Chapter 29: Introduction
Kaya
Oliver leads me down the stairs, and with every step, my heart sinks lower. He hums a tune under his breath, the occasional lyric slipping past his lips, but I don’t recognize the song.
"Don’t be nervous." He taps my shoulder in what’s meant to be a reassuring gesture, but I flinch as if electrocuted. My body is wound so tight that I feel like I might snap if he touches me again.
"Sorry," he says quickly, clearly startled by my reaction.
As we reach the first floor, a wall of noise crashes over me—a loud, chaotic blend of voices spilling from the kitchen and dining room. My stomach clenches. I don’t need to see them to know there are a lot of people in there. And most of them are men.
It shouldn’t surprise me, given what this pack does, but anxiety coils around my ribs all the same. I’m not good with men. Not in the way the rumors claim.
And then I see them.
My heart stutters, then takes off at a sprint.
There must be at least a few dozen—tall, broad, imposing. The sheer size of them could blot out the sun.
Some are still in their training gear, sweat clinging to their shirts. Others are already peeling off layers, their sculpted muscles gleaming under the dim, amber glow of the kitchen lamps.
There are a few women among them. Smaller, leaner. But the moment my eyes land on one standing by the coffee machine, a flicker of jealousy twists in my gut. She’s stirring her drink with an easy grace, her narrow eyes locked on the swirling liquid. And her biceps are bigger than my legs.
I freeze, momentarily captivated by her. She reminds me of Camilla—tall and slender, yet unmistakably strong. Her dark hair is neatly tied back, and she holds herself with effortless poise, shoulders squared, posture impeccable.