28. Amel
Amel
Koa’s pressed up against me when I wake up. She’s still curled up in my arms, her breathing slow and even, her body tucked into mine like she belongs here. And maybe she does. No—scratch that— definitely she does. There’s no question in my mind anymore.
What does piss me off, though, is the quiet murmuring from either side of the bed. I blink the sleep from my eyes and lift my head, only to see Moses and Hunter sitting up against the headboard, their voices low as they whisper about work. Hunter’s got his damn glasses on, the blue light from his phone reflecting off the lenses, and Moses has a tablet in his lap, his brows furrowed in concentration.
They’re supposed to be sleeping. Resting. Not ruining the peace we’ve got going on in here. I glare at them, my jaw tightening. “Do either of you assholes realize how loud you are?” I hiss, careful not to wake Koa.
Hunter glances up from his phone, an unapologetic grin tugging at his lips. “Morning, sunshine,” he says, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Don’t look so thrilled to see us.”
Moses doesn’t even look up, his fingers tapping against the screen of his tablet. “Someone’s grumpy,” he mutters under his breath.
I roll my eyes, trying not to growl as I shift, my arms tightening protectively around Koa. “What the hell are you even doing? You’re supposed to be sleeping, not running the company from bed.”
Hunter shrugs, sliding his phone into his lap. “Neither one of us wanted to leave,” he says, his tone unusually soft. His eyes flicker down to Koa, his grin fading into something more serious. “We can smell it, Amel. Her scent’s changed.”
That stops me cold, my irritation melting away as his words sink in. “Her heat?” I ask, my voice low.
Moses nods, his expression grim. “It’s going to hit today,” he says quietly, his eyes finally lifting from his tablet to meet mine. “We’re sure of it.”
I glance down at Koa, at the way she’s clinging to me even in sleep, her body unconsciously seeking out comfort. Her scent is sweeter than it was last night, richer and more intense, and now that they’ve pointed it out, I can feel it too. Her heat’s close. Too close.
Hunter sighs, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “We’ve still got a few loose ends at work,” he mutters, more to himself than to me. “But we’re not leaving her. Not today.”
“Damn right, you’re not,” I snap, my tone sharper than I intended. But they don’t argue. They know as well as I do that there’s no way we’re leaving her alone—not when her body’s about to turn against her, and definitely not when she’s still learning to trust us.
I sit up a little, careful not to jostle her, and my gaze flicks to the brothers on either side of the bed. “We’re going to need to talk about official claims. Without one, Damien might find a way to rip her from us.”
The growls that rip from their throats vibrate through the bed. I narrow my eyes at them, jerking my chin toward Koa as she stirs slightly in her sleep. The brothers immediately stop, their growls cutting off as they glance at her and then back at me, sheepish grins spreading across their faces.
“Sorry,” Hunter mutters, his voice barely audible. He shifts in his spot, setting his phone down on the nightstand. “It’s just... the thought of him even trying—”
“I know,” I interrupt, my tone sharper than I intended. “Believe me, I know. But we need to think with our heads, not our instincts. He’s not going to play fair. We can’t afford to make mistakes.”
Moses sets his tablet down with a quiet sigh, rubbing a hand over his face. “You’re right,” he admits reluctantly. “But it’s not just Damien we need to worry about.”
Hunter nods, picking up where Moses left off. “The company paying Paula—Teplone Industries—they’ve been siphoning our clients. All those canceled contracts, the clients who decided not to go with us? That was because of them.”
I stiffen at his words, a sharp edge of anger slicing through my chest. “How long has this been going on?”
Hunter shrugs, his expression grim. “Too long. But I’ve got my feelers out, people we can trust who’ll dig into it while we’re… out of commission.”
I let out a low chuckle, shaking my head. “Out of commission, huh? You think we’ve got that long?”
Hunter frowns, confused. “What do you mean?”
I gesture toward Koa, her scent already thicker in the air, sweeter than it was even an hour ago. “I’ll be surprised if we make it to breakfast before she goes into heat.”
That gets their attention. Both of them straighten, their gazes darting to Koa as if they can already feel the shift happening. Moses’ jaw tightens and Hunter lets out a quiet curse under his breath.
“She’s not ready,” Moses says softly, his voice laced with concern. “She’s still figuring all this out.”
“None of us are ready,” I admit, my hand brushing gently over Koa’s arm. “But we don’t have a choice. When it hits, we’re going to have to be there for her, no matter what.”
Hunter nods, his expression hardening with determination. “We will be,” he says firmly. “Whatever she needs, we’ll give it to her.”
“Damn right we will,” Moses adds.