Page 33 of Lavender and Lightning

“The Everton Review?”

“That’s it. My mother showed me the piece earlier today, and I’ve been trying to get in touch with Lydia all day.”

Jason goes on, but I’m hardly paying attention. At the mention of the gossip magazine, Lex immediately pulled out her phone and started typing. Now she’s staring at the screen with mute horror written across her face. I close the distance between us, and I can’t fight the growl that bubbles out of my throat at the sight of the headline and the photos that accompany the article.

MATEO’S MYSTERY MAIDEN UNMASKED

Mateo Hutchenson is officially off the market. After weeks of speculation, we can finally reveal who has stolen the heart of our dear alpha. Lydia Anderson, 27, an omega from Louisiana, has been spotted out on the town for the last few weeks with Mateo, and it’s clear that it’s more than just friendship between them. It’s unclear how the couple met, but with Ms. Anderson’s work with Grandmother Wila’s Flower Shoppe on State Street, the two may have crossed paths professionally before crossing paths romantically. Pack St. Clair has declined to comment on the relationship.

Bullshit “Pack St. Clair declined to comment.” I can tell by the shocked expression on Lex’s face that this is the first she’s hearing about this article. I watch the slow scroll of the photo gallery that accompanies the damning piece.

There’s another photo from the night they went to Freddie’s, this time in the lobby of Wickland House. Mateo had Lydia pressed against the wall next to the bank of elevator doors, his hands on her hips while her hands were tangled in his hair. The angle isn’t the greatest, but I would be willing to bet a stupid amount of money that they were kissing when this photo was taken. The second photo has them seated outside of a café I don’t recognize, laughing and clearly oblivious to anyone watching them. There are a few other snapshots of Lydia and Mateo over the past few months, but the photo that makes my stomach turn is the last. It’s the most recent, taken within the last two weeks. Lydia still has her cast and sling, and there’s a hint of yellowish bruises on her knees. They’re walking through a park, judging by the surroundings, Mateo’s arm slung around her shoulders while she looks up at him with a familiar expression of love and amazement.

“You still there?”

Jason’s voice pulls me back into the present. I shake my head slightly, taking a step back from Lex while she slides the phone across the island for Lucas to see.

“Yeah, sorry. You said your mother saw this?” I ask, trying to get my brain to move past the blaring roar of my protective instincts so I can actually think coherently.

“Yeah. And I’ll give you three guesses to figure out who showed it to her. First two don’t count.”

Fuck.

fourteen

Mateo

“Savannah?”

Lydia’s confused question as I pull off the highway makes me smile. “Ever been?” I ask with a chuckle.

“No, not for personal reasons. I worked a wedding once, but we didn’t exactly get to sightsee,” she replies.

I glance over to find her staring out of the window with wide, excited eyes. Her lips are pulled up in a smile that I’m not sure she even realizes is there. She looks the most relaxed I’ve seen her since before the break-in attempt. The late afternoon sun brings out the red undertones in her hair and plays across her cheeks to make her skin glow. It takes almost all of my willpower to look away and keep my eyes on the road, especially with her floral scent swimming around my head.

“Does the pack have a hotel here?” she asks, turning to look at me.

I shake my head. “Lex wants to expand, but nothing has really jumped out and grabbed her interest. Because of the age of the buildings, restoration contracts are a nightmare to win. And we’re not at the new-build stage of our business plan.”

Lydia hums, and my heart melts a little. She has no practical knowledge of the ins and outs of real estate and hotel ownership, but she still listens with genuine interest whenever Rhett or I talk about our jobs. She’ll try to ask questions and learn, and her interest means so much to me.

I pull off the major streets, heading for the coast. It takes a bit, but I find the driveway that winds its way through the patch of trees, lending privacy to this property. Lydia gasps softly as the house comes into view, and my lips pull up in an unconscious smile. Compared to the pack house or the other pack properties, this little beach house is tiny. It sits up on pylons, with stairs leading up to the full wrap-around porch. As I pull into the parking space below the house and turn off the engine, the sound of waves fills the air.

“This is incredible, Matty,” Lydia whispers, looking around.

I chuckle slightly, my chest warm at the peace written on her beautiful face. As we step out into the warm, salty air, a refreshing breeze tosses the loose strands of Lydia’s hair around her shoulders in a halo of blonde. I remove the bags from my trunk and lead the way up the stairs to the main level. Lydia follows, and we walk to the railing around the back. I open the sliding glass door and set the bags just inside before making my way to where Lydia stands at the railing. My shoulders relax as I look out over the water, the sky painted with the colors of the setting sun behind us.

“What is this place?” Lydia whispers reverently.

“My beach house,” I reply simply, standing behind her.

Her delicate floral scent mixes with the briny air perfectly, and I press my face into the top of her head, my arms sliding around her waist. The warmth of her in my arms makes my heart skip, especially when she leans back into my embrace.

“Does the pack know?”

“No one but me, Lex, and now you know about it. Lex knows I have a house in Savannah, because it’s technically a pack asset, but she’s never been here.”

We’re speaking softly, the music of the ocean filling the spaces between our words. There’s a distant call of seabirds, and the echo of a boat horn, but the world feels utterly empty and still.

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