Page 39 of Bonds and Beasts

“We don’t expect this to be shared with the tabloids.” Bello growls.

"We will, of course, be discreet," Officer Wang says. She's tall with long straight black hair pulled into a tight ponytail, brown eyes, and a lithe figure. She looks like she should be starring as a detective in a big city procedural drama, not working in a small, quaint town.

"But you've got to know, secrets like famous packs, mates, and death threats are kind of the gossip mill's bread and butter."

My gaze wanders back out to the window I'm standing next to. My fingers automatically go to the rose pendant necklace that the pack bought me. Billowing black clouds hang over the lake beyond town. The horizon is dark as pitch except for the occasional flash of lightning that momentarily reveals huge tumbling waves.

Easton raises my main concern. "Clocks, the previous caretaker of this place, has been arrested under suspicion of omega abuse, falsely forged documents, and several other crimes. If he somehow got out on bail or escaped—"

Officer Wang shakes her head. "We checked on that when your lead alpha called into the station."

I glance to Bello, who's already looking at me with a frown and worry lines between his brows.

"Edgar Clocks is still in holding. No bail,” Officer Wang explains.

"What about that greasy fake doctor?" Dean asks.

"He was arrested as well. He's got an even tighter situation than Clocks. The medical board doesn't look kindly on practicing with an expired license or prescribing fake pills to a sick omega." Officer Wang looks me over and I tilt my chin up. She smells of earth and ocean and though there's nothing offensive about it, I wish it wasn't mixing with the pack's scents right now.

"Mrs. Portidge knows. And your friend Lisa," Bello points out.

I gape at him. "They would never do something like this."

Bello raises his hands in mock surrender though his expression is still hard as stone. "I'm stating the facts, Beauty. Not accusing her."

I snap my mouth shut at that. He hasn't accused her, but I still don't like Mrs. Portidge being dragged into this.

“There was a reporter on set. She has the info I think but I’m not sure. I didn’t get her name.” Dean adds.

"Anyone else?" Officer Billing prompts.

I shake my head and the pack doesn't say anything else either. Officer Wang says that a car will loop around by the house every half an hour or so to make sure things seem peaceful, and they'll look into it. They’re pulling the camera footage on property and on set. That's all they can really do. This isn't a movie and this isn't a big city like LA. In fact, Officers Wang and Billing are the only two full time officers in the whole department. Everyone else is part time.

I thank them but don't leave my place next to the window. I like watching the oncoming storm. The town below begins to come to life under the deepening darkness. Lights flicker on in stores and houses. Smoke begins pouring out of chimneys as some people build fires in their hearths and likely settle in with a book and a large cup of tea.

Once they're gone, the alphas turn to me.

"We should go back to LA," Dean says first.

My heart drops to my shoes and I know my scent has gone to ash. Leave. He's talking about leaving me and going back to his old life like it's no big deal. Like I'm nothing.

"We don't have to go to LA, but it's not safe here," Easton goes on a little more cautiously now, like he can't figure out what triggered my scent change.

"No, LA is your home, so if you want to go back there I completely understand that," I hedge. I don't want them to stay because they feel like they have to or I'll have a meltdown.

Dean cocks his head as though confused, but it's Bello who pushes off the wall and stalks toward me. He stops in front of me and cups my jaw, forcing me to look at him.

"Beauty, you understand that when we say we'll go back to LA, we mean all of us, including you."

My heart comes back up from my toes and skips. They want to take me back to LA with them? They want me with them permanently?

"I thought you maybe didn't want people to know about me because you weren't sure," I say.

A growl starts behind Bello and I realize it's Easton, who has never growled at me before.

"We didn't want people to know for this exact reason. So that you wouldn't be subjected to the limelight and have strangers coming after you," he explains. Dean's knee bounces under his hand, full of nervous protective energy that has nowhere to go.

I look out the window again. The storm is much closer now. "Maybe you should go back to LA without me…”