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“They already suspected, sweetheart,” Xar says from across the seat, voice gentler now. “They’ve been circling for weeks. This was inevitable.”

“But now it’s real. And it’s my fault.”

Blaise leans forward from the front seat, catching my eyes. “You listen to me, honeybee. You didn’t do anything wrong. You’ve done nothing but survive and love us. That’s all.”

I nod, but the fear still claws at me and I can’t relax.

We’re not even halfway out of the city when Dane stiffens beside me.

“Shit. They’re following,” he mutters.

Sure enough, I spot the flashes behind us. Headlights. A second car.

My stomach flips.

“Fuck,” Xar mutters. “Paps. They’re tailing us.”

“I can’t— They can’t—” I stammer, voice cracking.

“Keep driving,” Xar tells the driver. “We’ll lose them.”

“You okay, baby?” Blaise asks quietly, reaching back to touch my leg.

“No,” I whisper. “But I’m trying.”

It takes nearly twenty minutes for the cars to peel off, and even then I don’t relax until the silence stretches unbroken.

By the time we reach Silver, my whole body aches from tension. I didn’t relax the whole drive back and it tookhours. Blaise was cursing the entire time – apparently it had been his idea to take a slow drive back originally instead of the chopper because he wanted to have his wicked way with me and reward me for coming with them to the performance. But instead, everyone was on edge and time crawled by at a snail’s pace. Pleasure was the last thing on anyone’s mind.

But when we turn into the Main Street running through the village, Xar swears under his breath.

“They’re here.”

Flashes burst from the hedges. People scatter from parked cars. Within moments the street is half-blocked.

Paparazzi. Everywhere. Shouting my name. Myrealname. They know who I am.

“Plan B,” Dane says sharply. “Silver Sands Hotel, please.”

The driver doesn’t hesitate. He drives steadily ahead, not caring if the vultures dive out of the way or not, and instead of taking the turning that will lead him towards home, turns in thedirection of the fanciest hotel in town. It’s just on the outskirts, overlooking the ocean, high up on a cliff. I’ve seen it, but never been there. It’s way too expensive and fancy for me, but the guys don’t bat an eyelid at deciding that’s where we’ll go.

And I’m too relieved to question it, just glad that we’re not leading them to my home.

I want to disappear.

The Silver Sands Hotel glows like a lighthouse on the cliffside, all white marble and dark glass.

Five minutes later, we’re pulling up to the imposing, white cliffside hotel. Staff are already waiting.

The moment we pull up, security swarms, shielding us from the oncoming chaos.

Someone shouts my name. Another flashes a camera.

And then Xar is in front of me, Blaise at my side, Dane pulling me close. My alphas close ranks around me like a wall.

Mine.

They don’t speak.