As if summoned by his words, the sound of a car engine cut through the afternoon quiet. Not the familiar rumble of a local vehicle, but something sleeker, more expensive. Something that didn't belong in Hollow Haven.
Reed and I both moved to the window, watching as a black sedan with city plates cruised slowly down Main Street. It paused at the crossroads and then turned in the direction of Kit's duplex, the driver hidden behind tinted windows.
"Could be nothing," I said, but my alpha instincts were suddenly on high alert.
"Could be," Reed agreed. "But I'm going to go check those locks anyway."
As he headed for the door, I found myself hoping that whatever Kit was running from would stay in the rearview mirror.
But something told me we weren't going to be that lucky.
The rest of the afternoon passed in restless preparation. I made bread pudding and thought about vanilla-scented fear. I cleaned counters that were already spotless and wondered what kind of life taught someone not to trust help when they needed it most. And I kept glancing toward the window, half expecting to see that black sedan cruise past again.
My phone buzzed with a text from Jonah around four:Charlie wants to know if you're free for dinner tonight. Apparently Kit needs "cheering up" and she's appointed herself her personal comfort committee.
I found myself smiling despite the growing unease in my gut. Charlie Maddox had inherited her father's protective instincts and her mother's nurturing heart, a dangerous combination when it came to wounded omegas.
Count me in,I typed back.I'll bring dessert.
Kit's invited too, obviously. If she's up for it.
Speaking of Kit,I added after a moment's hesitation,think she'd be interested in a proper tour of the town? Maybe coffee sometime this week? I could show her the good spots.
The response came quickly.I think she'd like that. But go easy, she's still pretty spooked.
Of course. Just want her to feel welcome.
She already does, thanks to you.
That simple acknowledgment settled something warm in my chest. Kit would become part of something here, whether she realized it or not. And if I could help ease her transition, show her that Hollow Haven was the kind of place where people chose to stay rather than just survive, maybe she'd start to believe in the possibility of home again.
The thought of sharing a quiet coffee with her, watching her discover the little details that made this town special, filled me with an anticipation I hadn't felt in years.
Laura would have rolled her eyes at my eagerness to help a wounded omega find her footing. But Laura wasn't here, and maybe that was for the best. Kit needed gentle care, not judgment about ambition and grand plans.
She needed exactly what I was good at giving. Steady presence, comfort, and the patience to let healing happen at its own pace.
Chapter 5
Kit
Imade it exactly three steps inside my duplex before my phone started ringing again.
The same number. The same relentless persistence that had been haunting me all day. I stared at the screen, watching "M" flash over and over, and felt that familiar cocktail of fear and fury rise in my throat.
Not today, Marcus.
I hit decline and immediately powered the phone off, shoving it into the depths of my purse like that might somehow make the whole problem disappear. My hands were shaking, I realized. Such a stupid, telling detail that I hated myself for.
The bakery bag from Micah sat on my kitchen counter, the scent of blueberry muffins filling the small space with warmth I didn't deserve. He'd been so kind, so genuinely concerned, and I'd fled like the coward I was becoming. Both he and Reed had offered help,real help, and I'd stammered through politerefusals while my omega instincts screamed that I was being idiotic.
Saying yes felt dangerous, but saying no felt stupid.
The thought had been circling through my head since I'd left the bakery. Reed's offer to check my security wasn't just neighborly kindness. He'd seen something, noticed the way I held myself, the way I checked exits and parked for quick escapes. An alpha recognizing a threatened omega and responding with protection instincts.
Marcus would have sneered at that. Called it "primitive" and "undignified." But standing in my poorly secured duplex, knowing that black sedan had been prowling the streets, Reed's offer felt like exactly what I needed.
I pulled out his business card, running my thumb over the simple design. Local handyman. Security systems. The kind of practical help that might actually keep me safe instead of just making me feel guilty for needing it.