Page 40 of Drew

Each person in the room took the necklace for a moment.

“He is to be considered dangerous.”

They rounded off their impromptu meeting with introductions and a few friendly questions for Alyssa. Maddox typed in a search for her artwork and showed off some of her latest pieces that Zelda had posted on social media. As the room fawned over them, Drew knew Fredrica was right. Her work belonged on the walls at Wildlings.

When the meeting ended, many of the pack wanted to go for a run as the sun went down. Drew excused himself and Alyssa, leaving the organization of the run to Callum. Even if Alyssa wanted to take things slow, he knew one day, likely soon, she’d be moving into his home. It was time to show his mate her new home.

Chapter Sixteen

The cabin was beautiful. She hadn’t seen the inside yet, but the outside was stunning. Though Drew had parked his truck in the garage, he’d taken her out to the front rather than inside through the adjoining door.

On the gravel drive, with her purse and gym bag clutched tight, she glanced up at the gorgeously etched wood, stone, and glass two-story cabin. “This is beautiful,” she breathed in awe. “This is your house?”

She’d never been in a house this grand. Its size and splendor intimidated her. What if she made a mess? Should she take her shoes off when she entered? Did she wear socks, go bare-footed, or wear slippers in a house like this?

Next to her, Drew adjusted the shoulder strap of her computer bag and shifted his armful of luggage. “Yes.”

“This must have cost a fortune.”

“Master’s Grilling does well. But between running the business and Wildlings, it took a long time to get it built.”

“It’s custom-built?” When he nodded, she gasped. “Wait. You built it?”

“Yes.” He looked up at the building with pride. “My dad helped. Callum and his dad too, and several pack members. Sometimes, the pack will gather here if we can’t meet at Wildlings for whatever reason.”

Drew had explained on the way over that his home bordered the Wildlings’ property and that it backed onto the same forest. He failed to mention that it was tucked away within the forest and not visible from the road. Secluded.

“Zelda told me you started Wildlings. Is that true?”

“My dad invested heavily in it, but yes, it was my idea. We already owned part of this land. My parents have a house here, too. But I wanted to do something to thank the wildlife. We hunt on this property. It seems only fair to give something back.”

“That’s incredible. A lot of people wouldn’t care.”

As though it was no big deal, Drew shrugged. “Want to see the inside?”

Her excitement boiled over. “Yes!”

The inside was just so lovely. All knotted cedar, with thick beams crossing the ceiling. It was an open concept with a massive kitchen. The second story looked down on the living room, and a big stone fireplace was the focal point and rose through the roof.

“It’s gorgeous.” Her words were hushed as she stood mesmerized by the space.

“I’ll show you to the master bedroom, and you can unpack while I upload the rest of your things.”

They shed their coats and boots before making their way to the wide staircase. He paused by various doorways and pointed out different rooms. They left her laptop bag in his office and continued toward the bedroom.

She shouldn’t have been surprised by the size of the room, yet she was. It was massive. A king-sized bed took up a portion of the space. A sitting area was in front of floor-to-ceiling windows. And across from the bed was a fireplace and a mounted television. “Holy shit, this room is bigger than my apartment!”

Drew chuckled. “What dresser would you prefer?”

“Uh, I don’t know.” She looked between the tall, narrow one and the long, low one with a mirror. They matched each other, as well as the bedside tables. “How am I ever going to go back home? You’re going to spoil me.”

“That’s the plan.” He leaned an elbow against the dresser. “You don’t have to go back. This can be your home now.”

“Four days, Drew. Four days. Not enough time.”

Pushing off the dresser, he shrugged, like her rejection wasn’t a big deal. “I think you’ll feel differently soon. You won’t want to be apart from me. And the house is a pretty badass selling feature.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Four. Days.”

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