Rooster holds out his hand to Grace, and she immediately hisses at him, her fur standing on end.Without missing a beat, she drops down onto Vex’s lap, clearly claiming him as her territory.Vex laughs a deep chuckle that shakes his shoulders.He picks her up gently and walks over to me, her little body tucked safely against his chest.
“Yep,” Vex says with a grin, his eyes meeting mine.“She’s a fantastic judge of character.”
I can’t help but laugh, relieved that Grace seems to be making her own kind of alliances already.
“What did you do to make her not like me?”Rooster asks, his voice dripping with mock frustration as he watches Grace cuddle up to Vex, clearly comfortable in his arms.
“Not a damn thing,” Vex replies smoothly, his fingers gently petting Grace under the chin.She purrs loudly, clearly enjoying the attention.“Grace just knows you’re bad news.”
Rooster raises an eyebrow, his lips turning down in a frown.
“But it is weird she likes me.”
“I’ll say,” Rooster counters, glancing at Vex with a look that mixes amusement and challenge.
Hollywood, who’s been leaning against the counter, chuckles and pipes up, “That color of green looks good on you.”
“Fuck you, big man,” Rooster shoots back.“I don’t see the cat running to you.”
Hollywood grins wide, stepping forward with a shrug.“That’s because Vex is holding her.Everyone loves me, you know that.”
I laugh softly, watching the banter unfold.The tension in the room feels lighter now, Grace working her magic with her discerning judgment of character.
“Can I show you around?”Blade asks.
“I’d like that.”
“Everyone, watch the cat,” orders Blade as he takes my hand and pulls me toward the door.
“Outside?”Blade nods.“But it’s dark.”
“We have lights.We don’t live in the Stone Age,” says Rooster.
Blade flips the switches near the door and guides me outside.
Stepping out into the crisp Alaskan night, guided by Blade’s firm hand, the compound unfolds before me.Bathed in the soft glow of strategically placed lights, the shadows of trees stretch long across the rugged terrain, creating a contrast between the wild and the meticulously maintained space.The air is sharp with the scent of pine, fresh earth, and wood smoke, grounding me in the raw beauty of this place.As I glance back at the clubhouse, its sturdy walls rise against the dark sky, the flags on the walls, each one a testament to the pride of the men who built it.I feel a warmth inside, and for the first time since I arrived, I realize I feel safe.
Blade leads me deeper into the compound, and my eyes follow the path, taking in the five small sheds scattered at intervals around the perimeter.Each one is isolated, their rough-hewn structures blend into the landscape, purposefully and unpolished.The distant hum of the wind through the trees is the sole sound, broken only by the crunch of our shoes against the gravel path.
In the middle of the compound, a cleared area opens up, revealing a fire pit at its center.The stones surrounding it are worn, each one carrying the marks of past fires.The area is wide and open, a natural gathering place, its vastness reminding me of how big and untamed the land around us is.This place is more than just a compound—it’s a living, breathing entity, each corner holding stories of the men who built it, the lives they’ve carved out here in the wild, and now, the possibility of my own story becoming part of it.
Blade sees me staring at the sheds, the light from the compound casting long shadows across their weathered frames.
His voice breaks the silence, steady and calm.“The sheds are used for storage.Mostly food,” he says, his gaze following mine.“If any of us are up here when the snow comes, you can be stuck here for a while.”
The thought of being isolated, surrounded by nothing but the wilderness and a handful of men, is humbling but also a bit scary.
“Does that happen often?One of you getting stuck up here?”I ask, my voice soft with surprise.
Blade nods slowly.“Some of them live up here full-time.Chrome doesn’t like people.”His gaze drifts for a moment, and then he tilts his head toward me.“Are you okay?”
His concern catches me off-guard.I wasn’t expecting him to ask, wasn’t expecting that softness behind his tough exterior.
“Yeah.”I glance up at the sky, the stars scattered like diamonds above us.“It’s beautiful here.”
His eyes follow mine for a second, but then his voice lowers, quiet and intense.“Yes, you are.”
A laugh slips out before I can stop it, the sound light in the still air.I reach up, unable to resist, and kiss him.“Thank you.”
