Chapter 2
Chapter two
Naomi
My suitcase catches on every crack in the sidewalk.
Main Street opens up in front of me and… wow.
The buildings are all heritage architecture with red brick. Every door has an evergreen wreath tied with crimson velvet, and white lights swoop from lamppost to lamppost in neat little arcs.
A couple, an alpha and an omega, walks past holding hands, their knit hats matching right down to the pom-poms.
They smile at me, I smile back, and they glance away a beat too fast.
Heat creeps up my face.
Did I just smile like the Grinch who's come to steal Christmas..?
I let out a breath. Two minutes in town and I already stand out…
I quicken my pace and spot my hotel at the corner of Main and Third. A sign swings gently above the door: “The Grand Hotel - Est. 1887” in gold leaf that catches the light.
A brass bell chimes when I push through the door, and warmth hits me in a wave.
The lobby smells like December. Pine from the massive Christmas tree taking up half the sitting area, cinnamon from something baking somewhere, wood smoke from a fire crackling in the chimney, and vanilla from beeswax candles lined up on the mantle.
"Ms. Quinn!" A beta woman appears from behind the desk, silver hair in a neat bun, smile lines carved deep. "Right on time. I'm Dorothy."
"Please call me Naomi," I say, unwinding my scarf from around my neck.
"Alright then, Naomi. Let me check you in." She turns to an old desktop computer, pecking at the keyboard with two fingers, then hands over a key with a brass pinecone tag. "You'll be staying in room 302. Best view in the house."
“Thank you,” I smile, hoping it looks natural this time.
“You’re welcome, dear.” Dorothy’s grin widens. “Oh, and Mia left you a message. Meet her at three o’clock by the hot cocoa stand in Festival Square.” Dorothy taps the little bell on the desk like a punctuation mark. “End of Main Street. You can’t miss it.”
I check my watch. Thirty minutes.
“Don't worry, you have plenty of time to drop your things, freshen up, and stroll over,” she adds, eyes twinkling. “And as you do, don't be surprised… we take our wreath game seriously around here.”
I can attest to that.
"Alrighty. If you need anything else, just ask. Extra blankets, restaurant recommendations…" She lowers her voice conspiratorially. "Bail money. We're full service."
A startled laugh escapes me. She's funny.
"Thank you, but I'll do my best to keep things boring."
* * *
Room 302’s door sticks for a second, then gives with a soft thunk.
A four-poster bed dominates the space, covered in a quilt someone definitely stitched by hand.
I step closer to the window, my breath fogging a small circle on the cold glass.
I can see the whole Main Street. The festival square is packed with people moving between vendor stalls, and a massive Christmas tree anchors the center of it all.
And in the distance, a huge lake stretches wide, bordered by mountains covered with pines.
I press my palm to the cold window glass, the temperature difference making my skin tingle. There's something perfect about being warm inside, looking out at all that frozen beauty.
My phone buzzes against my palm, snapping the moment.
Three new emails flash across the lock screen, all of them marked urgent.
Henderson Acquisition – Draft 3 Review Needed.
Portland Trademark – Discovery Deadlines & Opposing Counsel Updates.
Franchise Partners – Agenda for Tuesday Video Call.
Right. Work.
Another buzz.
Mia: Can’t wait to see you! Elena is dying to meet you properly. Fair warning: festival prep = CHAOS. Got you a festival season pass and a VIP ticket for the hockey game btw :)
A season pass. Sweet gesture, though if everything goes according to plan, I'll have this wrapped up and be back in New York before I get the chance to use it.
I've got work to do after all, stakeholders to meet, contracts to close, the usual.
* * *
The festival square opens up at the end of Main Street, and I stop walking.
The Christmas tree has to be at least twenty-five feet tall. It's even more impressive up close. Volunteers on ladders string lights around it, and a sign painter touches up golden letters on a banner: 73rd Annual Lakeview Winter Festival.
Everything is so beautiful.
I turn my head and notice the hot cocoa stand, painted green and red, steam curling from artisanal pots.
"Naomi!"
Mia practically bounces toward me in a bright red coat, her dark curls escaping from beneath a knitted cap, and pulls me into a hug. Then she leans back, and her beautiful violet eyes go wide.
"Wait, no glasses? Since when?"
"LASIK," I say, blinking for emphasis. "Two weeks ago. Best decision ever."
"You look amazing." She shakes her head, grinning. "And how was the flight? The hotel? Dorothy didn't overwhelm you?"
"Everything's perfect. The view from my room is incredible," I say with a smile. "How about you? How are your alphas?"
"Well, they send their love," she says. "They're stuck dealing with some emergency at the resort in Hawaii, bigger than they expected. They're trying to wrap it up as fast as they can."
"Will they make it back in time for the festival?"
"Honestly?" She sighs. "I'm not sure about the hockey game. But I'm counting on them to be here for the Angel Ceremony."
"The Angel Ceremony?"
"It's this whole thing. The town gathers, they light an angel tree topper, there's music, everyone has a good time... Very Hallmark movie." Her voice softens. "It's been my favorite part of the festival since I was a kid."
"Sounds awesome, I'm sure they'll make it."
"They'd better." She shakes off the worry and links her arm through mine, her smile brightening again. "But enough about that. Before I give you one last briefing on the mission, you have to try something."
She steers me toward a booth where pastries are laid out like jewelry. A teenager with flour in her hair guards the display.
"This is from my friend Elena's bakery," Mia says, proud. "She'd usually be here charming everyone into buying a dozen, but the shop's slammed, so she sent her apprentice and half her inventory."
"Elena…" I turn the name over. "Wait—Dorian's Elena? His omega?"
"Yes!" Mia lights up. "I keep forgetting you two know each other through work."
"Yeah, and I always had a blast handling cases for his company, Beaumont Patisserie." I pick up a pastry, remembering. "He mentioned Elena on practically every call. She must be remarkable."
"She really is. They both are." Mia's voice softens. "It's funny how things connect. Elena meets Dorian, Dorian gives me your info… and suddenly I've got a lawyer who helps me turn my one little hair salon into the Curl Up & Dye franchise empire."
"And I discover the joy of flying to small towns to wrangle difficult situations." I grin, taking a bite of the pastry.
Oh my god.
"Right?" Mia grins as she takes in my reaction. "Elena's won awards. Food & Wine did a whole feature. I'll arrange a proper introduction after you sort out our hockey problem. Which shouldn't take long. You're you, after all."
"Shounds great," I mumble around another bite. I swallow, clear my throat. "And speaking of the mission, is there anything I should know about our three prima donnas that wasn't in the files?"
Mia's expression shifts, something flickering behind her eyes. "Actually, yeah. There is."
"I'm all ears."
"So, we all went to the same high school," she says, leaning against the booth.
"Back then they were pretty chill… for jocks.
Then they left Lakeview twelve years ago to play professionally.
Made it big. Real big. Highlight reels, endorsements, the whole deal.
" She pauses. "Then, about two years ago, they suddenly asked to transfer to our tiny local team. "
"They asked to transfer?" I arch a brow. "From a major league team to… Lakeview's? No offense."
"None taken, and yes." She shakes her head, still baffled. "These guys played for teams with twenty-thousand-seat arenas. No one has any idea why they came back here. They keep to themselves mostly. Bought a massive chalet up in the mountains with a private rink and everything."
"Private rink?" I repeat.
"Yep. They're probably there right now, actually." She checks her watch. "I texted them you'd come by today. They're expecting you around four."
"They couldn't even come into town?"
"They don't really… do that. Not since they came back." She sighs. "They barely leave except for official games. They live about twenty-five minutes up the mountain. The road's plowed, but take my SUV. It has four-wheel drive."
She's already digging in her bag. Keys land in my palm before I can protest.
"Mia, I can't just take your car. I already have a rental and—"
"Come on." She waves me off. "After dragging you here on short notice, it's the least I can do. Your rental is what, a city hatchback? It'll cry halfway up the first hill. Trust me."
She's probably right about that. I curl my fingers around the keys. "Fair enough. Anything else about them I should know before I drive into the wilderness?"
"Don't let them charm you." Her voice goes flat, serious. "They're gorgeous, they're alphas, and they know exactly what effect they have on people. Especially omegas."
"Well, I'm a professional." I pull a small pill case from my bag and flip it open, showing her the blue tablets. "And I came prepared."
Mia's eyes widen. "Are those… DuoBlocks? I haven't seen those since the last baking festival. Did you know Elena took them for years?"
"What?" I stare at her. "But those aren't meant for long-term use. I take them only in specific situations where multiple alphas are involved."
"Yeah, well, probably good you treat them like occasional tactical gear," Mia says. "Suppressants are already rough on your system. I can't imagine what a drug that also acts as a scent blocker does."
"I can only guess…" I slip the case back into my bag. "Anyway, how do I actually get there? Can you text me the address so I can plug it into Maps?"
"I can text it, but it won't show up," Mia says, grimacing. "Their place isn't listed."
"Okay, well… maybe there's a gas station nearby? A convenience store I can pin?"
"Nope." She laughs. "Once you leave town, it's trees, snow, more trees, more snow. This is Lakeview, not Manhattan. But it's simple: just follow Canyon Road until you hit their gate. You can't miss it. It looks like someone airlifted an Aspen luxury lodge onto the mountain."
I pocket the keys with a sigh. No GPS. This just gets better and better...
"Don't worry, okay?" Mia catches my expression and squeezes my arm. "There's only one road, so you can't get lost. You're going to drive up there and have them eating humble pie by dinnertime."
Damn right I will.
"I should probably head out now if I want to make it on time, though," I smile slightly. "Walk me to your car?"
"With pleasure." Mia grins, looping her arm through mine again. "Those three have no idea what's about to hit them."