Page 84 of Ember

Sunshine had moved into Pack Kahele’s house, and Luna’s pack bought her a house when they decided to move in together.

I stopped to pick up the mail, an overflow of white envelopes and one big manila envelope with no return address. I unlocked the door and stepped inside.

It smelled weird. That’s what I got for not being home very often. I set the mail on the countertop and opened the big manila envelope.

It was glossy photos of me and Ben walking around San Francisco, multiple angles. Me and Alejandro at the parking lot of Talk of the Town. I blinked, trying to remember when that happened. A couple of days ago? I had made an excuse to go over there for food.

A plain piece of paper was stuck between the photos, printed out from a computer:

You thinkyou love them but they are alphas they just use up omegas until they are done with them and throw them away like trash. They will never love you the way I love you never be able to take care of you the way I can if you would let me

I setthe photos down on the countertop, feeling cold and sick. Someone was watching me? I thought about the text message, and the flowers, and my stomach gave a queasy roll.

I had to tell someone. This wasn’t random flowers and a test message; this was someone…following me. I glanced around the room, but it only smelled like me and West, and just a tiny bit like Alejandro, that top note of guanabana hanging in the air like a hug.

I’d grab some clothes, bring the photos, and tell my men. My head hurt, felt like it was filled with bees, and I wasn’t sure what to do next. If I called the police right now, what would they do?Sayyeah, that’s creepy about the photos, but what do you want us to do about it?

I’d tell the guys. They could help me plan. Feeling better to have some support, I headed into the bedroom.

It was trashed. I froze, blinking, not processing what I was seeing. The mattress was turned over and leaning against the wall. My clothes were spread all over the room, some of them ripped up. The bedside lamp was knocked over, smashed to pieces, and the door to the nest was open.

My stomach clenched again. Not the nest. Please, no. I hurried over and sank to my knees.

The nest had been destroyed.

Chapter 32

West

Something was wrong with Ember. I looked up from my desk, like she would be standing right in front of me. But it was just the office, with the too-bright lights and the overwhelming smells of betas and a few alphas.

I swallowed hard, my heart feeling like it was trying to climb out of my chest. Something was wrong. I picked up my phone, but I didn’t see any missed text messages or phone calls from her.

I stood up. I needed to call her.

“Everything okay?” Greg looked up from his computer, his brown hair messy. “Listen, I’m sorry about before.”

He tried to apologize again, but I ignored him and headed into a side office. I called, but her phone rang a few times and went to voicemail. I texted her, but she didn’t reply. I gave it five minutes. Still nothing.

I opened the group chat.

West:

Has anyone heard from Ember recently?

I waited,pacing the office. My heart kept pounding, and I felt jittery like I’d drunk too much espresso.

The group chat pinged five minutes later.

Alejandro:

Nope, been cooking all afternoon. What’s wrong?

West:

I don’t know. But something’s wrong and she’s not answering her phone.

I waitedfor the alpha to tell me I was overreacting.

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