Page 51 of Puck Your Friend

Frankie’s left her room.

I check the time, 2:34 a.m. and get out of bed. There are too many Alphas roaming around here. She may be a Beta, but my gut tells me I need to be with her.

Opening my door, the hallway is dark. I hear the soft sound of her steps, careful on the floorboards, followed by the fridge downstairs creaking open a moment later.

I pull my hoodie from the chair, toss it on over my bare chest, then hurry down the stairs. I follow the faint glow bleeding out from the kitchen.

She sits on the floor, knees bent, leaning against the cabinets. A bag of frozen peas is pressed to her nape. The light over the range glows softly behind her. She doesn’t see me until I step inside.

Her head tilts as a tired smile pulls at her lips. “Couldn’t sleep?”

I nod. “Heard something. Guess I got curious.”

She shifts the peas to her lap. Her eyes are half-lidded with dark circles under them. “I didn’t mean to wake anyone.”

I shake my head and step closer. “You didn’t.” I crouch down next to her. “You okay?”

Frankie offers me a flat smile. “Just hot. Felt like my skin was buzzing.” She lifts the peas again and presses them to the nape of her neck.

I sit beside her. “Yeah. I get like that sometimes.”

We sit there for a minute, quiet except for the soft tick of the fridge motor.

She gives a whisper of a laugh. “This house feels like too much. They must spend a fortune on cleaners.”

I glance over. “Yeah. It’s a lot. I prefer our house. It’s the perfect size.”

Frankie nods. “Your house is nice. I liked your guys’ nest room. I haven’t slept that good in a long time.”

Her bringing up the nest room twists my stomach. I want to say something, like her being there felt right, but that’s probably out of line.

The fridge kicks off. The silence stretches.

I stand and offer a hand.“Come on,” I motion with my head. “Let’s get you back upstairs.”

She grasps it and lets me pull her up. I steady her when she sways a little. I take the peas from her and toss them onto the counter.

Frankie doesn’t argue and leans into me as we walk through the living room and toward the stairs.

I guide her up, keeping one step behind in case she stumbles. When we reach the hall, she turns toward her room.

I open her door and wait, but she doesn’t move right away. Her hand rests on the doorframe, steadying herself. I take a step toward her.

I place my hand on the small of her back. “Let’s get you in bed.”

She nods. It feels like she’s super out of it, as she lets me steer her across the room. I help her sit on the bed, then swing her legs up and pull the blanket over her.

Part of me is scared to leave her.What if something bad happens?But I can’t force her to accept my company. “Get some sleep, Kie.” I step toward the door.

Her cool fingers catch mine.“Will you stay? Sleep next to me?”

That makes me still.“Yeah, of course.” I would do anything to make sure she’s okay.

Going to the door, I shut it, before walking over to the bed. My heart hammers a little. If she wasn’t watching, I would pinch myself to make sure that I’m not dreaming.

I pull the blanket back and lie down beside her, careful to leave enough space so she doesn’t feel crowded. Her eyes flutter shut, breath soft.

Her scent hits me. It’s not faint or buried like it has been, leaving us unsure if we imagined it. It hits hard enough to steal my breath. Burnt brown sugar and sour vanilla curl toward me. Pheromones only smell like that when they’re caused by negative emotions or sickness.