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“You done, baby girl?”
“Yeah.”
Jace picked my hand up off the bar. “Let’s go get you fixed up then.”
He helped me down off the stool with strong hands on my waist. I was tempted to just cling to him like a cat and let him carry me. “Where are we going?”
“Our gym,” he tugged me back down the hallway out of the kitchen. “It’s on the second floor, and I have a workspace there as well.”
Behind me, I heard voices. Ash letting go. “This isbullshitand you know it, Gabe. Just because I’m in better shape than Sloane is doesn’t mean I don’t feel it. The show needs to be pushed back.”
A softer answer I couldn’t hear as we climbed the stairs. The walls here were a rich forest green which complemented the dark wood of the floor and banisters. Art lined the walls, an eclectic mixture that somehow fit the blend of modern and classic I’d seen so far.
“Do you guys have an elevator?”
“We do. It’s actually in the back corner of the kitchen. I wanted to see how well you’re walking.” He squeezed my hand.
“Oh.”
The gym looked like every commercial gym I’d ever seen. Based on the three Alphas I’d met so far, I guessed it got plenty of use. I blinked at all the equipment. If I lived here, I would be able to get rid of my gym membership.
The thought froze me and warmed me at the same time. Half an hour and my mind was already moving in. “There’s a sauna over there.” Jace pointed to a dark doorway. “And my physio room is over here.”
The room we entered was much warmer than the physio room at the ballet. Red walls that seemed to wrap around you like a blanket. A massage table in the center and all the other tools of the trade lined against the walls. The lights were low and cozy when he turned them on.
“Hop on up.” He said it, but lifted me onto the table himself before moving to take off my shoes.
“I promise I’m usually more energized. Don’t want you to think I’m a limp noodle.”
Jace glanced up, amusement in his eyes. “It sounds like you’ve had a rough couple of days, baby girl. Don’t apologize for it. As much as I’d like to fuck you on this table instead of work on you and give you a massage, there’s plenty of time for that. I’m not going anywhere.”
“How do you know?” The shoe coming off made me close my eyes.
Standing, he shifted my legs apart to stand between them. “When Asher and Gabriel came home from the company meeting? I’ve never seen either of them like that. Ash and I sparred for two hours before he could even think about stopping because every instinct told him he needed to get to you. Gabe was quieter about it, but he still ran on the treadmill for longer than we sparred. Scenting you for the first time?” Jace sighed and lifted a hand to my cheek. “It’s a before and an after. You weren’t there, and now you are. Nothing else matters.”
I felt it too, but it was still scary. After so long being alone, having… a pack. It didn’t seem real. “When my best friend found her pack, they were all in right away. And it was a whirlwind. I want that. I wish we could get carried away and not have to care about anything else. And the fact that we can’t is my fault.”
“How do you figure?”
He laughed at the look I gave him. If I hadn’t left conservatory, maybe we’d all already be together. And maybe we wouldn’t. Asher was right. We couldn’t dwell on the past forever.
The Alpha from my thoughts poked his head into the room. “I’m going to go to your apartment,” he said, holding up my keys. “I’ll get everything you need. Anything specific?”
I shook my head. “No, just dance clothes. Toothbrush. The suppressants. I’ve got nothing to hide.”
Jace stepped aside so Ash could kiss me. “I’ll go rifling then.”
“Don’t take too long. You’re tired too.”
“I’m okay, sweetheart.”
Gripping his shirt, I didn’t let him step away. “I heard you. You’re exhausted.”
He pressed his lips to my ear. “I’m never too exhausted for you.” Then he was gone.
Jace knelt in front of me, picking up my left foot. “I’m going to feel, okay?”
“Yeah.”
