Chapter 23
LUCY
“No, God, not yet,” I mumble to myself, wrapping my arms around my middle as I watch the white van rolling toward the lodge. And in a heartbeat, I spin and run to the rear of the building, needing to speak with my Alphas.
The cool air crashes over me, while my mind is whirling with Grandma’s words that the men aren’t dying, that they’re just being relocated.
Fantastic, except being so far away from them will be torture, especially seeing as we’re scent matches.
On top of that, I don’t feel safe being here alone after the last few incidents, and I hate that I’m being chased out of my home.
I turn the corner and find that the fallen pine has been mostly all chopped up and dragged over near the woods. Yet, there’s still so much more work to be done, with sawdust everywhere.
Across from the lodge and toward the woods, I spot the three of them coming this way. I choke on my breath, fresh tears falling down my face because I want to freeze time so they always remain by my side.
Roman’s waving as if I can really miss these huge Alphas—tall, muscular, and sexy as hell.
Watching them nearly knocks my knees out from under me, how they swagger in their walk, and I rush forward, my gaze following every inch of their bodies, trying to memorize them because their absence is about to destroy me.
“Lucy,” Grayson says, close enough to see my tears. Roman and Wolf stride alongside him just as quickly, both frowning, and I open my mouth to tell them the horrific news. Instead, whatever calm I’ve been holding on to shatters and I end up bursting into tears.
I cup my face, sobbing, trying to get it out of my system so I can find my words.
The three of them surround me instantly, embracing me, whispering in my ear, asking me what’s wrong, but I’m just melting between them because on the inside I’m dying.
“Hey, gorgeous,” Roman says, dragging me against his chest, where I cling to him, swallowed by his scent, holding on to his shirt like a lifeline. I don’t know when I grew so attached to these Alphas, but the thought of them leaving is devastating me.
“Just breathe,” Grayson suggests, stroking my hair.
Wolf’s hand slides across my lower back. “Did someone hurt you, songbird?”
I shake my head and pull back, wiping at my eyes, knowing I don’t have time to fall apart. Dragging a shaky breath all the way down to my lungs, I lift my chin toward the three of them. “God, I’m so sorry. This is happening so fast, and I tried to stop it, but I couldn’t.”
Roman’s got his fingers under my chin, lifting it up so I can face him. “Gorgeous, you’re not making sense. Slow down and start from the beginning.”
Blinking fast, I catch my breath and detail everything, from Mr. Colby’s call to the issue of Ethan not being here, to how I wasn’t enough of a supervisor for them, and finally to them being relocated today. I glance at each of the Alphas, my chin trembling as their faces lose color at the news.
“And the parole transport van has just arrived,” I whisper, barely able to get the shaky words out. “They’re here to collect you.” Just saying that breaks me, and tears roll down my face again.
“Fuck, fuck!” Grayson grunts, running a hand through his hair a couple of times. Wolf’s shaking his head, while Roman’s eyes are huge, lips pinched tight.
“Someone reported our situation to the parole team,” Wolf says with a lethal tone. “Must have pretended it was your grandmother.”
“Doesn’t change the fact that they’re taking you from me,” I murmur, feeling the ache deep in my chest as if my heart is trying to rip itself in half.
“We don’t want to go either,” Roman states, his brows pulled together. “Not for a fucking second do I want to leave your side.”
“Maybe we can fight this and—”
Wolf’s hand slides against mine, and it silences me.
“My songbird, your love for us is ruining me, and I’ll never recover from seeing you heartbroken.
But we can’t win this fight swinging, or we’ll stop being partially free men.
Going back to lockup means we get no chance of spending time with you.
Wherever we’re going, we can make something work.
You can visit. Whatever it takes, okay?”
His words should ease the ache, but I hate them and all the reasons that tell me I should accept this without a fight. “I-I don’t know if I can do this,” I choke out.
“You can and you will,” Roman adds, taking my other hand into his and then kissing my knuckles. “We’re doing this together. And until your grandmother returns home, maybe consider taking up the mayor’s offer to stay in the town motel. At least there you’re not alone, unlike out here.”
I shake my head, loathing everything about this. “No, I don’t really trust the mayor’s motives, and I promised my grandma that I’d look after her lodge.”
Grayson runs the back of his fingers across my cheek. “Little bird, I’m convinced your grandmother is going to agree with us on this point.”
Fear curls under my rib cage because whether I stay here or at the motel, I’m alone without my Alphas, and someone’s still trying to sabotage my life.
“Excuse me,” a loud male’s voice calls out, and we all turn toward the lodge.
A man steps forward, dressed in a black guard’s uniform.
He’s middle-aged, with short blond hair, and wearing a laminated ID on his chest. “Afternoon, I’m Officer Hall from the Department of Corrections, here for your transport to a new halfway house.
” He’s feet from us now and points to his ID.
“I have Wolf Bailey, Grayson Maddox, and Roman Alvec to pick up, and I’m assuming you three are coming with me, then? ”
“Yes, sir, that’s us,” Grayson answers for them, shoulders back.
“Excellent. It’s a long drive, so we should get moving, as I’d like to reach our destination before dark.” The man just stares at us, and I’m pressed up against Wolf, who has an arm across the front of my shoulders.
“We’ll need to collect our belongings from our cabin first,” Roman adds, his voice flat, broken, and my stomach hurts so much.
“Of course,” the guard states. “I’ll walk with you.”
And then they’re moving away, Wolf giving me a strong grin, but it’s forced, and I’m left behind. Grayson and Roman hold my gaze for a long moment as if telling me it’s all going to be all right, except it’s not. Yet, I make myself smile anyway, even if I’m broken glass on the inside.
My throat tightens as they vanish down the path and into the woods toward their cabin.
I don’t know how long I end up standing around the sawdust, but I push myself to move and start dragging myself to the front of the lodge. There, I pace back and forth by the door, and dread spirals in my gut.
For the past five years, I suffered after losing Jerry, and here I am again, feeling as though my life is on repeat. Part of me wants to scream, and the other part is tempted to slash the van’s tires so they can’t leave.
Finally, the scuff of boots on gravel sounds behind me, and I twist around as the guard and my three Alphas emerge. Each of them carries an overstuffed duffel bag.
I’m running toward them before I can stop myself. They drop their bags and fold around me. I sob against them, not caring that the guard sees how much these Alphas mean to me.
“I just don’t know if I can do this,” I murmur between cries. “Please don’t leave me.”
Their embrace tightens. “You’re the toughest person I know, and we’re going to survive this,” Grayson whispers.
“As soon as we arrive, we’ll find a way to contact you,” Wolf murmurs, kissing me.
“We’ll be seeing each other in no time,” Roman insists, but the darkness in his voice says something else. “We’ll find a way for you to visit because I can’t be away from you. But for now, please go to town. Don’t stay here alone. Promise us that.”
I hiccup a breath, holding on to them, unsure how I’m supposed to release them or make such promises, when I want the world to crack open and swallow me.
“Okay, we need to get moving,” the guard orders and proceeds to pull open the side door to the van, revealing two rows of seats. “We’ve got to leave, as we’re already behind schedule.”
My throat burns, tears blurring my vision as they each kiss me. In seconds, they pull away slowly as if it pains them. I’m left standing alone, trying not to fall apart. I smile again so they think I’ll be okay, even if I’m not.
They all climb into the van, and the door gets shut. Through the windows, they’re watching me, their expressions startled, pale, as they’re also dealing with this sudden change of location. I lift a hand and wave, still pushing my lips into a grin even though my insides ache.
The guard approaches me, expressionless, and hands me several pieces of paper. “Confirmation of collection.” Then he marches back to the van and climbs inside. In no time, they’re driving away, and part of my soul is being ripped from me, leaving with them.
My heartbeat is banging in my ears. I stand locked on the spot long after they’re gone and the woods have swallowed them. How did this happen?
I force my legs to finally move, to carry me inside the lodge, feeling completely gutted. The place has never felt this lonely or empty before. I lock the front door and stride into the kitchen, making sure the deadbolt is in place too, then I push myself upstairs.
Before I know it, I’m in the guest wing, standing in the doorway of the room used by Grayson.
I step inside because it still smells like him, and it undoes me all over again.
I reach for a pillow and press it to my face, inhaling him, closing my eyes, and for those few seconds, he’s right next to me.
But with it comes a new feeling, something sharp and hungry from deep in my belly. A touch of arousal travels through me, settling right between my thighs. And slick gushes out of me.
I stumble on my feet, dropping the pillow. “No, don’t you fucking dare happen now!” But as if on cue, my heat throbs through me harder this time, and I’m close to collapsing on the bed. I moan loudly, hating my life.
So I do the only thing I can. I rush to collect the bedsheets and clothes Grayson left behind in the room, then repeat it in Roman’s room.
I sprint back to my room, where Wolf’s scent floods me from my bed.
I dump everything on the mattress, then pull it all together, my mind occupied with making it a perfect little elevated spot for myself.
In seconds, I’m crawling into the middle of the nest of clothes and bedsheets, dragging my pillow under my head, and burying myself in the middle of the heap, surrounded by their scents.
Desire laps at my edges, flirting stronger than it has in the last few days, which seriously worries me.
Of all the days, my body chooses today to go into pre-heat, and right on its tail will be the full-blown savage heat.
Thanks, universe. You’re just being cruel now.
I hug another pillow to my chest, trying to steady my racing breaths, as the pain spirals out of control. That, paired with the longing in my chest for my Alphas, and I’m a total mess, all while attempting to convince myself that I haven’t lost my Alphas.