Chapter 50 #2
"That's actually really sweet of them," I said, and I meant it.
I hadn't even considered that anyone from my old life would notice my absence, let alone care enough to file a report.
"I should have handled it better. The resignation letter.
.." I let out a small, self-deprecating laugh, shaking my head at my own thoughtlessness.
"I know it wasn't professional, just sending it in like that.
When I finally bonded with my pack, everything happened so fast. I wasn't thinking about proper protocols or two weeks' notice. I just knew I needed to be with them."
"And where did you meet them?" Officer Daniels asked. His pen was poised over the notepad, ready to write. "Your pack, I mean."
I had a story prepared for this, had practiced it in my head a hundred times.
The best lies are the ones closest to the truth incase people asked.
"We actually grew up together," I said, letting genuine warmth creep into my voice.
"Our families were close. I've known Mason, Caleb, Leo, and Ethan since I was a kid.
" I shrugged, letting a soft smile cross my face.
"We reconnected recently, and... well…here we are. ."
The officer studied me for a long moment, his weathered face thoughtful, and I could see him weighing my words.
A six-year courtship was something he could verify, business records, meeting logs, perhaps even witness accounts from my old colleagues who might have noticed Mason Harper showing up more often than necessary.
"So the resignation letter," he said slowly, tucking his pen behind his ear. "That was you finally giving in?"
"That was me finally saying yes," I confirmed, meeting his eyes steadily.
"After years of them asking, I finally said yes.
Once I did, I didn't want to wait anymore.
Didn't want to go through the motions of a proper resignation, two weeks of awkward goodbyes while counting down the hours until I could start my real life.
" I gestured at the house behind me, the movers, the new beginning taking shape around us.
"I know it wasn't professional. I know I worried people.
After fighting it for so long, once I made the decision, I just.. . couldn't wait."
Officer Stevens was quiet for a moment, his weathered face thoughtful as he processed everything I'd told him. Then he tucked his pen into his breast pocket alongside the notepad.
"Ma'am," he said finally, his voice gentle in a way that told me he'd asked this question before, in other situations, to other women. "I still need to ask you directly. Are you here of your own free will? Is anyone coercing you, threatening you, keeping you here against your will?"
This was the moment. The moment where I could tell the truth, could say I was kidnapped, held against my will, forced into a bond I didn't choose.
That wasn't the truth. Not anymore. Maybe it had been once, but that woman was gone.
I held Officer Stevens' gaze steadily, letting him see the certainty in my eyes.
"Officer, I understand why you're asking.
I really do." I stepped closer, letting the collar of my dress shift to reveal my neck, the four claiming marks that stood out stark and permanent against my skin.
His eyes widened slightly as he took them in, his breath catching almost imperceptibly.
"But I have four Alphas who worship the ground I walk on.
I'm moving into a house that we chose together, that I helped pick out.
I've never been less coerced in my entire life. "
The marks changed something in his expression.
In this world, pack bonds weren't just emotional, they were visible, verifiable, legally recognized.
Four claiming marks meant four Alphas who had committed to me body and soul, who had literally bound their lives to mine.
It wasn't something that could be faked or forced. The biology didn't work that way.
"Four bonds," he said quietly, almost to himself, his eyes still fixed on the marks. "That's... unusual…not really done much these days."
"We're a more old school pack" I said with a smile, and this time it felt completely genuine. "But we work. I promise you, the only thing those men are guilty of is being overprotective. Maybe spoiling me absolutely rotten."
Officer Stevens let out a breath that might have been a laugh, the tension in his shoulders finally easing. "I can see that." As something in his posture relaxed. "I apologize for the intrusion, ma'am. Just doing my due diligence. When we get a report like this, we have to follow up."
"I appreciate it," I said honestly, meaning every word.
"It's nice to know that someone was looking out for me.
Even if I didn't need it." I paused, tilting my head as if a thought had just occurred to me.
"Would you like some water before you go?
It's the least I can offer for dragging you all the way out here on moving day.
I think we have a cooler somewhere with drinks. "
"No, no, I'll let you get back to it," he said, touching his hat brim again in that old-fashioned gesture. "Congratulations on the new place. And the pack." He shook his head with what looked like grudging respect.
"Thank You." I gave him a smile.
He was turning back toward his cruiser when movement at the corner of my vision made my heart stutter.
Mason and Caleb were coming around the side of the house, where they'd apparently been supervising the movers bringing in the workshop equipment through the back entrance.
They must have seen the cruiser, must have been watching from somewhere out of sight, waiting to see if I needed them.
They moved like predators, smooth, controlled, deceptively casual in a way that somehow made them look more dangerous, not less.
Mason was in all black as usual, his silver eyes fixed on the officer with an intensity that bordered on threatening, while Caleb's massive frame seemed to take up twice as much space as it should, his hands flexing at his sides like he was restraining himself from reaching for something.
A moment later, Leo and Ethan emerged from the front door, flanking me on the porch without quite crowding.
Leo had abandoned his poetry crate somewhere inside, and his expression had gone from softly affectionate to coldly aristocratic in the space of seconds.
Ethan's eyes were sharp behind his glasses, calculating, assessing the situation with that quick intelligence that never missed anything.
Four Alphas, all focused on the stranger near their Omega.
Officer Stevens stopped mid-stride, very carefully keeping his hands visible at his sides. Smart man. He could probably feel the protective tension radiating off them like heat from a furnace.
"It's fine," I said quickly, moving to stand between them and the officer.
Not because I was afraid of what my Alphas might do, but because I wanted to show him—show them—that I was capable of handling this myself.
"Officer Stevens was just leaving. Apparently some of my old coworkers filed a missing persons report. "
"A missing persons report," Mason repeated, his voice silk wrapped around steel, the kind of tone that made corporate rivals nervous and competitors reconsider their life choices.
His sculpted jaw tightened as he came to stand beside me, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off his body.
"How... thoughtful of them to be concerned. "
"They said she quit without notice," Officer Stevens explained, and to his credit, his voice only wavered slightly as he faced down four territorial Alphas.
"Just sent a letter and vanished. No word for eight months, then they spotted her in town a few weeks back with what I'm assuming was all of you.
They were worried she might be in trouble. "
"In trouble," Caleb growled, his deep voice rumbling like distant thunder. He moved to my other side, his massive hand settling possessively on the small of my back. "You think we'd let anything happen to her?"
I saw the officer's hand twitch toward his hip before he stopped himself.
"Caleb." I put a hand on his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart beneath my palm, the barely-contained protective fury vibrating through him.
"He was doing his job. That's all. Being thorough.
" I looked over my shoulder at the officer and gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile.
"I explained the situation. I left my job voluntarily when I joined the pack.
I should have done it properly, gone in, said goodbye, but I was caught up in.
.. well." I gestured at the four men surrounding me, their combined presence almost overwhelming. "You can probably imagine."
Officer Stevens' eyes moved from Alpha to Alpha, taking in their protective stances, the way they'd arranged themselves around me like a shield, the matching tension in their jaws. Then his gaze dropped to my neck again, to the four marks that proclaimed me claimed, bonded, kept.
"Yeah," he said finally, something between understanding and resignation in his voice as he took a step back, then another, putting distance between himself and the wall of Alpha protectiveness he'd inadvertently walked into.
"Yeah, I can imagine." He retreated another step.
"I'll close out the report, let your former coworkers know you're safe and sound. You folks have a good day."
"You too, Officer," I called as he retreated to his cruiser, his steps quick but controlled. "Thank you for checking in."
We watched in silence as he started the engine, executed a careful three-point turn in the driveway, and drove away. The crunch of gravel faded slowly, replaced by birdsong and the distant sounds of movers shuffling boxes inside.