“No, I don’t think she’d rat us out, but I wouldn’t put it past her to hit me with a baseball bat again.”
“But you would deserve that,” Nolan pointed out.
I shook my head. “And you, my dear pack mate, deserve so much more, considering you’re keeping the truth from her too. Don’t you want to return to our lives?”
“Do you think it's possible? Think about it, Wild. Can we really go back to Seattle when Hailey lives here?”
“I'm sure she wouldn't be a fan of moving, but once Preston is here, it makes sense.”
“I agree it makes sense, and it's what we should do, but we can'tforceher. Hailey has a life here, and we need to consider that.”
I groaned. “You have a point. But so do I. We can’t keep Hailey in the dark, even if that means letting her know that he’s actually working and not a criminal.”
It seemed like Hailey hadn't had much control over what had happened to her in the recent months. We couldn't exactly decide where she was living without a conversation, at the very least.
We had a good life in Seattle, though. Nolan worked at a successful law firm, and we had a nice circle of friends. We’d spent months working on our house, renovating it to just the way we liked it. It even had a suite for our future omega.
“The last thing I want to do is move to California. The weather is too warm here,” Nolan said, clearly ignoring that last part.
“I don't know, I think there's something to be said about a place with loads of beaches.” I grinned.
It was my omega wearing nothing but a teeny tiny bikini I was thinking about more than anything. That would be a very welcome sight.
“Just get all those things put away,” Nolan said with a shake of his head.
“Sir, yes, sir!” I said, playfully saluting him.
I was just about to grab the milk when the front door opened, and Hailey walked in, a large firefighter wearing an LAFD shirt behind her. It was the same guy who’d picked her up for her doctor's appointment. I’d seen him from the window when I'd snuck out of the bathroom.
He was standing behind Hailey like an imposing, protecting shadow. Judging by the scowl on his face, he wasn't happy to see us.
Nolan and I both stilled, turning to look at them.
Why had Hailey let him in this time? She’d been so anxious to hide us when this guy had picked her up the other day. Did she think we were going to leave after she snuck out of her bedroom?
“Merrick, meet Nolan and Wilder,” she said with a small smile.
Why was she smiling? It was a stark difference from the stressed demeanor we were used to.
I took a moment to look, really look, at Hailey. Her skin was pinker and less sallow. Where her eyes were dull before, now they seemed to sparkle.
She was looking a million times better, and I needed to know why. I knew that our cuddles were helping, but notthatmuch.
“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet my new pack mates,” Merrick said with a grin.
Pack mates?
What the hell was he talking about?
“Sorry, we have no idea who you are, so I doubt that you’re a member of our pack,” Nolan said, his voice as tight as his scowl.
We moved toward the living space where the pair of them were standing. The alpha was glued to Hailey's side so much that it was making me a little worried.
She wasmyomega.
“Actually, he is,” Hailey said brightly, flouncing over to the kitchen and grabbing a can of soda from the fridge.
As she bent down, the bite mark on her neck was blatantly obvious.