Chapter 62
AARON
Holy shi t. I just walked into a frat house.
That’s my first impression of Pack Roberts’ main hall.
There are pool tables and flat screen tv’s. Bars with cases of alcohol stacked haphazardly. At least a dozen empty kegs are lined like silver building blocks along one wall.
Couches have cigarette burns and look old, the leather faded and cracking.
I stare into the far right corner. Thinking I must be wrong about what I see.
But. Nope. It’s right there…
A stripper pole.
Naturally.
And the whole room bears an unforgettable stench.
It’s stale beer. Smoke. S*x.
This place is a hot mess.
I glance at Leah.
Her mo uth is open and she’s openly staring. Her pretty face is contorted with a measure of shock and then she snaps her mo uth sh ut and forces her face into a pleasant expression. The shock and revulsion are hidden behind her ‘nice’ facade.
I’ve seen that expression one too many times before.
I move until I stand beside her. I address Liam: “I imagine this hit your pack hard.”
He nods. “You have no idea.”
Leah takes in this trashed room. She has an idea.
But unlike Leah, I can sense deeper.
The scents here are layered. It’s not a one-night bender that tarnished this space. It’s years of decadence.
Not for the first time, I think maybe it was some small miracle that Leah came to live with me. I can’t imagine her fate had she grown up amid this chaos and debauchery.
“Uh, come this way,” Liam says.
He holds out his arm for Leah to precede him.
I stay next to her.
She casts me a di rty look.
It’s fine. She’s pis sed. I get it.
But she can’t think that I’m just going to abandon her. And she’s got to know that even though she is the new Alpha, she’s a female, a human, and my wife.
Those are three pretty major strikes.
Liam leads us into the west wing of the house. He opens two heavy oak doors, sliding them apart. He moves across the room to sweep aside the heavy curtains. Light streams in, making all the dust shine like sparkles in the air.
Again, Leah can’t scent the staleness.
But I can.
I’m thinking this room hasn’t been used since the 1990s.
I arch a brow at Liam. “Maybe we should rest outside. Give everyone a chance to wake up, maybe prep the house for Leah’s arrival.”
“Oh no, no,” she says immediately. “Everything is lovely. You know me, Liam. I don’t worry about little things. I’m just happy to be home and for us to be reunited.” She realizes what she’s said and quickly adds: “–I just wish it was under better circumstances…”
He nods solemnly. “Why don’t both of you relax here for a few minutes. I’ll rouse the kitchen and we’ll have breakfast.” Liam
frowns at me. “I’m sure you’ll want to eat before you get back on
the road.”
It’s a not so subtle reminder to leave.
Too bad for him, I’m not going anywhere.
