Chapter 5
Chapter
Five
Lana
“Is that everything?” Conrad asked as he put down the last box on the pile by the curb. It was stacked high enough that I had to look up to take it all in.
Clothes. Pictures. Bedding. Nesting supplies. Almost everything I owned was here and already doused in de-scenting spray. Mom had stepped up and had her assistant send messages to all of the charities in the area to pick it up, then scheduled trash pickup to take the rest away in a week.
The only thing I had with me now were my documents, the clothes on my body, and a few small things I couldn’t part with. Mainly my books, and that wasn’t changing. I had them long before my pack.
The front doors were locked already, and I was officially leaving this godforsaken mansion behind.
“Yes,” I finally answered, giving him a smile that was subdued but not fake. “Thanks, Con.”
“I’ve got you,” was all he said as he guided me to his waiting truck. He was just as eager as I was to get the fuck out of here.
There were no tears threatening to fall now. In fact, I felt perfectly numb and indifferent as I turned away and buckled my seatbelt.
I hated how even the simplest things like buckling were hard. My muscles were still weak, and that bone-deep exhaustion lingered, even though Conrad did all the work. He refused to let me do any lifting or carrying.
“You may as well rest up, it’s a three hour drive,” he said as he reversed down the driveway. I rested my head against the headrest and stared out the window.
This city had never truly felt like home. It was too big, and I wasn’t cut out for it. I moved for them, because I loved them and was always supportive of their careers.
I wish they would have returned the sentiment.
My eyes drifted closed and didn’t open again until someone was shaking me awake. I startled, eyes flying open, a gasp rushing out of me.
“It’s just me,” Conrad said as I tried and failed to calm my racing heart. “We’re here.”
I ran a hand over my face and glanced out the window at my new home. Instead of a backdrop of skyscrapers and the sound of traffic, I could see Lake Michigan in the distance and hear the sound of the breeze rustling the few leaves that remained on the frozen trees surrounding us.
The house itself was perfect. Big enough to fit the starting lineup of the team. There were two stories, and a balcony overlooking the park next door. The front door was painted midnight blue, matching the shutters that stood out against the white siding.
I was already in love with the wraparound porch. It had an overhang, so the rain wouldn’t stop me from going out here for my morning coffee. There was something about enjoying a warm cup while the world started to wake up slowly around you.
“Not exactly the grandeur that your ex-pack flaunted,” Conrad noted as he climbed out and shut his door behind him. He was at mine before I could move, opening it and holding out a hand.
“I think it’s nice,” I defended the house. “It feels like a real home.”
“It’s chaos,” he countered with a crooked grin. “Now quit procrastinating. They’re probably waiting for us.”
When my hand found his, he helped me down, then reached in the back for my duffel. The two boxes of books could wait a bit longer.
The front door opened before we could reach it, and there were two men waiting.
One seemed to be an alpha, broad and muscled like most hockey players, with the saddest eyes I think I’d ever seen, despite his welcoming smile.
He had dark, shaggy hair that he shoved out of his eyes, the green orbs studying me a bit too intently.
The second was… a delta? Despite having a delta in my pack, they weren’t exactly prominent in the hockey world. I really should have done my research. Schooling my features, I offered him a smile.
He was pretty. Blond, wavy hair slung to the side, showing the undercut off. His eyes were a rich brown, and his skin was pristine. Between that and his sharp features, he was model-worthy.
If he didn’t have piercings in his eyebrow, septum, and lip, at least. For me, that only made him even more attractive.
Not that I should be noticing right now.
“Welcome to our humble abode,” the blond called out as he swept a hand toward the door.
“That’s Mason, the worst fucking flirt you’ll ever meet. The dark-haired alpha is Kieran,” Conrad introduced them. There was affection in his voice and a hint of humor. Bringing me here meant he trusted them. The way they interacted said they were family.
“Hi,” I said lamely, making Mason smile wider yet. “Lana.”
My cheeks burned as I tacked my name on the end.
“Quit being weird, you’re going to freak her out,” Conrad said, punching Mason in the arm and pulling me into the house with him.
He was a confirmed delta the moment the electric shock of his scent hit me.
It was hard to decipher the distinct notes of the scents and who they belonged to.
There was something tart like green apple, sweet like pear, the spicy scent of cloves, the warmth of brandy, and a cooling trickle of clean water.
I shouldn’t be noticing this. After bonding, it was as if all scents around me were muted.
Even now, the hints I was getting weren’t as strong as I knew they should be.
This was just another sign that my bond was fading to nonexistence. I had a feeling the longer they took to notice my absence, the more it would fade.
Then I’d be free.
“We did our best to get your room ready for you, Lana,” Kieran said, snapping me out of my spiral. For an alpha, his voice was so gentle and soothing.
“Thank you. I’m sorry to be so much trouble,” I started, but his eyes narrowed and Mason scoffed.
“Your existence is hardly trouble. You deserve to be safe,” he said with finality. “I also heard that we are under strict orders not to kick their asses.”
I winced. Of course Conrad told him. It made sense for him to give them a rundown of why I was here, but I hated that all of my secrets were exposed. They knew exactly how pathetic and alone I’d been.
“Don’t worry, they’re not judging,” Conrad whispered to me, his voice just low enough that the others couldn’t hear.
Voices drifted out from deeper in the house. The smell of something sweet baking had my mouth watering already.
“Apparently, Wilder has the oven going. Let’s go see what he cooked you up. I said they needed to put some meat on your bones,” Conrad teased. “Maybe our resident beta took that as a challenge. Word of warning, though. He’s shy.”
I didn’t have it in me to offer him anything more than an eye roll. “That hardly requires a warning.”
The kitchen was full of life when we walked in.
The walls were painted a soft yellow, lemon-colored towels hanging from the stove, and there was a burly beta in an apron that matched his surroundings.
His shoulder-length hair was layered and styled in messy waves that made it look like he spent his morning on the beach.
He had it tucked behind his ears as he slid oven mitts on and pulled open the oven, reaching to grab out a tray of cookies.
They were huge, the kind you’d find in a bakery, and my stomach rumbled.
A smile drifted across his face before he even saw us. He just seemed happy to be in his element.
Conrad practically deposited me onto a stool at the kitchen island and snagged one of the cookies piled on a heaping plate in front of me, biting into it.
A redhead walked in, then froze when his eyes drifted over me. His scent was sharper and clean, still holding that delta electricity. Two deltas on one team. I glanced at Con, but he just gave me a reassuring nod.
“That’s Lennon, resident asshole.”
“Fuck you, man,” Lennon said, running a hand through the red curls on top of his head. “I’m a fucking gentleman.”
Everyone else started laughing. Apparently they disagreed.
“It’s alright. I can handle assholes,” I said. “At least they’re honest. I could use some honesty in my life.”
The surprise on Lennon’s face was almost comical, but he just nodded once, as if he understood where I was coming from, before walking away. Apparently, nodding was the universal hockey player form of communication.
“Ignore him. I promise you’re wanted here,” Kieran said as he tapped the counter in front of Wilder, who seemed to be in his own little world.
Wilder startled and looked up at him, eyes widening as he turned around to face me.
Maybe he wasn’t just in his own little world; it seemed he couldn’t hear well. I’d have to keep that in mind.
Now the beta, who just looked so peaceful and happy, had nervous sweat breaking out on his brow. His smile was a bit shaky.
“Hi, Lana. I’m Wilder. I wasn’t sure what kind of cookies you liked, so I just made my favorite,” he said. Despite being built like a mountain, his voice was soft and soothing.
“Can I—” I gestured to the plate in front of me.
“Of course,” he said quickly, reaching for the plate to shove it toward me at the same time I went to grab it, forcing me to knock a few off the plate.
His cheeks flushed, but I just gently placed them back before taking one for myself.
I took a bite, my eyes rolling back at the burst of sweet, rich chocolate and just the right amount of salt to round it out.
“Don’t worry, you’ll win her over with chocolate every time,” Conrad told him, pitching his voice just a bit louder.
Wilder gave me one last quick smile before turning back and moving the new batch of cookies to a cooling rack.
So far, no one was raising any major red flags, including the guy they said was an asshole. There was a big difference between someone who just didn’t connect with people well and people like my exes, who were truly assholes that never saw past their own cocky egos.
The back door slammed open as yet another alpha joined us, several pizza boxes stacked in his arms. His hair was bleached white and styled in that messy way that guys liked to do. I never quite understood the style, but damn, on him, I was here for it.