Page 190 of All Packed Up

Nic lowered his gaze to the pixelated screen, heart kicking against his chest as Tate paused the frame.

“My cameras are shit,” he complained. The blurry figure was nothing more than a pixelated shadow in his dark clothes, hoodie pulled over his head.

Were shit, his intrusive thoughts supplied.

“Hard to pass that off as anyone but a bystander checking out a possible new gym,” Arlo murmured. “None of the cameras show where the fire started, look.”

Nic looked, even though it was hard, even though his heart sank as every minute on the security system ticked by. Arlo toggled the cameras, where everything was fine one moment and then smoky the next as the gym began to burn.

He saw what the alpha meant. Each camera showed nothing but the silent gym, until smoke slowly crept into the screen from no discernable direction.

The flames crawled across the floor, swallowing up whatever it could reach.

Nic closed his eyes and spared himself from watching all his hard work go up in flames.

Seeing the remains would be hard enough.

It was a long, quiet moment where Nic leaned his head against Grif’s chest. There was no sound with the cameras, so at least he didn’t have to listen to the crackle of flames.

His chest ached like something had taken a bite out of him, a chunk from his lungs missing and hurting like an actual wound.

Wendy’s scent was sour with worry but that didn’t stop him from taking it in anyway. It offered a little comfort in the chaos of emotion, and something about having Grif there, offering his support, made it all surreal.

Once upon a time he thought he’d left Griffith in the past, for his own good. And yet here he was, even though Nic didn’t deserve him.

“So what’s the plan?” Tate asked long after Arlo had stopped the recording.

“We know our apartments aren’t safe.”

Even if the building itself had been broken into and not their individual places, the alphas would have scented Wendy near both of their doors. Would know C70 was just as guilty as C69.

Nic couldn’t imagine it would take too much to figure out who lived down the hall from him. Which meant they could assume Tate and Arlo were compromised too.

And if the alphas were on some kind of vengeance streak…

“I think we should go check on The Big Stretch,” Nic announced. “Make sure your rescues are safe. And after, we can find a hotel or something. The gym…” Was already gone. “I can deal with that later.”

He sat up, wiped the remnants of Wendy’s tears away, and pecked her on the lips. “Let’s get ready.”

The others looked like they wanted to argue, but Nic didn’t give them the chance.

One by one they crawled out of the tent and made their way to their rooms, where they packed a hasty bag.

Nic’s thoughts were swirling, and he still hadn’t managed to organize them in any way by the time he zipped his bag closed. Wendy trailed closer, dropping her full backpack on the bed and laid a hand on his shoulder.

“Did you pack more than dildos this time?” Nic found himself asking on a choked voice.

Wendy laughed softly as she wrapped her arms around his waist from behind and nuzzled her cheek into his back. “Hey, you never know what I might be packing in there.”

Their chuckles died down, and Wendy squeezed her arms around him.

“I’m sorry,” Nic said softly, speaking down at her hands as she twined her fingers together. “This isn’t how I imagined spending the last of your heat together.”

“Nic.” Wendy’s voice was stern. “Don’t apologize.”

“I am anyway,” he countered. “I wanted to give you something different than those damn alphas—”

“And you have, Nic. You have,” she urged, pressing her forehead into his back. “This heat was the best I’ve ever experienced. Ever.”