Chapter 70
King
I pulled into a parking space near the Red Lantern and flopped back in my seat.
I’d spent all day in miserable meetings, missing my omega…
missing my pack. Why did this keep happening?
I was supposed to be on leave, but I kept being pulled into emergency meetings.
To be fair, I’d told everyone I would be back at work within a week.
Two months later, I was still in Starlight Grove.
And I never wanted to leave.
All the things I thought would annoy me about small-town life—the small talk, ridiculous festivals, and nosy neighbors—were somehow endearing.
I’d come to enjoy Marisol replacing things in my shopping cart because you’ll like this better (she was correct), talking with Ella as she made my morning latte about the newest episode of Rut Island that Leo had forced us all to watch, and the town’s children chanting “Fish King” anytime they saw me.
Starlight Grove felt like home.
The past few months had flipped my entire life upside down.
My parents would be horrified to see me neglecting work like this.
They’d spent the past few decades shutting themselves off from their humanity after my brother died, but that wasn’t how I wanted to live.
I wanted to build a life with my pack at the center.
I got out of the car and headed toward the restaurant. Leo waved from his spot on the bench outside. His rust-red suit was perfectly tailored to his broad frame, and the wind tousled his dark curls as he fidgeted with his cane—the one I’d gotten him. My alpha rumbled with satisfaction.
“Hey,” he said as I got closer. “How’s it going?”
I sat down beside him. The small bench made it so our legs were pressed together, and the heat of him against my skin sent a strange sensation through me.
“Long day of meetings,” I grumbled. “Lucy isn’t here yet?”
I’d offered to pick my pack up on the way back from my rented office space, but Wilder was on shift and couldn’t get away, Leo’s physical therapist had told him to incorporate light walking into his routine, and Lucy was on her way back from a networking event she’d attended with Summer in Briar’s Landing.
My alpha had been desperate to go after her all afternoon, but I didn’t want to be too overbearing, so I’d settled on texting her hourly and tracking her through the app I’d installed on her phone.
It was hard to imagine a safer area than Starlight Grove and the surrounding towns, but apparently my protectiveness had no limits.
“She texted me not too long ago. The networking meeting went long so she’s running late.”
The night was quiet, so different from the honking cars and sirens I was used to. Silence stretched between us, but Leo’s presence was soothing. His light cardamom scent settled the tension I’d been carrying all day.
“Have you eaten here before?” he asked.
I shook my head. “I don’t eat out much.”
Leo groaned, and my eyebrows shot up.
“I’ve suspected this for a while now,” he said.
“Suspected what?”
“That you’re one of those healthy gym-bro alphas who meal-preps chicken and spinach to eat every day.”
Actually, it was arugula this week, but I wasn’t about to admit that.
“Nothing wrong with eating healthy,” I muttered.
Leo grinned, the expression transforming his face into something breathtaking. “You ordered a salad at the diner the other day. A salad.” He said the word with the same inflection someone would use to describe drugs or cannibalism. “I’m going to have so much fun corrupting you.”
His tone made my cheeks heat, and I looked away, disoriented. My phone vibrated and I fumbled as I pulled it out of my pocket, grateful for the distraction. Leo looked at his phone, too, because Lucy had texted the group chat—the one she’d named Blossom’s Daddies.
Lucy
Hey so sorry! We are stuck in traffic and are going to be late. You two go ahead and eat!
Leo
We don’t mind waiting for you
Lucy
No seriously please go ahead! I’ll feel so bad if you don’t
Leo met my gaze and shrugged. “What do you think?”
What I thought was that I was fucking starving, but I wasn’t about to admit that my grilled chicken and arugula lunch hadn’t quite hit the spot today.
When I didn’t respond, he patted my thigh. “Let’s eat. We’ll order something for her.”
He leaned on his cane and slowly pushed to standing, perfectly positioning his ass right at eye level. My crotch tightened as I followed him inside.
I had never had such a strong reaction to another man.
The other day, Lucy had made pointed comments suggesting she knew about my attraction to Leo.
She hadn’t seemed upset…but that didn’t mean she would be okay with Leo and me getting together.
Forming a pack was hard as it was. Wouldn’t this just complicate it?
Besides, I didn’t even know if I wanted him like that.
My cock fucking twitched. Well, maybe I did know.
I was so preoccupied with my tangle of confused emotions, I barely realized that the hostess had already seated us in a booth.
“You doing okay?” Leo asked.
“Yeah, sorry. Just a long day.”
Our server came over with menus and waters. I recognized him from Summer’s bakery grand opening.
“Hey, Alvin,” Leo said, reaching out to grasp his hand. “You’re a busy man. Still saving up for a car?”
The teenager grinned. “Yeah. I’m getting close. Hopefully, I’ll have enough by my birthday.”
“Hell, yeah.”
The few times I’d seen Alvin at the bakery or around town, he seemed pretty reserved and introverted, but Leo effortlessly brought him out of the shell.
He’d only lived in town for a few months, but the way he talked to people, it was like he’d been here his whole life.
I’d learned to wear a serious, professional mask in all social settings, but maybe I wouldn’t have to with Leo around.
He and Lucy were the definition of social butterflies, dragging a reserved Wilder and me through life with them.
We put in our orders, letting Alvin know we would put in a to-go order for Lucy if she didn’t arrive in time to eat with us.
“How was your day?” I stretched out my legs under the table, accidentally brushing against Leo. He didn’t move his leg and neither did I.
“It was good. I had PT this morning and headed over to my parents’ house to harvest some flowers from my grandma’s greenhouse.”
“How’s PT going?”
Leo’s eyes were fixed on his water glass. “It’s fine.”
Should I press him? Make him talk about it? I was no stranger to avoiding the shit I didn’t want to deal with, which meant I knew what an unhealthy coping mechanism it was.
“You go several times a week, right?” I risked asking.
“I have been. But Cassie said I can start coming in just once a week.”
“That’s good, isn’t it?”
His jaw clenched, and I had the urge to pull him into my arms.
“It means she doesn’t think I’ll see much more significant improvement. At this point, it’s just about maintenance and preventing further damage.”
Immediately, my mind started whirring with ways to problem-solve. “Have you gotten a second opinion? What about a different specialist?”
It wasn’t like Starlight Grove was some hub for medical care. Maybe there were experimental treatments or trials I could get him into in New York or Boston. I didn’t give a fuck if he used a cane, but I hated that he was in pain—both mental and physical.
Leo’s face shuttered and I caught a slightly burnt edge to his scent that put me on edge. “I’ve already gotten a second opinion.”
“I’m sure you have. It’s just I have some connections that could be helpful—”
“It’s fine. I’m fine.”
Shit. I took a deep breath, doing my best to push down my alpha’s need to take control. I’d come on too strong.
This time, the silence that descended on us was stilted and awkward.
If I couldn’t fix his leg right now, I at least needed to fix this between us. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
His shoulders loosened. “No, I’m sorry for being defensive. I fought my prognosis for a long time, and I’m doing better at accepting things, but it’s still hard.”
Before I could second-guess, my hand surrounded his. His skin was warm and rough as he entwined our fingers.
“Actually, I have my first appointment with pain management coming up and I was wondering if you’d come with me. If you’re not busy—”
“Yes,” I said, cutting him off. “I’ll be there.”
His smile was radiant, and I noticed the tiniest dimple on his right cheek.
“Thanks,” he said softly.
I nodded, feeling dazed. It was hard to keep my train of thought when I looked at Leo.
“How are the greenhouse flowers looking?” I finally asked.
“Really good. I think in the next year or two, I’ll be able to supply the majority of the flowers I need at my shop. I’ll have to give you a greenhouse tour when we go to family dinner.”
“I’d love that.” I had very briefly met Bibi when we’d picked up goat’s milk for Blossom.
She’d given me a thorough once-over, said something to Leo in Farsi that made him blush, and told me she looked forward to getting to know me.
I hadn’t realized what she’d meant at the time, but now I thought she’d known we were going to be a pack before we did.
I kept hold of Leo’s hand until Alvin brought out our food.
Our conversation flowed easily as we ate, but I was on edge with the anxious excitement coursing through my body. Was I just imagining the way he pressed his leg against mine? The way his scent deepened? Glances that could only be described as heated?
By the time Alvin dropped off a plate of fortune cookies, I was a flustered, aroused mess.
“Should we see what’s in our future?” Leo asked.
We each grabbed one and cracked them open. I squinted at the small slip of paper. Fuck, I really needed to start bringing readers with me. I was getting old. Finally, I managed to decipher the fortune.
The man across from you is hot. You should kiss him.
I almost choked. What the fuck?