Page 18 of Heroes & Hitmen (Windy City Wolfpack #1)

Miley

When it feels like things are falling apart around me, I tend to grasp for something I can control. Right now, that’s this space– an apartment that’s twice the size of my old one, but somehow still feels claustrophobic.

I’ve been moving nonstop since Ares left this morning, unpacking boxes and carefully arranging everything in an effort to keep my hands busy and mind distracted.

The boring, lifeless art that hung on the walls is gone, swapped out for my classic prints of Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn.

My books now fill the shelves bracketing the TV, my blush pink throw pillows softening the harsh lines of the designer couch across from it.

Organization is my armor. Keep busy, keep control.

Except I’ve finished unpacking my things and moved on to Ares’, and every shirt I fold feels like a trap I didn’t see coming.

They smell like him. Woodsy, a little smoky, clean and masculine.

Downright addictive. It’s ridiculous how much that scent messes with my head as I meticulously line the dresser drawer with his clothes, ensuring everything has a place.

My life may be a mess, but at least I can make my environment neat and tidy.

I’m so in the zone that a sudden sharp knock at the front door makes me jump, my heart leaping into my throat. Because when you’re living on borrowed time, surprises aren’t fun.

As I speed-walk from the bedroom, a thousand worst-case scenarios stampede through my brain– how Ares’ meeting with my father could’ve gone wrong, how Alpha could’ve already sniffed out our lie– but when I open the door, the grim reaper isn’t waiting on the other side.

Instead, I’m greeted by four familiar faces, my sisters eagerly crowding around the doorway, buzzing with excitement.

“What are you guys doing here?” I ask breathlessly, blinking back at them.

“We came to congratulate you!” Blake chirps, surging forward and practically tackling me with a hug.

I can’t help but giggle as I squeeze her back, relief crashing through me.

“You smell different,” she remarks as she pulls away from the embrace, wrinkling her freckled nose. “Like a boy.”

My cheeks heat, an embarrassed flush crawling up my neck.

The way Ares made me rub up against him this morning has me cringing every time I think about it.

It shouldn’t have affected me the way it did– him touching me through my clothes, nuzzling into my neck.

Those simple gestures should’ve been harmless, but it seems everything about Ares Raines is hazardous to my health.

“Of course she smells like him,” Charlie snorts, bulldozing her way inside behind Blake and giving me a knowing smirk. “They’ve probably been bonding all night.”

I make a strangled sound. “Jesus, Charlie.”

“What?” she laughs, looking past me to scan the apartment like she’s hunting for proof of sin. “Is he here?”

“No, just me.”

Her face falls in momentary disappointment, but her mood rebounds instantly when she refocuses on me, beaming a smile and holding up a paper bag. “Well, we come bearing gifts!”

I zero in on the logo for the candy shop in Watertower Place and instantly start salivating, making grabby hands for the bag. She passes it over and I quickly move aside, waving for the others to come in.

Drew trails behind Charlie shyly, gaze darting around my new apartment.

She’s only seventeen, still technically off-limits to most of our sister shenanigans, so her presence at my door is the most unexpected.

I shoot Jordan a questioning look as she brings up the rear, and she’s quick to fill me in.

“Found her scoping out your old place downstairs,” she provides, stepping inside holding something even better than candy– and considering how insatiable my sweet tooth is, that’s saying something.

The sight of my potted plant clasped in her grip almost brings tears to my eyes, the tightness in my chest loosening as a flood of warmth surges through me.

That plant is the missing piece– the last thing I need to make this place truly feel like home.

I throw my arms around Jordan, suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. She laughs as she hugs me back one-handed with the plant pinned awkwardly between us, then pulls away to level me with a glare.

“So, you find your fated mate and suddenly can’t answer your phone?”

“Sorry, I’ve been busy unpacking,” I breathe as I take the plant from her, ushering her inside. “I honestly don’t even know where I left it.”

“Uh huh,” she scoffs as I kick the door closed, cocking a brow. “I see how it is.”

“Shut up,” I laugh, giving her a playful shove.

“Dang, you look like you’re already all moved in,” Charlie comments as she wanders toward the living room.

“Getting there,” I sigh as we all move further inside, my sisters’ footsteps and laughter breathing new life into the apartment.

“This place is really nice,” Blake gushes, looking around wide-eyed.

“Make yourselves at home,” I say casually, dropping the candy bag on the coffee table and setting my plant on the windowsill where the afternoon sun hits just right.

Not that they need the invitation. Within minutes, my sisters are sprawled out on the couches and chairs like they live here, rifling through the candy and gossiping as if it’s just another Sunday.

For a few minutes, I let myself pretend it is.

Then the questions start.

“So, what’s he like?” Charlie asks, tearing into a bag of gummy bears and popping one into her mouth.

“Tell us everything ,” Blake chimes in excitedly.

“Well,” I start, voice catching as I scramble for how to respond. Lying to my father was easy, but lying to my sisters just feels wrong . “Honestly, I’m a little overwhelmed.”

“Totally understandable,” Charlie replies with a sympathetic nod, passing me the bag of gummy bears like sugar can fix everything. “I’m sure Alpha didn’t take it well.”

I wince as I reach into the bag. “Understatement of the century. ”

“I bet he was furious,” Jordan remarks as she unwraps a lollipop, the corner of her mouth lifting in amusement.

She’s been suspiciously quiet since she settled onto the chair by the window, but the thought of our father being bested by fate has her dark eyes shining with vindication.

“I would’ve paid to see how it felt for him to have his choices taken away, for once. ”

“Yeah, well, he’s already spun it in his favor,” I mutter, popping a gummy into my mouth and chomping down on it bitterly.

“You can say that again,” Charlie chuckles. “Everyone’s talking about how fate blessed one of the Alpha’s daughters.”

“What does the fated bond feel like?” Blake asks, green eyes wide and earnest.

I glance away, fiddling with the edge of the little plastic bag in my hands. “Well, it’s…” I trail off, suddenly at a loss for how to answer.

This is why Ares said we needed to get our story straight– because it’s only the first day, and I’m already cracking under pressure. His words from earlier resurface in my mind, and suddenly I’m reciting them verbatim, hoping my delivery is convincing.

“There’s sparks when we touch, and our wolves are intensely drawn to one another,” I say, forcing a smile. “But most of all, I can’t stop thinking about him.”

The room fills with a collective swoon from my sisters– all except Jordan. She’s eyeing me a little too suspiciously as she sucks on her lollipop, as if she can see straight through the facade I’m putting on. She knows me too well.

“That’s so romantic!” Blake gushes, clutching a hand to her heart as she flops back against the cushions.

I nod, but the ache in my chest is real.

“So, when do we get to meet him?” Charlie probes, wagging her brows.

“Soon,” I reply with a soft laugh.

“I’ve already met him,” Jordan announces smugly.

Everyone’s heads whip in her direction, surprise playing on their faces.

“When?” Blake asks.

Jordan shrugs a slender shoulder, pulling the sucker from her mouth with a loud pop. “Yesterday, down in the lobby. He must’ve already felt the bond, because he was asking about Miley. And I can confirm that he’s hot as hell. Alpha energy, too. ”

Blake, Charlie, and Drew whirl their gazes back on me, eyes wide and questioning.

“He’s from Colorado, here on a contract,” I say, stuffing a handful of gummy bears into my mouth and shifting my weight uncomfortably.

“Is he Alpha of his pack?” Charlie probes.

“I… don’t know, actually,” I mutter as I chew. “We’re still getting to know each other.”

“So are you moving to Colorado, then?” Drew asks.

“Why, you trying to get rid of me so you can claim my old apartment?” I tease, subtly changing the subject.

Her cheeks redden. “I was just checking it out, seeing what I’ll need when I move in,” she replies sheepishly.

“I’m only giving you shit,” I say with a sly smile, nudging her foot with mine.

Drew’s lips tip up. “I know. I’m just excited to have my own place and start my life.”

The rest of us exchange a look, the energy in the room immediately souring.

Sweet, innocent Drew thinks moving into that apartment means freedom, but the four of us know better.

We’re not just normal girls, we’re Alpha’s daughters.

Turning eighteen doesn’t make us adults, it makes us commodities, subject to perusals and forced pairings to further our father’s business agenda. We’re all just pawns on his chessboard.

Well, unless we lie about a fated mate bond and call checkmate.

The full weight of what I’ve done hasn’t fully settled on me yet, but I already know how this is bound to end. Alpha always wins.

“Well, if fate’s bestowing blessings on our pack, then maybe we’ll find our fated mates, too,” Blake suggests, all wide-eyed optimism.

“Yeah right,” Jordan snorts.

“Why not?” Blake challenges, undeterred.

“Because it’s a fucking fairytale,” Jordan fires back, rolling her eyes. “Girls like us don’t get happy endings.”

“Well, Miley’s living hers ,” Charlie puts in, gesturing toward me. “If it can happen for her, then it could happen for the rest of us. Right, Miles?”

“Sure,” I mumble, chomping down on another handful of gummy bears .

I thought lying to my sisters was the worst part of this whole thing, but it’s not. It’s giving them false hope.

“See!” Blake declares triumphantly.

Jordan rolls her eyes, twirling the stem of her lollipop like she’s planning on stabbing someone with it. Probably me. Something shifts in her expression as she leans forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “Be honest, Miley,” she murmurs around her sucker. “Is it really a fairytale?”

The room quiets, all eyes swiveling to me. I pause, gummy bear half-chewed.

Lie.

Lie better .

I swallow hard. “It’s just… a lot to process right now.”

Blake nudges me with a foot. “C’mon, Miley, you’ve gotta give us something . What’s prince charming like? Is he sweet? Bossy? Does he growl when he kisses you?”

I chuckle under my breath while Jordan just watches me, sharp and unreadable. Like she already knows the truth–or at least suspects things aren’t truly as rosy as they seem.

“Sweet, sometimes,” I admit, the words slipping out before I can stop them.

“Bossy, definitely. He’s cocky as hell, completely full of himself, but he’s also…

strangely charming. And annoying, but there’s just something about him that pulls you in and doesn’t let go.

He’s the kind of guy you don’t want to like, but you can’t help it. ”

“Aww!” Blake melts instantly, hands clasped like she’s in a damn rom-com.

I snap my mouth closed, a blush rising to my cheeks at the realization of how honest that answer was.

Charlie leans back against the sofa cushions, tucking an arm behind her head. “Well, I’m officially jealous,” she sighs dreamily.

“Me too,” Blake agrees.

I force a smile and toss another gummy bear into my mouth, chewing like it’s a lifeline as my mind spins out of control.

Congratulations, Miley.

You’ve lied to your sisters, defied your Alpha, and moved in with a guy who’s either your best shot at survival or the final nail in your coffin.

Hell of a fairytale.