Page 35 of Lightning Strikes

I smile and close my eyes. It’s going to be tough not seeing her crazed, smiling face every day. She’s been my sunshine on my gloomy days for almost a decade now and I can’t fathom not ever seeing her again. Maybe I can fly her out here a few times a year for some girl time in the city. I’m sure the alpha has some apartments for rent that we can borrow for a weekend.

“I’m so proud of you both. Anything you need checked over or signed off on, just email it to me. If any of you guys need help withanythingjust call or text at any time. I’m only a phone call away.”

We start to talk about how many new employees they’re thinking about adding to the team and I zone out halfway through the conversation. She ends up having to go help out Miguel and I am slow to set down my phone. I wasn’t feeling anxious about this move until now.

“Ms. Miller?” I hear someone call out through my bedroom door and I slowly walk over to open it up.

“What’s wrong?” I frown as I look at one of my new guards, Ryan. He’s adorable and probably around eighteen. Or he just looks that young… He has longer red hair, the lightest gray eyes, and a lethal, lean body.

He frowns. “Nothing, ma’am. Mr. Daniels handed us some notes on how to make your days easier on you and how to keep us all busy… We have quite the daily agendas.” He winks and I lean up against the door jam with a smile. “We have breakfast set up for you in the kitchen and we were also told to eat with you and keep you company.” I chuckle as I follow him down the hall where all of the other bedrooms are located, past the bright and sunny living room, and into the massive chef’s paradise kitchen. I breathe in the glorious scents of cooked breakfast meats and sit at the stool in the middle of the other three of my new best friends.

“So, Ryan and Carter, tell me more about yourselves.” Last night was mostly getting to know Russell and Paul better and a surface area introduction with Ryan and Carter. Russell is in his early forties and doesn’t care to mate anytime soon, whereas Paul is younger at thirty-one, and just wants to work. They were all betas together and decided as a group to try out guarding for a bit.

Ryan settles at the end of the island and shovels eggs into his mouth. “Just graduated from our college after taking eight years to figure out what I wanted to get my degree in… My family lives here, I have a younger sister…” I chuckle, so he’s around thirty also, man I was way off. He looks so young. I look over at Carter.

He frowns and shrugs. “Had an intended mate, she left me for someone else. Now they’re mated and have a pup. So I threw myself into work and don’t ever want to do that shit again. I’m thirty-seven and will probably die unmated.” I nod slowly and sigh.

“I feel you. My ex knocked up his mistress a few months ago and it was… a lot. He ended up sending her ass back to her original pack after she destroyed my home and car. If it wasn’t for Mac, I have no idea where I’d be right now.”

Carter leans forward with sad eyes and nods at me. He’s damn handsome, with his slicked back white hair, black eyes, and the palest skin I’ve ever seen. “Well… At least you know how it is. Everyone else around here is sickeningly in love and one big happy family.”

I chuckle and sip some cranberry juice as I mull that over. “Yeah… Not sure how I’ll handle that. I’ve had a pretty lonely life before I met Mac, went to college, and started my clinic. I’m used to a slow, low-key life. No neighbors…”

“What was the alpha like at your pack?” Paul asks from my right.

I smile sarcastically and chew on my lip. “That was who I was intended to mate. He’s only forty-one and was shoved into the alpha position when his dad left eleven years ago. Mac and I were his best friends… We did everything together and I never really wanted a relationship with someone with a high station… I enjoyed my independence and didn’t care about pack politics. He eventually wore me down after Mac never made a move for more.”

Russell grunts and stands up to grab a water from my fridge. “So then… Mac and you had an oopsie and got knocked up?”

I sigh deeply and close my eyes. I laugh and wipe the tears from my face when I can’t hold them back. “No… One-night stand with an asshole that I thought was human.” I clap my hands. “That’s enough depressing shit. Who’s babysitting me today? I want to get some more groceries.”

Carter and Ryan raise their hands and I nod at them. “All right. Russell and Paul have the day off. Go enjoy your days, hug your families, kiss some babies… Go shopping or whatever. What’s mine is yours so feel free to hang out up here, the yard, and eat whatever you want. Do you guys need money for anything?”

Russell blinks at me and frowns. “No… If we’re selected to guard a member of the pack, we’re given debit cards to an extra spending account. We’re fine, Ms. Miller. Enjoy your day.” I purse my lips and nod and shoo them all out of the kitchen so that I can clean it up. They cooked; I can clean.

I never imagined ever having a guard. Or making friends this easily… But I can see the four of them becoming close friends to both Mac and me.

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“Hi Scout! Oh my goodness you look so big!” I squeal into the phone and Ryan chuckles from behind me and sets his chin on my shoulder. “How has she been, Tom?”

He grunts and cocks a dark brow at me. “She’s great… Just as I told you three hours ago, Ang. We hop on that damn plane tomorrow and we will be there tomorrow night. I’ll call you later.” He chuckles and shakes his head before hanging up the video call.

Mac was able to talk Captain Leroy into letting him just use up his sick days for his last two weeks, so he’s been at home packing up the three cabins with Tom. Alpha Deacon’s movers from the pack will be arriving tomorrow to load up the trucks and then they’ll be turning around and driving back here. We’re leaving all of the furniture, aside from my parents’, and keeping both Mac’s and my cabin in case we ever need to go back.

Tom and Ella aredoneand want the money to start up Ella’s seamstress business, so they’re in talks with Adam to sell their plot and cabin for a higher price than they paid for them. Hopefully Adam just buys it from them and rents it out or sells it if he’s able to bring in any new pack members with these new alliances he’s supposedly building.

I’ve been here for a week and have just been hanging out with my four guards, walking around the lands with Ella, swimming in the lake, and working out in the gym. I refuse to shop unless it’s for food, so I just hand my bank cards to Ella and she’s been buying me more clothes, toiletries, and whatever else she wants or needs for herself.

I never did buy a new car with the money from Carolina’s family, so I told Ella to have a blast and not worry about money, we all suffered from that psycho’s mental instabilities, so she doesn’t even feel bad about the décor, outdoor furniture, and clothes she’s bought for herself. She deserves it, regardless. It’s not like I’m hurting for money… I make a decent amount from the clinic and the two businesses on either side as investments… All of my student loans are paid off, never had a mortgage. So I have a vast cushion in my savings account.

“Are you excited to see your baby again tomorrow?” Ryan asks as he rubs my shoulders and I groan as I nod.

Living with four guys has been just like college life. Mac and I lived on our own for our freshman year, then we got a bigger place and had some roommates. We eat every meal together, watch TV, fall asleep on each other on the couch… It’s like having four stepbrothers that are hot and just want to protect you. Stepbrothers because they’re hot and I check them out.

Thank fuck that Mac is the opposite of jealous and he says this is normal in bigger packs. Touch and closeness are how these guys grew up being accustomed to. I’m loving it. This is how Mac and I always were and I thought it was just because we loved each other and had sex frequently… But after talking to these four, it’s normal. They did mention that it might change after I’m officially mated since apparently my scent will change, but we’ll cross that bridge way into the future.

I’m not ready for such a commitment after everything Adam did to me… Not that I don’t trust Mac and am ecstatic he’s ‘stepped up’ and wants to be a parent with me on this new adventure… I just don’t see the point. Especially when my feelings for Cal are so damn confusing. And maybe these four men…

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