Chapter Twenty-Two
“Where are we going?” Toya looked at me from the passenger side of my truck.
“To the apartments. I’ve been moved already.”
“How is that even possible?”
“I’ll explain everything once we get inside my new place.”
Toya nodded. But I could see her biting her lips and the tears trembling at the corners of her eyes. “I can’t believe they are all gone.”
I wanted to tell her, but we needed to be safe. We needed to play this properly. “I know.” My voice was soft. I looked around.
“Do you know where you are going?”
“Not a clue.” I looked at her as she burst into laughter.
Toya laughed so hard the tears fell. She pointed off to the left as she continued laughing.
“Turn left at the next stop sign. You will go through a couple more parking lots and turn right. It’s hidden by the trees, but it’s really hard to miss once you know where to look.
” She wiped her face, and she smiled. “I didn’t think I’d be laughing today. ”
I just nodded, unable to say anything to make her feel better right now. I followed her directions and, with the last turn, the apartment building jutted out of the ground.
“It’s huge.”
Toya nodded. “It’s about thirty floors.”
“Are you thinking of requesting to move in?”
Toya shook her head no. “No, I don’t need the space.”
“I think you should. I think we all should. Wendy, Hanna, Micca and you. If there is a four-bedroom unit, apply to live together, or do two and two.”
“Why?”
“I feel like I need to keep you close. And now that I’m out here, you all need to be too.”
“Do you think we would get approved?”
“Yes.” I would email Rowan as soon as I was settled. I looked over at Toya. “You have everyone’s numbers, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Text them to come over. As soon as I figure out the apartment number, I’ll give it to you to send to them. But I want everyone here tonight. We have a lot to talk about.”
“Okay.” Toya slid her phone out of the pocket and texted everyone. My phone dinged. “It’s just me. I made a group chat.”
I nodded. “Smart.” I pulled up to the front door of the apartment and I realized it had a luggage cart like a hotel did. This would make moving everything a lot easier.
I hopped out and grabbed the cart to unload my truck bed.
“I don’t think everything is going to fit.
” Toya looked around and walked through the sliding doors.
The guard at the door stopped her. They had a conversation, and the guard walked away and came back with a second cart. He followed Toya outside.
“Are you sure you are supposed to be here?” The guard slid the cart to me and I nodded.
“The king gave me the key to my new apartment himself.”
“Can I get your name?”
“Amy Maclean.” I watched as the guard’s eyes widened and he nodded.
“Of course, Alpha Amy.” He took the loaded cart away as I started on the second one.
“Hey, where are you going?” I called after him.
“I’m taking your things up to the penthouse. I’ll drop this off outside and come down for the rest.”
“You don’t have to.” I tried to grab the rack back, but he waved me off.
“I know I don’t have to. But I’d like to. No one lives here except the king and I get bored. So I take any opportunity to get away from my desk.”
“Okay.” I smiled as I turned back to the rest of my stuff. I put the rest of my things, including my food, on the rack. I had just finished when the guard returned.
“I’ll take this up while you park.” The guard pointed to the right. “If you head that way, there is a scanner to get down to the parking garage.” He pulled out a key. “This is keyed to your door, the parking garage and the elevator.”
“The elevator?”
“The top floor needs to be scanned to get to, or someone has to call up to you and you have to release the elevator to come to the floor. The stairwell is the same.”
Toya looked at me. “I thought the king said the penthouse was going to stay empty.”
I nodded. “I’ll explain everything once everyone gets here.” She nodded.
I turned back to the guard. “I have Hanna, Wendy, and Micca still coming to visit. Can you help them up to my apartment when they get here, please? Gamma…”
His eyes widened and then stammered. “Gamma Sterling. I’m Gamma Sterling. But you can just call me Sterling.
“Thank you for all your help, Sterling.”
We hopped back into the truck and drove to park. Toya looked at me and I could see the wheels turning. “I feel like we have a lot to discuss.” I just nodded as we headed down into the parking garage.
“Amy?” I turned to Toya as I parked into one of the slots marked penthouse.
“Yeah?” I slid out of the truck and headed to the elevator.
“What is going on?” She looked around at the parking garage and I could see the wheels in her mind churning, but she was just as confused as I felt.
“I swear, I’ll explain.” I smiled as we hit the penthouse button on the elevator. There was a beep.
“Please scan your card.” An automated voice rang out, and I scanned the card Sterling gave me and the elevator doors closed.
“This is so weird.” Toya leaned against the wall.
“What do you mean?” I looked at her over my shoulder.
“This apartment building has been closed off to anyone other than the king since it was built. But it’s so clean, so modernized.
” Toya swiped the wall. “It’s like a hotel that the humans run.
And he’s never even allowed the council onto his floor and he gave you the key.
” She shook her head. “I know I am missing everything.”
I grabbed her hand as the door opened. “I know that today has been the worst fucking day and all this mystery is probably annoying. But I feel it in my gut that I have to wait until everyone is here to explain it all.” We stepped out of the elevator, and Sterling was waiting for us.
“I figured I would wait with your things until you got here. This one is you. Penthouse B.” He glanced to the other side of the small hallway.
“I assume you know who stays in penthouse A.” We both just nodded.
“While I am surprised that the king gave you this floor. It isn’t my place to question his commands.
But please. Make sure you keep your visitors in check.
I really don’t want to come up here and remove crazed she-wolves from his doorway. ”
I snorted. “Does that happen a lot?”
Sterling cracked a smile. “You are the first people other than the maids and myself to even be allowed on the same floor. But, when the king visits, there are a handful of she-wolves who wait downstairs at the doors for him.”
I threw my head back and laughed. “Really?”
Sterling nodded. “It got to where the King had to run out the back door to his car to get to class. So about three years ago, he had the basement levels converted to the parking garage.”
Toya shook her head. “Poor guy.”
Sterling snorted. “Yeah, poor guy, he has his pick of she-wolves.”
I nodded. “But does he?” Sterling focused on me with a confused look. “He’s the king. He has to hold himself above the rest. Can’t have sordid love affairs with any she-wolf that he wanted or else he would have scandal after scandal.”
Toya nodded. “And there is the entire council trying to force him to mate with someone.” I pointed to Toya and nodded.
“Exactly.” I scanned my card and pushed the door open. My mouth dropped open when I saw it was fully furnished. “What’s all this?”
“What do you mean?” Sterling looked around. “Is it not to your liking? I can change out some of the furniture?”
“I’m sorry.” I turned to face him. “I was told we would have to buy things for our apartments and stuff. I just wasn’t expecting this…
” I turned back around to walk into the open concept living room and kitchen.
Across from the front door was a wall of glass, and the view of the forest from up here was amazing.
The giant room had a sectional on one side with a singular pillar like wall where the TV hung above a double sided fireplace.
The fireplace sectioned off the space, with a dining table big enough for eight behind it, leading into the kitchen.
“This is beautiful.” Toya walked to look out the windows and I just nodded.
“The penthouses are completely furnished, and the apartments below have the necessities, like big furniture. The odds and ends are being brought in tomorrow.” Sterling walked over to the kitchen and opened the empty cupboards.
“The only thing students will have to supply, just like your dorms, is blankets and personal items. The king didn’t want to inconvenience any of the smaller packs to supply the money to furnish the apartments for their kids. ”
I just nodded and walked down the hall to see the first room was set up as an office.
The next was a standard bathroom. I looked around and nodded.
This would work. Then I opened the last room and my breath caught in my throat.
It was a gorgeous bedroom, with a four poster bed.
It looked like my bedroom in my father’s pack.
I checked the closet to find a walk through closet room that led to another gorgeous bathroom.
It had a built-in vanity, a soaking tub, walk in shower and its own closet for storage.
“This is too much.” I walked back out, only to find Rowan standing at the door, looking defeated.
I looked at Toya and walked over to Rowan. “My king, is everything okay?”
Toya gave a nod. “I’m going to check out the rest of your new place.” She bowed really quickly and then left us in the entryway.
“Sterling?” I looked down at my watch. “I don’t know when everyone will get here. Can you go check for me, please?”
“Of course, Alpha Amy.” Sterling also gave a bow and then turned and left.
Rowan looked after Toya before he turned to look down at me. “Are you going to tell her?”
I nodded. “I feel like I need to.”
Rowan took a big breath. “Okay. Who else are you telling? I want to make sure no one else has lost anyone. That way you don’t give anyone hope.”
I hadn’t even thought about that. “Hanna, Wendy, and Micca.”