Chapter Twenty-two — Aiden
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
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AIDEN
The three Alphas in front of me stared at my outstretched hand like it was a snake. Which was a natural reaction to a stranger like me. I didn’t mean them any harm, especially now that they were my pack, but they didn’t know that. And Theo had just walked through my very intense security.
The Alpha in the middle stepped forward and took my outstretched hand. “Brooks. This is my twin Bastian, and Logan.”
I shook all their hands and took a step back. Instincts never ceased to amaze me. Standing in a room with four complete strangers had never felt more natural. But there was still uneasy tension.
“Since you already know who I am, I’ll get the big bits out of the way.
Yes, I am a hacker. No, I don’t always operate within the lines, but I try to operate ethically.
Theo told me what connected you. I was a rugby player for much of my life, and I believe most people in our lifestyle would call me a pleasure sadist.
“I moved to Clarity recently, so I’m not permanently settled. I’m here if you’ll have me.”
Logan looked at the men next to him. “It’s like we knew we’d need the extra rooms without knowing.”
The one named Bastian shook his head. “Instinct wins again.”
“You have extra room?”
“We do,” Logan said. “Want a tour?”
“Sure.” I glanced back to find the other three gathered and speaking quietly.
Logan led me into the kitchen, which bled into the living room with a large square archway, straddling the line of open concept.
It was a nice apartment. “Can you tell me about the security? I’m sure Theo will tell you what he found at my current office.
I won’t pretend I’ve lived a perfect life, and there are things I can’t tell you about my past. I’ll never bring danger to the door on purpose, but I also don’t play around with the people in my life. ”
“It’s a pretty standard security system,” Logan led me through the living room and down the hall to a gym that was better outfitted than some membership gyms. “Bastian is a fighter, and Brooks is his trainer. Theo and I aren’t fighters, but we can hold our own.
We’ve never been that concerned about it, but recent developments have us wanting more security anyway, so feel free to beef it up if you like. ”
The internal friction eased. “Thanks. And you speak as if it’s a done deal.”
“Isn’t it?”
I shrugged. “You guys are established. It would be understandable not to want another member.”
When I told Theo I wouldn’t be offended, that was true. It didn’t mean that the rejection wouldn’t sting a bit. But I knew how I was perceived. It wasn’t always positive.
“We aren’t in the habit of walking away from obvious connections,” Logan said. “It will be strange for a bit because it’s always strange when packs form. You should have seen all of us trying to figure our way around each other. Like a bunch of baby giraffes trying to stand for the first time.”
I laughed at the mental image.
“Honestly, it might be easier this time around.”
“I shall do my best not to embody an infant giraffe.”
He showed me through the rest of the two-story apartment. Though it was large enough that calling it an apartment was a bit misleading. The offices, their bedrooms, and the free room that would become mine. There was a door toward the other end of the hallway that Logan steered me away from.
Probably something to do with the circumstances Theo mentioned.
I was sure I’d learn soon enough.
“This place is great.”
“We like it. Maybe not where we’ll want to live forever. I, for one, would love a house closer to the beach. I’m a surfer.”
“Ah, the last sport I didn’t know.”
We arrived in the living room again. The others were scattered across the couches. Suddenly Brooks snorted a laugh. “Holy shit.”
Logan looked over. “What?”
“He’s a hacker.”
His brother raised an eyebrow, and Theo looked as confused as the rest of us. “And?”
“Our pack name is Breaker.”
A laugh burst out of me. “Really?”
“Really,” Theo said. “We thought with surfing and fighting, the term applied. These guys tease me about breaking records. It makes sense with you too, since hacking breaks into things, right?”
“Right.” I laughed. “That’s incredible. I know it’s a bit strange, but I’m glad to be here.”
“We’re glad too,” Theo said. “But there’s one more thing we need to tell you.”
“The circumstances you mentioned?”
He nodded. “This past Friday we were at a local kink and sex club named Element.”
“I’m in the middle of their vetting process now,” I said.
Brooks gave a thumbs-up. “We’ll have to let Amber know you’re with us.”
“Well,” Theo said, “While we were there—”
The front door opened, and I heard a feminine voice echo through the apartment. “I’m here. I promised I’d leave work early. But I haven’t heard from Theo. Did he survive the hacker?”
Her voice came closer as she spoke. Moments later, she stepped into the doorway to the kitchen. A beautiful blonde, hair pulled up off her neck, with pieces escaping that I immediately wanted to tame. Legs that went on for miles and a smile so sweet I wanted to taste it.
That smile turned to confusion when she saw me.
Her movement pushed a wave of her scent toward me. Sweet as sugar and richly floral. Something that reminded me of frosting and the pastries I looked at through bakery windows. If they bottled that fragrance, I would buy a vat of it simply to get inside.
I was across the room so fast it felt instant, pulling her to me and burying my face in her neck, closer to that scent.
“Mine.”