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I cleared my throat and sipped the tea they’d brought me, avoiding all of their eyes as I looked around the room. My need was under control for the moment, as if my body knew I needed to eat and was giving me a break. But it wouldn’t last long. We needed to talk while I was still capable of forming sentences.
“Has anyone checked the snow?” I asked.
Griffin nodded. The motion drew my attention back to his muscular shoulders. I couldn’t help a little sigh. His lips curved up in a half-grin, and his blue eyes sparked. The way his smile went straight to my pussy was a little disconcerting. All he had to do was give me a look, and I was wet.
“I did,” he said. “Sky is clearing, but it’s not warmenough to melt yet. Still about three feet on the ground.”
So the trucks were stuck for a while longer. I felt my anxiety start to rise.
“How are we on firewood?”
Griffin glanced at the others, and Ben answered.
“We need more. You said there was some outside?”
“Yeah, about twenty feet away, a little past where the trucks are parked. It’s in an open shed that’s probably seven feet tall at the roof, so you should be able to spot it. Hopefully, it’ll be dry enough to use.”
Griffin nodded again. “I’ll get it, don’t worry.”
The tension in my gut eased. I was happy to let someone else do the worrying, and Griffin was steady, solid. All of them were.
Michael chimed in. “I’ve been filling the bathtub with water in case the pipes freeze. How’s the water supply?”
“The cistern should be full from the rains we’ve been getting, plus snow melt.”
“Great. We’re good there, then. And I’ve checked the food supply. I think we’ve got another week’s worth, at least. Although this is pretty much the last of the fresh stuff.”
“Damn.” I looked down at my nearly empty plate.
Michael smiled, and just like with Griffin, it did things tomy insides.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make it tasty. It’ll be a fun challenge.”
“I’m glad it sounds fun to you.” I laughed, then shook my head. “But I doubt we’ll need a week’s worth of food. Barb will know you guys were staying here—she manages all the cabin rentals. She’s probably already working on getting crews out to the backcountry to check on people. I don’t think we’ll be stuck more than another couple of days.” A storm was no match for Barb the Logistics Queen. That woman was on top of her shit.
But as soon as I said it, I realized I didn’t feel stuck with them. And I didn’t really want someone coming to check on us, either. Not while we were in my nest.
Don’t be an idiot. This wasn’t exactly an ideal nesting situation. I shook the thought away.
“Tracy, does anyone know you’re here?” Ben asked.
I had to think about it. “No. This was a vacation week for most of the staff. My roommate went away to visit her family, and my parents think I’m with her. I even told my mom I wouldn’t be in touch for a few days.”
I realized too late that I’d just given something away. All of the guys were frowning. It was Ben who asked the question.
“Why did you lie to your family?” He quickly backed off. “You don’t have to tell us.”
Shit.
“It’s okay.” I did need to tell them. I wanted to.
I closed my eyes, trying to decide how much to say. When I opened them, I focused on Ben.
“I don’t want you to be nervous to ask me questions, and I want to be honest with all of you.” I swallowed. “After the…incident, my parents were really overprotective. When I’m with them, it reminds me of being a victim. It’s not their fault, but that’s how I feel. Being with them isn’t really a vacation. I wanted time by myself.”
The air seemed to ripple with their collective anger. It wasn’t directed at me, I knew that. They couldn’t rescue me from my past, and they hated it. A part of me preened, loving that they were so protective.
I tried to ignore the little voice in my head, the one saying they were just alphas having an instinctive reaction. That they’d be this protective of any omega.
