4

ASTRID

When my brother said he was sending me up here, he conveniently forgot to mention how fucking hot the guys who run the security team are. I’m talking breath stealing, heart stopping, reality defying hotness- when I got dropped off here, I had no idea I was practically stepping into a Chippendale’s calendar. Sure, I might’ve been a little resistant about leaving Denver and missing out on battle preparations there, but now that I know I’m going to be shacking up with a Jason Momoa lookalike for the next few weeks? I’m suddenly okay with it.

I just met Brock, but I can already tell that he’s the strong silent type. I try to make conversation on the ride over to Riverton, but all he gives me in return are grunts and one-word answers. It doesn’t bother me, though- we don’t really know each other yet, and I’m sure he’ll warm up eventually. I’ll just kill him with kindness until he does.

We arrive at the packhouse in Riverton and Brock hauls two of my four large suitcases out of the trunk of his Escalade, leading me up the front walk and inside. As I step over the threshold, I look around, taking it all in- the packhouse in Riverton is a lot smaller than Denver’s, but it’s well maintained and far cozier. There’s an enormous great room straight ahead full of comfortable looking furniture, likely for pack gatherings. The open concept kitchen and dining room sit to the right, and to the left there’s a staircase and a lower hallway- both likely leading to the bedrooms.

“Brent! Jared!” Brock barks out, and I jump a little bit, startled.

A few moments later, two guys appear from a corridor between the kitchen and dining room that I hadn’t noticed before- and seriously, are all of the guys here just drop dead gorgeous? One of them is definitely related to Brock; he’s got the same olive skin tone, emerald eyes, and harsh jawline. There are some distinct differences, though. Brock’s taller and more built, his wavy brown hair is longer, and the most notable difference is the devious smile that this other guy is sporting- I haven’t seen Brock smile yet, but with his prickly demeanor, I’m guessing it isn’t a regular occurrence.

The second guy doesn’t appear to be related to Brock and guy number one, but he’s handsome in his own right- buzzed dark hair, deep brown eyes, and a killer body. His smile is so warm; it’s one of those smiles that has a way of immediately putting you at ease. My eyes slide between the two guys as they come closer, and I suddenly feel like I need to do a drool check.

“This is Brent and Jared,” Brock grumbles, gesturing to the two of them. “My brother and my beta.”

Hold up- these are my new roommates?!

I blush, lifting my hand to give an awkward little wave. “Astrid. Nice to meet you both.”

“Astrid,” Brent repeats, raking his eyes up and down my body slowly. “Beautiful name for a beautiful girl.”

My blush deepens when he tosses me a wink.

“Nice to meet you,” Jared says, approaching and sticking out his hand for me to shake. As I do, it strikes me how kind his eyes are, and I get a warm feeling that spreads out through my limbs- my ‘gift’ at work. Good vibes from Jared.

“You guys wanna grab her other bags from the trunk?” Brock asks gruffly, throwing a thumb over his shoulder.

Brent looks to the two huge suitcases that Brock carried in, his eyes widening. “There’s more?”

I raise my brows and sink my teeth into my bottom lip. “Sorry… I don’t exactly pack light.”

Brent and Jared exchange smirks, shuffling past me to retrieve my bags from the Escalade in the driveway. I glance around again, surveying my surroundings as Brock clears his throat to get my attention.

My eyes meet his, and I feel it again- that strange pull that I felt toward him when our gazes locked on the field at the squad complex. His eyes are like magnets that my own can’t leave.

“Uh, so there’s the kitchen,” he says, glancing in that direction as he runs a hand through his hair. The break in eye contact cuts off the feeling I was still trying to get ahold of- it isn’t one that I recognize and I’m struggling to discern what my intuition is trying to tell me about Brock.

“None of us really cook, but the pack takes good care of us,” he continues. His voice is low and growly, tickling something deep inside of me and sending butterflies scattering in my belly.

“There’s always someone bringing meals by,” Jared adds as he hauls one of my overstuffed suitcases inside. “We typically just leave it on the counter and everyone helps themselves.”

I nod, offering him a smile. It sounds similar to how we do meals back home, though we have a chef preparing them and groups of us usually sit down to dine together. I guess these guys are more… laid back? It feels a little bit like a frat house.

“Is it just the three of you?” I ask.

“Yup,” Brent supplies, coming in behind Jared with my last suitcase. “Riverton’s most eligible bachelors.” He waggles his eyebrows, setting my bag down. “What the hell did you bring with you, girl?”

I tuck my thumbs in the belt loops of my jeans, shrugging my shoulders. “Just clothes and stuff.”

“That’s a lot of fuckin’ clothes…”

“Leave her alone, Brent,” Jared scolds, rolling his eyes.

“What?” Brent holds up his hands innocently. “I’m just sayin’.”

“It’s true,” Brock grumbles in agreement.

Jared nudges me, flashing a friendly grin and leaning in. “Don’t mind them, Astrid. These two were raised by wolves.”

“Weren’t we all,” I smile, appreciating his pun. Yeah, I’m gonna like Jared.

Brent steps over, inserting himself between Jared and I and throwing an arm around my shoulders. “Wanna see your room?”

“Sure,” I laugh. “Lead the way.”

Each of them grab a suitcase- Brock taking two- and I watch appreciatively as they start hauling them down the hallway off the kitchen, their muscles rippling beneath their t-shirts. I follow behind, peeking into the open doors along the way, familiarizing myself with my surroundings. The first two rooms we pass are clearly offices, but as we continue on, I quickly realize that this must be the guest wing; the rest of the rooms have beds, and all but one of them are decorated simply and don’t look lived in.

Reaching the end of the hallway, the guys drag my suitcases into the last room on the right. I follow them inside to find a large, tastefully appointed room with a couple of dressers, a full-length mirror, and a king-sized bed with crisp white linens.

“Hope this is alright,” Brock says, dropping my suitcases against the far wall. He glances over at me, watching me carefully as I take in my surroundings.

“It’s great!” I chirp, noticing the two open doors to my left- what looks to be a walk-in closet and an en-suite bathroom.

Brent sets down the suitcase he was carrying beside the others, turning to me with a mischievous grin and throwing his thumb over his shoulder. “My room’s on the other end of the hall, just FYI. In case you need anything.”

Brock and Jared both roll their eyes from their positions on either side of Brent, and I can’t help but crack a smile. Brent’s cute, and the man is definitely a smooth operator. I know I shouldn’t even consider hooking up with any of these guys- that whole ‘don’t shit where you eat’ thing- but there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the view.

“Noted,” I chuckle, flashing Brent a smile. Nothing wrong with a little harmless flirting, either.

I feel the weight of Brock’s stare on me- those eyes drawing me back in. I glance his way and our gazes lock. My tummy flips.

I quickly regain my composure, settling my hands on my hips. “What about you?” I ask, tilting my head in question.

“What about me?” he scowls.

I smile coyly. “Your room.”

Brock furrows his brow, his eyes darkening. Like he’s annoyed by my casual flirtation.

Uncomfortable with the tension building between us, Jared speaks up.

“Brock’s upstairs, and I’m down the other hall on the first floor across the way,” he supplies. “Towels are in the bathroom, and we’ve got a girl that comes in once a week to clean up and do the laundry, so just leave anything you want washed in the basket in the bathroom.”

I turn to Jared, nodding my head. “Got it. Thank you.”

“Sure thing.” He looks around for a moment awkwardly. “Well, you probably want to get unpacked and settled, so we’ll leave you to it.”

I smile, realizing that I’m blocking their access to the doorway and stepping aside.

Brent passes by me first, winking at me, followed by Jared, who offers me another warm, friendly grin. Brock’s last, and he’s averting his gaze. I’m still trying to figure out why the heck he’s so stand-offish.

“Hey,” I say softly, reaching out to touch his arm.

There’s that feeling again- the same one I got when I shook his hand on the field at the complex. A weird zing, followed by a rush that leaves me a little lightheaded. My intuition is trying to tell me something, but I still can’t quite put my finger on it…

Brock yanks his arm away, and as soon as the contact is broken, so is the connection. Strange.

He’s peering down at me curiously, and I realize that I must’ve had what my brother and Sam call ‘the look’- they say that when my ‘ability’ is at work and I get those feelings or intuitions about things, my eyes kinda glaze over for a minute.

“Sorry,” I breathe, shaking my head as if to scatter my thoughts. He towers over me as I look up at him, and damnit, those eyes… they’re moss green, with little flecks of honey brown and… gold? My wolf pushes forward as it dawns on me that his is peeking out.

Get it together, Astrid.

“I, uh, just wanted to thank you,” I stammer, bringing my hands together in front of me and wringing them as I shove my wolf back. “For your hospitality.”

“No problem,” Brock grunts. Then he bolts for the door, like he can’t get out of the room fast enough.

As soon as he’s gone, my brain is less scrambled and I can form a coherent thought again. I’m a little embarrassed that I was so thrown off by him and practically babbling.

I listen to the sound of the guys’ footsteps retreating down the hall as I push the door to my new bedroom closed. Seriously, what the hell was that? I’ve gotta make sense of what my intuition is trying to tell me about this Brock guy, stat.

I heave a sigh as I make my way over to the bed, sinking down onto the edge and pulling off my black leather ankle booties. As soon as I’ve tossed them to the floor, I flop backwards, my body bouncing against the springy mattress as I stare up at the ceiling.

I comb through my mind, seeking to identify another time that I had the same feeling I got today from Brock- but I keep coming up blank. It’s a new feeling, something that I can’t quite tap into. Not knowing what it is makes me feel a little bit uneasy. There’s one thing I do know, though- that there’s definitely something different about this guy. And I intend to figure out what it is.