Page 62 of The Alpha's Runaway Mate
A shaky laugh slips out of me.
“I’ll get Miller to pull the camera footage,” she says. “You call Nolan.”
I take in a deep breath. “He’s going to be furious.”
“Good. Let him be furious for you.”
I pull out my phone. The box sits there, small and smug, my name like a dare. It rings once before he answers.
“Jess.” Nolan’s voice is low and lethal. “Tell me.”
I tell him what happened and the line goes silent for a moment before he responds. “Stay put,” he says. “I’m two minutes out.”
When Nolan walks in, the room drops a few degrees. He looks dangerous. Shoulders tight. The kind of calm that means a storm has picked a target.
Xander, Kolt, and Declan flow in behind him, quiet and efficient. Xander checks the front door and the frame. Kolt sweeps the windows and shades them halfway. Declan ghosts toward the back.
Nolan locks onto me. The fury in him narrows, like a spotlight. He crosses the room in three strides and cups my face. His palms are rough and hot. “Are you hurt?” It isn’t a question. It’s an inventory.
“I’m fine.”
He scans me head to toe, checks again, then pulls me into his chest. Heat and cedar and smoke slam into me. His heartbeat is slow on purpose, like he’s setting mine to it. “Breathe,” he murmurs. “I’ve got you.”
Miller appears in the office doorway, pale but steady. “Alpha,” he says, voice tight and careful. “Cameras are up. You need to see this.”
Nolan’s hand finds mine instantly, his grip warm and solid. My palms are already sweating, my heart hammering so hard it feels like the sound fills the room.
“Show me,” Nolan says.
He doesn’t let go as we move. Not when Miller leads us down the short hallway. Not even when we stop in front of the monitors. His hand stays locked with mine, thumb brushing once across my knuckles like a silent warning.
Miller turns the screen toward us. The image flickers to life, black and white and grainy, but I know that place. The front of the shop.
Then the door opens. It’s Ethan.
My stomach lurches. It’s like all the air leaves my lungs at once. He steps inside so casually, carrying a box like it’s a goddamn gift. He sets it on the counter, centers it perfectly, nudging it until it’s lined up just right. Then he looks up. Straight into the camera. And smiles.
I stumble back a step, hand flying to my mouth.
The sound that comes out of Nolan isn’t human. It’s deep and guttural, shaking through the air and into my bones. “Is that him?”
“Yes.” The word barely makes it past my throat.
His hand tightens on my hip, fingers digging in like he’s anchoring himself. Or maybe me.
“Step out with me for a minute,” Xander says quietly.
Nolan’s eyes stay on the screen another heartbeat before he looks at me. The blue in them burns too bright. “She is not alone for a single second.”
Declan and Kolt both nod, solid and sure.
Nolan follows Xander out. The door closes behind them, and it feels like the room exhales, but I can’t. I can’t get enough air. The second he’s gone, my legs start shaking. I press my palms against the edge of the desk just to stay upright.
Paige touches my arm, gentle. “He is terrifying,” she murmurs, eyes wide. “I love that for us.”
A laugh bursts out of me, too quick and too sharp, but it helps. It’s either laugh or crumble.
They’re gone only a few minutes. When Nolan comes back, his calm is terrifying. He’s quiet. Composed. But it’s the kind of calm that feels like a blade, steady, gleaming, seconds away from cutting.
