Page 110 of Bite Me Alpha Cole

I shake myself out of my reverie and look up from the little block of wood and knife that I’m holding in my hands. I’m honestly quite surprised to see three girls standing before me at the fire pit, steaming bowls of stew in their hands. How did I not hear them approach?

My eyes instantly move to Nadia, who holds a bowl out to me.

“It’s not like you to not eat,” she says quietly, her eyes moving quickly over me, suspicious.

“Yeah, well,” I sigh, reaching out to accept the food. “I’ve got a lot on my mind. Come on, you three, sit. I’ve got news that’s going to blow your minds.”

All three smile excitedly and join me on the logs. I glance around, ensuring that we’re relatively alone. Tommy heads over, a bowl of soup in his hand as well, but that’s fine – the guards have already been briefed.

“Look up in the cliffs,” I murmur, lifting my chin up to the foliage in the dying light of the evening. “See anything?”

“Leafs.” Shay says, her mouth full of stew. “Sticks. A nice bird. Why?”

“Well,” I say as Tommy sits down with us, murmuring a warm hello. “Apparently, there’s more out there that we’re not seeing.” The girls go quiet, their eyes going wide as I swear them to secrecy and then begin to tell them what I know.

Chapter 46 – Keepsake

Nadia

“What thefuck,” I whisper, putting my empty bowl down on the ground and leaning back against my palm as I stare at Cole. “That’s…that’sinsane. They’re using littlekidsto spy on us?”

“That’s so scary,” Shayne whispers, shaking her head. “And at the same time…adorable.”

“Shayne!” Grace gasps, spinning to her.

“Lil baby spies!” Shay says, pressing a hand to her heart. “Up in thecliffs? And they’re hungry and they getfoodif they do a good job?” She gapes at Grace like she can’t believe anyone would be heartless enough to resist that mental image.

Tommy grins at Shayne as Grace rolls her eyes. “They’re beingmistreated, Shayne. It’s notcute.”

“I’m going to adopt them all,” Shayne says, leaning back to fall dramatically against Tommy, who takes the opportunity to wrap an arm around her under the guise of ensuring that she doesn’t fall off the log. “Can you build me a big house, Tommy-Tom? So I can keep them all?”

“I’ll build you whatever you want, Shay-bee.”

“You sound like mom,” Cole says, smirking at Shayne.

Shayne grins and winks at him. “Anytime you want to suggest I’m Queen material, Coley-boy, I’m here for it.”

A playful snarl sounds, and we all turn to see Greg sauntering over, his hands in his pockets, his eyes on Shay. “You telling me I’ve got to take down thePrincenow, too?”

Shay laughs, delighted, sitting up and beaming at Greg. Tommy sighs and drops his arm from his best girl, looking down at his bowl of stew.

“Are you going to build me my orphan house?” Shayne asks, batting her lashes. I glance at Grace and she sticks out her tongue to express her distaste, making me grin.

“They like it up there, apparently,” Greg says, glancing up at the ridge that rises on both sides of our camp. “I’ll just build a series of cave forts in the cliffside and we’ll live there together with our thirty-seven adopted feral children.”

Shayne laughs and pats the log next to her. Greg sits down, Grace squeezing closer to me and sighing as she does.

I turn back to Cole, a little concerned with how quiet he’s being. He’s not the most talkative guy, but he’s very social and usually in the middle of something like this. But tonight, he’s quite withdrawn.

“You okay?” I softly ask, watching as his knife moves smoothly over his block of wood, carving out a little figure. I study it, seeing an animal take shape, curious what it will be.

Cole shrugs, glancing at me. “Sorry, I’m not trying to be moody. Just…feeling quiet.”

“You don’t have to be sorry for that,” I say, leaning a little closer. But then I catch myself and sit straight again.

Cole nods, continuing his work. “How are you? Anxious about tonight?”

I look towards my nursing tent, which is well-stocked and ordered for tonight. Still, I only have a few more minutes before I have to get back into it, wanting to triple-check everything. “A little freaked out about taking command,” I say quietly. “I’ve never done something like that before.”

---