7. Mine

I tossed and turned the rest of the night, unable to fall back to sleep. I didn't know if it was the quiet or darkness of the room or maybe it was the lack of company and my imagination coming up with all the greatest hits of how Lucinda and any goons on her payroll could sneak in and nab us at any moment.

I knew that wasn't true, and Cy probably had a million alarms ready to blast in her room the moment someone stepped on to the property, but that didn't help the anxiety that coursed through me. Anxiety wasn't something I typically had to deal with besides the usual hating public speaking—public signing?—and fear of bleeding through every layer of clothing during that time of month. It was an annoyance I didn't know how to handle.

The clock had said one a.m. when I got in here, and I refused to believe I had gotten woken up three times in a little over an hour. I didn't know how Odie was going to get up at five if what Cy said was true. I needed way more sleep than that. I could manage the random six-hour night, but usually, I was an eight to nine hour person if I didn't want to be grouchy the next day. Not that I had to worry too much about it thanks to my hermit ways and remote job.

A door opening caught my attention, then footsteps led down the hall. I glanced over at the digital clock on the nightstand, and wouldn't you know, it read 5:15. I wasn't hungry and really wanted a couple hours of sleep before having to dig into some tough questions, but perhaps coffee was the better way to go. After all, I could nap later if I really wanted to, something I usually avoided, but I should consider this a small vacation.

Rolling out of bed, I kept the throw wrapped around me. It was now mine, and no one could say otherwise. I brushed my teeth, then ventured out, hoping they were espresso people and not a tea household. Tea had its place, and that wasn't near me.

Padding down the hall, the house had that weird but refreshing feel that only happened this early in the morning. The sun was peeking over the horizon and helped light up the room thanks to the wall of windows.

Odie didn't say anything or turn around as she carried on making herself breakfast. I sat at the bar and laid my head on the counter. I didn't know if I dozed off or blacked out for a second, but a mug magically appeared in front of my face along with a tin of sugar and a carton of cream.

Lifting my head, I eyed the beautiful mug and fixed it up to my liking. I preferred flavored syrups like caramel or roasted marshmallow or brown sugar over regular white sugar, but this was better than a jug of black coffee.

Taking my first sip was divine. The hot liquid slid down my throat, and a bit of energy came back to me, knowing the caffeine would kick in soon.

Once again without a word, Odie slid a plate to me, holding a sandwich. I lifted the top toasted slice, revealing an over-medium egg, bacon, and avocado. My mouth watered as I resealed the sandwich and picked it up, slowly bringing it to my lips before taking a large bite.

I still wasn't hungry, but I didn't care. This was delicious, and I wanted to finish every bite of it.

Odie brought her own plate filled with two sandwiches and a large mug of coffee and sat down beside me.

"How is it?"

I refused to set it down to sign, so I aggressively nodded with my mouth full, and I was sure the contents of the sandwich were sitting on my face as well.

She laughed and dug into her own breakfast. Before I was halfway through with mine, she was already working on sandwich number two. I couldn't get any more down, so I sipped on my coffee while she finished.

"Are you done?" I nodded, and she pulled the plate over to her before eating what was left of my sandwich.

I hated wasting food, but as a single person, it happened more than I liked, especially since so much food was simply not good reheated.

Once she was done, the plates were cleaned up and thrown into the dishwasher. She started it up and went back to her coffee, refilling it, then Odie leaned against the counter, staring at me.

"It's going to be a long day. I'm sure you have a lot of questions."

Setting down my mug, I shrugged. Do you want me to start now?

"Go right ahead. It will be a few hours before anyone else gets out here. They have never been morning people."

I'm not either. Couldn't sleep. I took a deep breath, trying to decide where I wanted to start. My job? Do they know? I didn't really care, but I wanted to know if I would have a big issue to handle once I got back—if I got back.

"Part of the policy dictates that they be informed. It's considered an approved absence, although you won't get paid for any of it. You're guaranteed the position back if you aren't convicted."

That's better than I expected. Great. And if I am convicted?

"Prison. I thought that was obvious. Ours aren't as bad as the Human ones, but you'd be stuck with mostly Alphas. That could be an advantage or a disadvantage, depending how you played it." Odie refilled her cup again, adding a bit of sugar and cream, before moving to the living room. I followed her to the comfy couch. She took the large one, and I sat on the two-seater.

I'll worry about that if it happens. I'm innocent, not that anyone cares.

"We know. My father is dramatic, and I always had a bad feeling about Lucinda. I obviously don't have the full story, but if Ellie says you saved her, then that's what you did."

My mouth hung open at her admission. Cy had hinted at it, but hearing it outright from Odie was entirely different. Now if we could get Gerard to get his head out of his ass…

You actually believe us?

"Of course. Ellie isn't known to lie." I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, and a little of the anxiety flew away. "Can you tell me the rest? From the beginning. I want every detail so I can tell them to shove it when the time comes."

I laughed and nodded before diving into the story, refusing to leave anything out. It was exhausting "talking" this much, but Odie kept up fairly well. A few parts needed repeating or rewording, and she made sure to reiterate it all back to me to make sure she got the correct information.

After what felt like an eternity, I was done, and Odie sat in silence, soaking the final bits in.

"That's not how it should have been handled. That will help your case. He overreacted, especially since Ellie let him know what was going on through text. However, he is the aid to the council, so he will have strings he can pull. That doesn't mean much when we do have policies and procedures in place. He broke some rules that we had set with the Humans, so you can worry less about going to prison." She smiled at me, and I believed every word she said.

Thank you. I don't know what I would do if I was locked up like that. I completely changed course as a question popped into my mind. Why are you being so nice to me? I know I saved your sister, but that doesn't mean you have to be this nice.

"It's like Ellie said. We are dicks, but we aren't mean. You don't deserve any ire. Cy is a whole other thing. She's prickly even to Ellie and me."

Prickly is a kind word for it.

Her laugh boomed through the house, and I was worried it would wake Ellie and Cy up. "It is.

She's my best friend though and wouldn't let anything happen to any of us."

Cameras, alarms, and booby traps?

"Everything you could imagine. We were watching as you all pulled up, so we got a gist of the situation before getting involved."

My mouth turned into an O. I had wondered why they hadn't heard all the commotion. That makes more sense than them being a pair of deaf Alphas.

So if I wanted to sneak out…

"We would make bets on how far you got and who caught you. Because we would." Odie winked at me, and I took that as a challenge. I needed to get workouts in while I was here anyway, might as well be a pain in the ass while I was at it.

I didn't hide the evil smirk that worked its way onto my lips. Odie knew exactly what she laid out there. I wouldn't do it today, but in the next few, I'd flee just to see if they were telling the truth. The goal wouldn't be to get away from them, but if I did, I'd be getting away from Gerard and Lucinda too. Ellie would be safe and sound under their protection.

"Anything else?"

Is there something I can read on? I doubt they will be bringing my Kindle. Plus my phone was long gone. I hadn't even noticed until last night when I was wide awake and dying inside. I blamed the shock. It was probably laying on the living room floor, also dying.

"Oh, you read?" Her face lit up, and I nodded in response. "One sec." Odie took off down the hall and quickly returned with something in her large hand. "Here," she said, handing it to me. "It's not the newest version, but it will do what you need." It was an older Kindle, and it was perfect.

The one I had was maybe a generation after this, but as long as I could log in and get some books, I didn't care.

Thank you so much! Are you sure? I don't want to take yours so you can't read.

She waved her hands in front of her. "It's my old one. I like having a backup. It's yours until you leave."

We shared a sad but hopeful smile. Neither of us knew how long it would be, and I was already starting to like it here, and despite how they acted, it seemed like Odie was liking the company as well. I might have been an extra add-on they weren't looking for, but Ellie was here, and that's definitely what they intended.

Thank you again. I hate being bored. Who knew what chaos would ensue if I didn't have books to dive into.

"Between you and Ellie, these next few weeks are going to be torture, aren't they?" Odie rubbed a hand down her face as she stood over me.

Or maybe it will be the most fun you've ever had.

"Doubt it, but you keep up the act, and we will see."

I wiggled my eyebrows, then dove into setting up the Kindle. Odie went outside, not saying another word to me. I couldn't wait to pass some time in a made-up world before Ellie and Cy invaded the quiet.