“You’re his brother. Does that make you a prince?”

Clay grinned. “You know, I think it does. I’m going to run with that.”

I shook my head, frustration welling in my chest. “I’m not going to your dinner without clothes.”

“Just wear some of Enzo’s. It’ll probably calm his wolf down to see you in them.”

“I’m not going to a meal with your pack in your Alpha’s clothes. I don’t even know any of you.”

“Well, I’m Clay. The stiff bastard who picked you up in the woods is Hunter. Everyone else will probably introduce themselves when you meet them.” His phone buzzed, and he looked down at it. His lips twisted in a grimace. “I’ve got to run. Someone will beby to bring you to dinner. Enzo, probably. He’ll want to stake his claim and all that. Enjoy this.”

With one last gesture to the room, he strode out of the shower.

“Wait,” I called out, clutching the robe to my chest as I hurried after him. “My phone was in the pocket of my leggings. I’ll need that. And?—”

“You’re going to have to talk to Enzo. If I give you things, his wolf will think I’m challenging him,” Clay called over his shoulder.

The door to the bedroom opened, then shut behind him.

I let out a frustrated groan.

Somehow, I was even more confused than I had been before we walked in.

But hey, at least my life wasn’t at risk anymore.

three

ASPEN

Since I was already alone,and nowhere near brave enough to venture outside on my own, I pulled on the robe and walked around the apartment.

To be honest, it was beautiful. There was real, rough stone all over the place. The headboard was modern and metal, both simple and sturdy. The duvet was dark gray, and the sheets were too.

The bathroom was modern but rustic-style, with that ginormous shower and an equally huge bathtub.

The kitchen was large, with nice wooden cabinets, a gorgeous red brick backsplash, and white stone countertops. A few dishes sat in the sink, making me think Enzo had cooked for himself, rather than eating with the rest of his pack like most Alphas. When I opened the fridge, I found it full of leftovers and ingredients, including raw meat that wasn’t expired yet. That confirmed my suspicions.

The dishwasher was full of clean dishes, though about half of them had been pulled out. Maybe he didn’t like to unload the dishes all at once, and just used them as he needed them.

Hmm.

Not a particularly attractive habit, but I had never dated anyone, so I didn’t have anyone except Fletcher to compare him to. Maybe most guys did that. Fletcher and I split the housework equally, but we both ate with the pack rather than cooking for ourselves most of the time.

The kitchen counters weren’t dirty, but they weren’t clean. Neither were the floors.

Which meant he probably didn’t let anyone in to clean his room. That was different. Fletch and I didn’t have a cleaner because of my scent, but everyone else in the Creek Pack had their space cleaned by the paid service.

At the far side of the kitchen, I noticed a door that led out to a small porch, with a large, outdoor rocking chair and direct forest access. When I checked it, I found it locked from both sides, so I couldn’t leave that way. But it would be nice for when I wanted to shift and run. If I was allowed to.

While I obviously wasn’t considering the king my future mate, I also wasn’t sure how I’d be able to get out of the situation. Given the size and speed of the Savage brothers, Fletcher and his pack had no chance. Not even a little. And none of them would fight for me, except my brother. And maybe Lucas, the Beta who was sort of in love with me.

He was the one person Ididn’twant to fight for me.

Our adopted parents would come out to defend me if Fletcher asked them to, but considering the mess in our past, neither of us would let them go against the king. The last thing either of us wanted was for more of the people we loved to get hurt, or worse.

But if I was going to stop Fletcher from doing something extreme when he got Enzo’s gift basket and wedding invitation, I needed to talk to him.

Which required a phone.