Page 33 of Fight or Fly

Kam gave a soft snort. “Well, to be fair, itispretty memorable.”

“There’s certainly a decent amount of alpha dick tied up in my growing nostalgia for the place,” Leona agreed solemnly.

I couldn’t help a short laugh, despite the darkness surrounding us. For a few shining days, things had been idyllic. A pack house—though admittedly, a borrowed one—shared with people I’d happily spend the rest of my life with. Now, the question had once again become how short the rest of my life was likely to be.

“I’m honored that you chose to let us share your heat,” I said. “And I know the others feel the same way.”

Kam’s eyebrows twitched upward a fraction. “What, even Alex?”

I gave him a sad smile. “You’re the first omega she’s been with since she lost her mate and pups years ago. That should tell you everything you need to know.” I cleared my throat. “Anyway, take some time today and gather up everything you intend to take with us, but pack light. I’m going to see about dinner.”

I got up to wrangle a decent meal for the three of us, hoping to make up for the fact that I’d left the bulk of the cooking to them over the past few days while I obsessed about the untenable security situation on the property. After making sure they were fed and set for the evening, I did a last circuit of the property line before dark, ensuring that all of the booby traps were still in place. Then I packed up my belongings and went to bed, determined to get a few hours of sleep before relieving Kam from his watch at three a.m.

I was somewhat successful in that endeavor, though my dreams were, to put it mildly, not the best. When I strapped on my shoulder and hip holsters and made my way quietly through the darkened house to the downstairs living room, it was to find that the two omegas had dragged the old sofa to a position in front of the window. Kam was seated near one end, dutifully keeping the watch, while Leona lay curled up against his side, wrapped in an afghan and fast asleep.

Kam glanced up at me as I approached, pausing in his rhythmic stroking of her fiery hair. I stopped, looking down at them—struck for the hundredth time by the picture they made together.

“Hi,” Kam said softly. “I think we’re both a bit on edge. Is it okay if we curl up here and help you stay awake by snoring at you?”

My heart clenched, falling victim yet again to the kryptonite these two seemed to possess.

“Always,” I said.

“Thanks.” Kam yawned, lifting the hand that wasn’t cradling Leona to cover his mouth as he did. “Nothing to report, except a confused looking deer that wandered up a few hours ago and then bounded off in a huff. What time did you want to leave in the morning?”

“Let’s say eight o’clock,” I decided. “We can grab some breakfast first, and it should still give us plenty of time to get to Montreal, check in with Beckett’s contact, and drive down to Burlington before dark.”

“Assuming the Franken-Chrysler doesn’t break down along the way,” Kam said.

“I’m sure it will be fine,” I told him, since I suspected that the car was going to be the least of our worries.

I was ridiculously and irrationally charmed by the fact that our quiet conversation hadn’t caused Leona to so much as stir—though she did mumble a sleepy protest when Kam shuffled them around so he was lying full length on the couch with her body sprawled half on top of his. Giving into temptation, I settled into the small space left between the throw pillow Kam was using to support his head, and the sofa arm.

It provided a perfectly good view of the driveway, and had the added benefit of leaving both of them within easy reach. As I alternated stroking my right hand through first Leona’s hair and then Kam’s, the sweet aura of drowsy omegas leant me a fragile sense of peace as I contemplated what we might find tomorrow. Maybe Leona was right, and the others had found a promising lead on Beckett. Maybe we could still get him back and find a safe harbor somewhere.Together.

My thin veneer of serenity lasted for an hour or so, until the distant clatter of metal cans and plastic jugs on the far side of the house jerked my head around. Adrenaline flooded my system like an electric shock.

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