Page 55 of Cause Of Death

“I’m worried about Gizmo. What if he doesn’t like me? What if he hates the apartment?What if he gets stuck somewhere and injures himself?How will I be able to look Disa in the eye if I cause harm to her cat?”

Ah.Nowwe’re getting somewhere.

“Kier, it’ll all be okay.” I soothe, pulling my omega into my arms and brushing my palm up and down his spine. “You’ve met Gizmo, that so-called ‘little’ void followed you around like the lost puppy he ate, so there’s no worries there. As for the apartment, we’ve made it as cat-friendly as possible for him. He has cat towers and scratching posts in most of the rooms, same with beds and toys. He has food and water bowls on both floors, automatic cat doors coded to his chip for ease of access, and I swear to God that he’s the only cat I know of that has an entire adventure playground bolted to the walls.”

I pull back and gaze down at the golden eyes I’ll willingly drown in for all eternity. Well, those and one other pair of golden orbs. I’m glad to note that Kieran’s scent has evened out again, the acrid note of his anxiety dissipating into the air. I rumble low in my chest, my rough purr further easing his disquiet, and within minutes he’s soft and pliant in my arms.

Heaven. Kieran safe and happy in my embrace is pure heaven. The only way this could get better would be if?—

The ping of the elevator chimes through the apartment, and I smirk down at the suddenly flustered omega caged in my arms.

“Adam, let me go. I need to go and greet everyone, show them where their rooms are and the like.” Kieran whines, and I release him only after dropping a quick kiss on the tip of his nose. I follow swiftly on his footsteps as he hurries to the front door, which is already open, Henley leaning against the doorjamb with a knowing grin painted across his lips. Disa is tucked under his arm, cuddling into his side, but there’s no sign of the others.

“Where is everyone? Where’s Gizmo?” Kieran blurts out, and Henley laughs.

“Steve, Leslie, and Kimmy have all ventured forth to their rooms until the last of our stuff arrives. Disa and I thought we’d wait until you joined us before releasing the mini-kraken.” Henley tugs Disa’s jacket to one side, and I chuckle as a pair of sleepy yellow eyes blink from the shadowy depths, Gizmo happily cradled inside. How a cat that big can tuck himself into such a small space is a question for the ages.

“Okay, my little basement cat, time to explore your new domain. All we ask is that you be a benevolent overlord, ruling us with kindness, and limiting the number of fur balls to places that are both easy to clean and get to.” Disa chirps, before bending and gently placing the cat—whose rather large size belies our descriptor of “little”—on the hardwood floor. The four of uswatch as the feline sniffs the air, cautiously making his way inside the apartment, until something in particular catches his attention. The next moment, he’s gone.

“Well, I think that went well. Let’s get you two settled in. Henley, do you remember which room is yours?” I ask as the elevator pings once more, this time containing several concierges with luggage trolleys stacked high with suitcases and bags. From the looks of them, they belong mostly to Leslie.

“I’m in the old master suite, and you’re in the room that used to be the library. Kimberly is between us, Leslie is on my other side, and Steve is just beyond Leslie.” Henley responds, only to have Leslie sing out, “Wrong!”

Kieran tugs Disa out from under Henley’s arm as the alpha straightens, the both of us turning to stare in confusion at the smug delta prancing down the hallway toward us.

“C’mon Disa, let’s go upstairs and leave these guys to it. I want your opinion on the nest, to make sure you’re happy with it.”

The two priceless jewels of the Armstrong Pack disappear around the corner, leaving Henley and me to figure out whatever last-minute changes Leslie has wrought.

“Steve, Kimmy, and I have all had a chat. Seeing how Kimmy and I are working together more often than not nowadays, we thought it might be better to swap our rooms around. Steve is now between you strong, manly alphas, forming our first line of defense in case of the zombie apocalypse. Kimmy’s moving into the room that was supposed to be mine, and I’ll move to the room originally earmarked for Steve. It’s probably better this way, with the rooms being closer to the stairs and elevator that empty out next to our office. That way, we won’t disturb you with our comings and goings at all hours, and the three of you can sit up late and chit-chat about work shit without disturbing us. And before you correct me,” Leslie silences us with a raisedhand, “I know that,technically, Steve doesn’t work for you guys and that he has his own business. But Ialsoknow that you’ve got plans to amalgamate his bounty hunting into your new security enterprise. Just as I know you’llalsoutilize both my contacts and Kimmy’s skills, should they be needed. Which they will. After all, isn’t that what being an Armstrong is all about? Being there for each other, no matter what?”

Leslie has us there. It’s one of the underpinning tenets we all agreed on when forming the Armstrong Pack, and I for one will be forever grateful that Henley, Steve, Leslie, and Kimberly not only accepted me as a second alpha, but actively went out of their way to assuage my concerns about being part of such a large family. Especially after being alone for so long.

The rest of the afternoon is spent moving clothing, books, and other personal items around the apartment, all while trying not to trip over or step on an inquisitive cat. By the time I slump onto the upstairs sectional later that night, I’m exhausted.

“Puppy pile in the nest, tonight? I want our first night together to be, well,together, if that’s okay with everyone?” Kieran asks, and I could kiss the man.

So, I do.

I’melbows deep in staff scheduling, Henley tapping away at his own keyboard when a knock at the open archway pulls our attention. Kimberly stands there, her hair bundled into a messy bun on top of her head, pens sticking out at odd angles. A small smirk teases at her lips, and I shift in my seat as my trousers grow tight. Kimberly and I are still working on defining our relationship outside of Kieran’s or Disa’s heats, but I can’t forgetthe sensation of her lips wrapped around my cock, hands squeezing my knot as she chokes on my cum.

“I hope you boys aren’t busy this weekend,” Kimberly purrs, her satisfied expression exactly the same as Gizmo’s when he has a belly full of fresh salmon.

“Oh, and why’s that, brat?” Henley retorts, throwing a foam stress ball at her, only to have her catch it and throw it back.

“Because I think you’re both going to want to go for a bit of night sailing aboard the Prince super yacht. We’ve got a whole host of fun activities planned—dinner, dancing, a little introduction to shibari with Leslie, and then a beautiful bonfire to round out the night.”

My brow furrows in puzzlement.

“A bonfire, on board a super yacht? That seems like an invitation to disaster, Kimberly.”

The impish little gamma winks at me, her glee at my confusion evident in her expression.

“Oh, didn’t I tell you? Our hostess for the night will be Darla Prince.”

The penny drops.

“This is to provide Kieran with closure, isn’t it? In that case, count me in,” I state, excitement of a different kind rising within me at the thought of ridding this world of the evil that is Darla Prince.

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