Oli laughs. “My brother is complicated. Just give him time; he’ll come around.”
I nod, not entirely convinced.
“Well,” Ethan says, clapping his hands, “I think that concludes the tour. Luna, why don’t you take some time to rest? We’ll reconvene later to go over your schedule and duties.”
“Sounds good,” I reply, suddenly aware of the exhaustion settling over me. The past day’s events are catching up, and the adrenaline is fading. “I’d like to take a shower if that’s okay.”
“Luna, this is your home now. You can do whatever you like,” Ethan says with a smile.
I head back up the stairs, trying to wrap my mind around this new reality of living with five males bound by a debt. It’s daunting and overwhelming. But beneath the uncertainty, there’s another feeling lurking.
Curiosity, maybe even excitement.
For better or worse, this is my life now.
At least for the next three years.
I’m lost in thought as I round the landing and collide with a solid wall of muscle. The impact knocks the air from my lungs, and I stumble backward, my hand grasping for the railing to steady myself.
Looking up, I find myself face-to-chest with Damien. His massive frame blocks the entire hallway, and he makes no move to step aside. No apology for nearly knocking me over. Noacknowledgment at all beyond the cold stare that pins me in place.
His jaw tightens as he looks down at me, nostrils flaring. Something flickers in his eyes. Anger? Curiosity? It’s gone before I can decipher it.
“You sure you know what you’ve gotten yourself into?” His voice is low, almost a growl, vibrating with an intensity that makes my skin prickle.
I lift my chin, refusing to shrink under his gaze even as my heart hammers against my ribs. “No clue. Do you?”
Something flickers across his expression before his mask of indifference slips back into place again.
“No,” he admits. “I don’t think any of us do.”
He steps aside and disappears down the stairs, leaving me staring after him.
Somehow, the honesty terrifies me more than his hostility.
My wolf stirs within me, curious and alert. She’s not afraid… she’s intrigued.
And that might be the most unsettling realization of all.
***
After my shower, I settle onto the bed and gaze out the window at the rugged landscape. Towering mountains with jagged peaks still capped with snow even in June rise in the distance. Endless pine forests stretch in every direction. It’s nothing like the Institute with its manicured gardens and artificial perfection.
There, everything was controlled, sanitized, fake.
Here, the landscape is honest.
Beautiful and wild, just like the males I’m now tied to.
A knock at the door startles me. “Come in,” I call.
Alpha Hudson steps in, his presence filling the doorway. “Hope I’m not disturbing you.”
“Not at all,” I say, tugging at the hem of my oversized t-shirt. “Just getting acclimated.”
He leans against the doorframe, arms crossed over his broad chest. “I wanted to let you know we do supply runs into town. Every few weeks, usually Oli or Ethan makes the trip for supplies, groceries, and whatever else we need.”
“Oh, OK. Good to know.”
