Page 31 of Coco and the Misfits

I feel terrified.

In the past—that is, until yesterday—I would have gotten up to investigate, telling myself it’s only my imagination anyway.

Now I’m convinced it’s real and that I’m about to be carried away and killed.

So I drop off the sofa to the floor and scoot behind it, trembling, my phone clenched in my hand.

And I call Sawyer.

Don’t ask why, I don’t know. We’re friends, but the sort that talk once in a while and laugh together, the sort that talk about books and rarely do anything together.

He answers on the third ring, his voice smoky with sleep. “Hello?”

“Sawyer? It’s me, Coco.”

“Hey, Coco... What’s up?”

“Sawyer, could you come over? I mean, you, and your pack, or anyone.”

His voice sharpens. “Calm down, girl, what... what time is it? Wait... It’s four in the morning. What the hell is going on?”

“Shit. I’m sorry.” Remorse floods me. “I thought I heard someone trying to break in and?—”

“What? Are you sure?”

“No, of course not! I just… I don’t want to go check.”

A pause. Then he says, “Stay put. Where are you?”

“Behind my sofa. I mean, at home. It’s just that, at the bar two nights ago, two guys tried to kidnap me and I’m so damn scared and?—”

“What the fuck. Are you serious?”

“Yes! Ask Gigi or June or Ruby if you don’t believe me, I’m home alone, I never hated that, but I?—”

“We’re coming.”

“Coco, it’s me!” His voice booms from outside my apartment. “It’s Sawyer!”

I pull the bolt and unlock the door, leaving the chain on so I can peek outside. It’s kinda dark but I can make out a group of people standing on the landing.

I blink and gape.

Sawyer’s entire pack is here.

God.

“I’m so sorry, Sawyer,” I whisper, opening the door wide. “I know it’s too early.”

“Kindly shut up and come give us a hug while the guys check your apartment, yeah?”

I let them in and allow Sawyer wrap me up in his slender but surprisingly strong arms. He’s a pretty omega who manages to turn many clichés about omegas on their head since he owns and runs his own cafe and generally tends to lead his pack despite there being two alphas, a beta, and a very determined delta.

Said delta, Brinlee, joins in the hug with a little squeal. “Hi, Coco! We’re here now.”

God, they have no idea how much I appreciate it, though their tight hug seems to indicate they do. They’ve been through some hairy situations themselves, so I think they understand.

The two bulky alphas of their pack, Archer and Kyrian, together with their beta, Roman, bustle through my tiny apartment, checking the windows and every nook and cranny.

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