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Tori: Thanks, Ellie. For not giving up on me and not letting me give up on myself.
Ellie: You and Micah are my only family. I’m always going to be here for you.
My heart warmed at her words, and I blinked away the tears. I had doubted my ability to secure the money for the inn before, but now I was more determined than ever.
I promised my lawyer I’d check in soon, and now I found myself dialing his number. The guys might be with me, but they would be proud of me for taking this step.
Let’s just hope fate has even more in store for me. I wasn’t ready to give up on my dreams anymore.
Chapter
Twenty-Six
Tori
The sound of a hammer slamming against wood filled the air as we approached the inn. There was still no road to be found, and I started to panic that someone had gotten here before us.
Had someone realized we’d been around? Was this place owned by someone else?
The questions swirled in my mind as Jordan and Warren stepped forward, shoulder to shoulder, as they walked ahead.My protective alphas.
They were still new to each other, not quite close enough to be considered real friends, but they were united in their need to protect us.
Theo walked behind us, while Felix stood beside me, his hand in mine. He tried to give me a reassuring smile. My omega, always the optimist, even looked a bit shaken.
“Easton?”Jordan’s steps faltered, and that was enough for me to let go of Felix and push through them.
The redhead hadn’t heard us approach. He had headphones on his ears and was nailing fresh boards to the porch where the old ones had nearly rotted away. He didn’t notice me moving closer until I was close enough the boards shifted under my weight, giving me away.
Easton looked up then gasped, startled at my sudden appearance. It was the first time I’d been close to him in days. He looked almost repentant and more than a little haggard. His stubble had grown into a thick, ginger covering, and his eyes had dark circles. His clothes were covered in wood shavings and dirt. His hands had blisters and I noticed a few bandages.
He’d softened when we got to the apartments after they discovered my stalker had broken in, but I hadn’t seen much of him since then.
“What’s going on here?” I demanded. My voice was sharper than I intended, but I had no more patience for Easton, especially not in a place that meant this much to me.
Not that he cared how much anything meant to me.
“I’m fixing the porch,” he said. His voice was so quiet, lacking the usual rumble. I took a step back, running into someone behind me. Theo’s scent of parchment, smoke, and cedar filled my senses, and I relaxed a fraction. I wasn’t facing this alone.
“I’d like to know the same thing myself. This isn’t just you fixing a porch. You don’t do things like this, Easton,” he said. Theo’s voice was laced in hurt and Easton’s shoulders slumped.
Easton let out a sigh that seemed to hold the weight of the world. Despite my annoyance and frustration with this man, concern started to fill me.
I crouched down so I was level with him, my eyes studying his.
“How long have you been out here, Easton?”
“The day after you found this place.”
His words hit me square in the chest and I froze, letting that knowledge sink in. Even as he outwardly fought me, then shut me out, he was still here trying to pay penance for his actions.
“This is where you’ve been disappearing to?” Jordan asked, glancing around as if the building itself would hold answers. But the only person who could tell us what was going on here was Easton, and he seemed to be in an awkward, stunned state. We’d broken down all his defenses and forced him to face his demons.
Now I just needed to see if he’d come out the other side a changed alpha.
“We’ll give you some space,” Felix offered, but Jordan held up a hand before wrapping his fingers around Felix’s and pulling him close. Easton’s eyes widened at the contact, then he glanced at me as if waiting for my reaction. I gave them a soft smile before turning back to the redhead before me.
“It’s been almost a week. What have you been doing out here?”
