Page 115 of All In

Ranger pats my arm, handing me the phone. My heart races as I pull it to my ear.

“Laken?” Lyra gasps. “Are you okay?”

“I am,” I assure her. “How about you?”

“I’m fine. Where are you?” she asks.

“With Ranger, but truly, I’m good. How long will you be there?”

It’s so weird. When she was in Vegas, and I was in Chicago, we talked regularly. Maybe it’s everything I just learned that’s throwing me off, but it feels awkward.

“Ninety days is the recommendation,” Lyra says. “I don’t think I need longer than a month, but after the first four weeks, it moves to a maintenance thing to help us transition back into the real world.”

“When you were in Chicago, did you use Will’s house key?” I ask, trying to keep things super vague.

“Listen, Elle,” she says, calling me by the nickname she did when we were kids. “I have to go. Do you promise you’re safe?”

My head shakes, and I fight the urge to snap at her. She always flat-out avoids a question when she doesn’t want to answer.

“I’m good. I love you.”

“I love you too. If you have a chance to get my car from your parking garage before it’s towed…” She sighs. “I’m not going to have an apartment when I get out of here. I can’t lose my car due to astronomical towing and storage fees.”

“I’ll do what I can.” I hang up, frowning. “I’d say there’s probably a good chance the drugs are in her car.”

Ranger nods. “We’ll discuss that more later. How are you feeling?”

“Happy with my courting gifts,” I say truthfully.

Focusing on the bond, I send him and Tanner my gratitude and appreciation for having them in my life. It’s hard because I want to do the same with Locke, but I haven’t had the chance to ask him to bite me.

Ranger turns, pecking a kiss on the end of my nose. “When I sense your feelings in the bond…” He pauses, parceling out his thoughts. “It makes me very happy.”

I’ve heard of cuteness aggression, but does that apply to a six-foot-five alpha with a torture dungeon in his basement?

Ehh, apparently it does, because I ache to squeeze his cheeks and tell him how much I love it when it says stuff like that.

I blink, tilting my head.

Love is kind of a big word when everything has moved so fast.

Then again, we’re bonded.

Building an emotional bond is the goal, isn’t it?

Ranger and Tanner leave Locke and me in the pack bedroom. It’s under the guise of securing dinner and checking on a few things with Maverick and Gunner, but I think it’s more of an olive branch to give me some one-on-one time with Locke.

I toss my cell phone aside and catch sight of my ring glittering in the low light. It’s a princess-cut diamond solitaire, and it’s exquisite.

My entire life, I’ve read stories and listened to alphas and omegas describe how quickly things move when you meet a highly compatible match, but I’m still reeling from how true those accounts were.

Locke’s long, dark waves fall around his shoulders as his palms come to rest on either side of my knees. He moves slowly, crawling over me.

“Have I told you lately how fucking beautiful you are?” He smirks, moving closer.

“Stop.” I chuckle. “You’ll embarrass me.”

“You’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen.” He kneels over my thighs, and his hand cradles my cheek. “You’re carrying my fucking baby. I haven’t had any connection to my family in ten years. Bless and I talk occasionally, but it’s risky for her. I hadn’t spoken to her in probably three years before I called in that favor for Braxton.”

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