Chapter 53: ​"Look who finally decided to show up!"

​"Six o’clock," I said blindly, shutting off the faucet with a sharp twist. I turned around, fixing him with a flat, deadpan stare. "If you’re going to blackmail your way into my life, you show up on time. And the second you make things weird, I am dragging you out by your collar. Secret be damned."

​Reid’s smirk widened, a dark, victorious flash dancing in his smoky grey eyes as he stood up to his full height. "Deal, Captain. See you at six."

He left shortly after that, finally giving me the breathing room I desperately needed. But the quiet of my empty apartment offered no real comfort.

Every time I breathed in, the faint, persistent ghost of frozen pine seemed to mock me, a reminder of the ticking clock counting down to six o’clock.

​I spent the rest of the day in a state of hyper-vigilant preparation. I scrubbed myself raw in the bathroom, using a scentless neutralizer block until my skin was flushed and stinging.

Then, I applied a fresh, high-grade synthetic patch to the crook of my neck, sealing it carefully under a high-collared black sweater.

I couldn’t completely erase what had happened under my sheets this weekend—a knot left too deep a mark for a simple shower to wash away—but I could at least stifle the external broadcast.

​By the time five-thirty rolled around, the anxiety was a physical weight in my chest, rivaling the sharp ache of my ribs as I climbed into my car.

​The drive to my childhood home was an exercise in mental fortification. I rehearsed a dozen different lies, trying to smooth out the jagged edges of the truth.

Why is Reid here? Oh, he’s just a rookie trying to learn from the captain. Coach Devin told him to watch over me. We’re working on team synergy. Each excuse sounded more hollow than the last.

​When I pulled up to the curb of the familiar, two-story house, my heart sank.

Stranded right in the driveway, gleaming under the late afternoon sun, was a sleek, aggressively expensive sports car that practically screamed old-money.

​He was already here. And the bastard hadn’t even waited for me.

​As I walked up the porch steps, the muffled sounds of chaos leaking through the front door did nothing to ease my nerves.

Loud laughter, the clattering of pots, and the unmistakable sound of the twins bickering over a video game echoed inside. Taking a deep, stabilizing breath, I turned the doorknob and stepped into the warmth of the entryway.

​The scene in the living room was exactly the kind of loud, uncurated madness I had warned him about.

​Kelvin and Kalvin were sprawled over the carpet, hockey controllers in hand, yelling insults at the television. Chloe was leaning over the back of the sofa, shouting something back at them, while Chleo and our youngest high-school sister, Cara, were busy setting the long dining table in the adjacent room.

​And right in the center of it all, sitting comfortably in my father’s favorite armchair, was Reid.

​He had already shed his heavy jacket, sitting in a crisp, casual designer shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his forearms. He didn’t look like a blackmailer or a ruthless, dominant Alpha predator. He looked entirely, infuriatingly charming.

He was laughing out loud at something Kelvin had just said, his eyes bright and expressive, completely throwing himself into the noise without a single trace of his usual boardroom stiffness.

​"Look who finally decided to show up!" Chloe called out, spotting me first.

​The entire room shifted its attention to the doorway. The twins paused their game, shouting a synchronized, "Hey, Cap!" while Cara waved a handful of silverware at me.

​Reid turned his head slowly, his smoky grey eyes locking onto mine across the crowded room. The easy, genuine smile he had been sharing with my brothers instantly morphed into that lazy, victorious smirk.

He tilted his head, his gaze dropping briefly to the high collar of my sweater before rising back up to challenge my eyes.

​"You’re late, Captain," Reid murmured, his voice cutting smoothly through the sibling chatter with a layer of private amusement that made my stomach twist. "I was starting to think you were going to stand me up if I didn’t come early to guide you in."

​"I told you six, McCoy," I gritted out, keeping my face entirely blank as I shut the front door behind me. "I didn’t realize rookies lacked the ability to read a clock." 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

​"Oh, don’t start lecturing him already, Kain," Chleo scoffed, walking out of the kitchen with a pitcher of water. "He’s actually been incredibly helpful. He carried the heavy grocery crates in from the porch for us since your ribs are busted."

​"Yeah, Cap, don’t be a dictator on a Sunday," Kalvin chimed in, not looking away from the TV screen. "McCoy’s alright. He was just telling us about that hit he delivered in the second period last week."

​I closed my eyes for a fraction of a second, letting out a silent, exhausted sigh. He had been here for less than thirty minutes, and he had already managed to charm the Betas into his corner.

They had no idea. They couldn’t feel the sudden, sharp spike of tension in the room the moment we crossed paths, or the way the air seemed to grow a little heavier just by him existing in my childhood living room.

​"Where’s Marina?" I asked bluntly, my eyes scanning the layout, trying to prepare for the real storm.

​"In the kitchen, finishing up the lasagna," Cara called out from the table. "She told us to stay out of her way until it’s ready to serve."

​I nodded slowly, my hand instinctively checking the edge of my collar. "I’ll go see if she needs help."

​"Don’t bother, Cap," Reid’s voice dropped into a low, rumbling drawl as he smoothly stood up from the armchair, his massive frame instantly drawing the eyes of my younger sisters.

He stretched his arms casually, a predatory grace hidden beneath his polite movements. "I’ll come with you. I’m a guest, after all. It’s only fair that I offer my services to the chef."

​"No—" I started, turning around to cut him off, but he had already closed the space between us in two long strides, his frozen pine scent—though faint—cutting right through my synthetic blocks.

​"Lead the way, Captain," he whispered, leaning down just enough so his breath brushed the shell of my ear, his eyes dark with absolute, unbothered defiance.