Page 82 of The Librarian and Her Alphas

Leaving my phone on the couch, I shuffle into the kitchen to make something to eat. I grab the few snacks I’d bought at the airport and scrounge some ramen from inside one of the kitchen cupboards.

My stomach rumbles hungrily, and I chuckle softly through my tears, patting it gently.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get you fed, little one,” I murmur and start cooking while thinking about the baby that will be here in months. There’s no point beating myself up over messing up everything Damon and I had between us. There’s a baby, and I need to protect him or her from the threat outside these walls.

My hands are busy preparing the meal, but my mind is going a hundred miles an hour. I head back into the living room and turn on the TV, hoping it will drown out the noise in my head. I check the time on my phone, wondering where Damon, Max, and Gunnar are.

Slurping my noodles, I watch the comedy show on the screen without smiling. I can’t relax until Damon and his pack are here. For some reason, a part of my soul is also missing them. My heart aches as I think about every one of them.

The thought alone is scary, but it makes me giddy that I could fall in love again. And maybe I’m not as damaged as I think I am.

CHAPTER26

Damon

The moment Max, Gunnar, and I arrive in Little Rock, we’re on high alert. We don’t know if Zorin is still in the area since Gunnar couldn’t trace him using our usual channels.

Not wanting to take any chances, we hire a car as soon as we land at Clinton National Airport and head to the destination Lena provided. From the looks of our GPS, she’s staying in a small townhouse just outside the city center.

I drive while Max navigates from the front seat, and Gunnar continues running recon on Zorin from the back.

“Still nothing,” Gunnar sighs, setting his laptop beside him. “How much longer until we arrive?”

“About ten minutes,” Max replies, glancing at the GPS.

Thankfully, the roads are nearly empty, and I speed through the city, eager to reach my omega. I had wanted so badly to tell her that I love her over the phone, but I didn’t want to scare her. She’s already been through so much, and the last thing she needs is me trying to stake a claim on her. If she’s not ready for what we have to offer, I need to respect that.

Ten minutes later, I park outside the townhouse.

It’s quaint, with green-trimmed walls and a neatly manicured lawn. There’s no car parked in the driveway, so I assume Lena must have taken a taxi instead of renting a car.

We jump out of the car, and Gunnar looks around, his brow furrowed in concentration.

“We need to secure the area,” I bark, and he immediately nods, walking toward the townhouse to search the perimeter. Max checks the nearby townhouses and their gardens. After a few minutes, we reconvene.

“There’s nothing,” Gunnar says, sniffing the air deeply. “I don’t smell anyone else and no other alphas.”

“Zorin?” I ask tersely.

Gunnar shakes his head. “No scent trails and no disturbances around or near where Lena is staying. I don’t think he’s found her.”

“Thank God,” Max mutters, and I nod in agreement.

My heart isn’t at peace yet, and I don’t relax. I need to see Lena before I even think about letting my guard down.

Quietly, the four of us approach the front door of the townhouse. I can see into the living room to my right, where I faintly hear the TV on inside. I sniff the air, hoping to catch a whiff of her delicious perfume to confirm she’s there, but I smell nothing.

“She’s taken her inhibitor,” Max reminds me. “We won’t be able to smell her until it wears off.”

I raise my hand and knock sharply on the door. The TV plays quietly behind the wood, but there’s no answer.

I knock again, this time with a bit more impatience.

“Maybe she’s sleeping?” Gunnar suggests. “It’s been one hell of a day for her.”

“I want to see her now,” I snarl, grunting in frustration. “How do we know she didn’t get kidnapped? We need to make sure, ASAP.”

“Let me check around the side of the house and look in the bedroom,” Max interjects before I get too fired up. “Maybe she thinks it’s someone else. Youdidtell her not to open the door.”

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