.”

“Okay, dear, and call me back. I’m here for you. Love you.”

“Love you too.” I hang up and scrub my eyes clean of tears, but they keep falling. Then I run, heading out the back door in the kitchen to find my Alphas, unsure of how I’m supposed to tell them that everything just got screwed up. That they’re losing their home here, and me.

But as I turn toward the woods, the crunch of tires on gravel comes from the front of the lodge. I pause, glancing over my shoulder as a white van rolls slowly up the driveway.

My heart drops through me, and I want to scream.

They’re here already! No, they can’t take my Alphas away. Not yet…

23

LUCY

“No, God, not yet,” I mumble to myself, wrapping my arms around my middle as I watch the white van rolling toward the lodge. And in a heartbeat, I spin and run to the rear of the building, needing to speak with my Alphas.

The cool air crashes over me, while my mind is whirling with Grandma’s words that the men aren’t dying, that they’re just being relocated. Fantastic, except being so far away from them will be torture, especially seeing as we’re scent matches. On top of that, I don’t feel safe being here alone after the last few incidents, and I hate that I’m being chased out of my home.

I turn the corner and find that the fallen pine has been mostly all chopped up and dragged over near the woods. Yet, there’s still so much more work to be done, with sawdust everywhere.

Across from the lodge and toward the woods, I spot the three of them coming this way. I choke on my breath, fresh tears falling down my face because I want to freeze time so they always remain by my side.

Roman’s waving as if I can really miss these huge Alphas—tall, muscular, and sexy as hell. Watching them nearly knocks my knees out from under me, how they swagger in their walk, and I rush forward, my gaze following every inch of their bodies, trying to memorize them because their absence is about to destroy me.

“Lucy,” Grayson says, close enough to see my tears. Roman and Wolf stride alongside him just as quickly, both frowning, and I open my mouth to tell them the horrific news. Instead, whatever calm I’ve been holding on to shatters and I end up bursting into tears.

I cup my face, sobbing, trying to get it out of my system so I can find my words.

The three of them surround me instantly, embracing me, whispering in my ear, asking me what’s wrong, but I’m just melting between them because on the inside I’m dying.

“Hey, gorgeous,” Roman says, dragging me against his chest, where I cling to him, swallowed by his scent, holding on to his shirt like a lifeline. I don’t know when I grew so attached to these Alphas, but the thought of them leaving is devastating me.

“Just breathe,” Grayson suggests, stroking my hair.

Wolf’s hand slides across my lower back. “Did someone hurt you, songbird?”

I shake my head and pull back, wiping at my eyes, knowing I don’t have time to fall apart. Dragging a shaky breath all the way down to my lungs, I lift my chin toward the three of them. “God, I’m so sorry. This is happening so fast, and I tried to stop it, but I couldn’t.”

Roman’s got his fingers under my chin, lifting it up so I can face him. “Gorgeous, you’re not making sense. Slow down and start from the beginning.”

Blinking fast, I catch my breath and detail everything, from Mr. Colby’s call to the issue of Ethan not being here, to how I wasn’t enough of a supervisor for them, and finally to them being relocated today. I glance at each of the Alphas, my chin trembling as their faces lose color at the news.

“And the parole transport van has just arrived,” I whisper, barely able to get the shaky words out. “They’re here to collect you.” Just saying that breaks me, and tears roll down my face again.

“Fuck, fuck!” Grayson grunts, running a hand through his hair a couple of times. Wolf’s shaking his head, while Roman’s eyes are huge, lips pinched tight.

“Someone reported our situation to the parole team,” Wolf says with a lethal tone. “Must have pretended it was your grandmother.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that they’re taking you from me,” I murmur, feeling the ache deep in my chest as if my heart is trying to rip itself in half.