Chapter 24

Chapter 24

RILEY

Gathered in the living room,Enzo and Wild again act as my bookends, seated on the couch. Enzo on my right and Wild on my left. Axel sits on the floor in front of the fireplace to my right. Cree and Reed follow us into the living room but don’t fully rejoin us. Rather, Cree stands guard at the entry while Reed watches by the window.

“So there’s no miscommunication between us all, I want to get this straight now. I’m going to move back to my apartment and start training with Enzo. Cree, I think I need to look for a different job. Working at the bar with the drunks and alcohol while trying to stay sober doesn’t seem like a wise choice for me. The temptations there are too great. Plus, there’s the other thing, too.”

Nodding his agreement, Cree states, “I think that’s a great first step. While I hate to lose you, I agree it’s what’s best for you. Understanding your limits, setting your boundaries, and sticking to them is important to recovery, and we’ll stand by you and support you in any way we can.”

Enzo adds, “You can come work at the gym.” A grunt of distaste comes from Cree, obviously, he doesn’t like this idea, and I do like to push his buttons.

“That would be great, Enzo, thank you.” Taking a fortifying breath, I look each guy in the eye. Opening myself up, becoming vulnerable, so they can see the truth and sincerity in my next words. “As for all of us. We all feel this connection, I can’t deny it anymore. But I can’t handle that level of commitment or intimacy right now. It’s all just too much. I need time to think things through, really thinking them through.” Grabbing the hands of the two guys boxing me in, I press on, “I’ve been wandering—lost and angry—for so long. Now that I can see and think clearly, thanks to all of you, I need to find me. And find a way to put everything behind me. To deal with the mix of emotions before I bring something as strong as a mate bond into it. So, for right now, All I can offer you is my friendship. I’m sorry if it’s not enough. It’s just⁠—”

Effectively cutting me off, Reed speaks from his place at the window, “Riley, all we have ever wanted from you was for you to fight to live. You have a long road ahead of you. We’re here in any capacity you need or want us in. If for right now, friendship is all you can offer us … well, we will willingly accept.”

I can see the stiffness in the way he is standing. What he said is true. They’ll take what I’m offering them, however, to their inner beasts, it’s the equivalent of having your heart ripped in two jagged pieces when your mate rejects you. Which to anyone else is exactly what I just did. However, these five amazing, sexy as hell alphas don’t even flinch. They each nod in agreement while tears slip free of my eyes as I thank each of them for their understanding, for their support, and for just being them.

I settle back into the couch, comfortably between my man bookends as conversations spring up around me like it’s a regular weekday evening. It’s comfortable, normal, and I find I’m oddly at peace for the first time in years.

Glancing down the hall towards the bedrooms, I gasp. Wild squeezes my hand in understanding as Enzo frantically asks, “Riley, what is it?”

The breath caught in my lungs punches free as I sob a weak broken, “Gracey?”