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“If I could. For Paige, Angel, and you.”

“There you go then.”

My eyes snap open, and I clutch the phone tighter.

A rush of adrenaline surges through me. My mind starts to race with ideas and a list of possible buyers.

This is no different to making an incident action plan.

I must make a list of items, match them to the right buyers, then close the deals in time before the auction.

I won’t be sleeping tonight.

“I won’t come back to the inn. I must stay here and raise the funds. Look after Paige for me,” I order.

“What do I tell her, Chief?”

“Nothing,” I say, quickly. “I don’t want to raise her hopes only to dash them. This is a long shot. But go with her to the auction. Don’t let her be alone with Devlin, even if he buys the inn. I have a backup plan.”

“Why can’t I tell her that you’re selling such precious things for her sake?” Luca’s voice is tight. “I don’t lie.”

“You don’t have to, sugar. Just hold off telling her what I’m doing, okay? Can’t you see how heartbreaking it would be if you built up her hopes, but then I can’t raise enough funds?”

“Can’t you see that she believes tomorrow is her last day with us before she loses the inn?” Luca replies. “If she reckons that you don’t want to be with us for no good reason, then that’s what will break her heart.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Acorn Inn, Oak Hollow

Paige

“I’m not coming out.” I burrow further underneath the nest on my bed, dragging the quilt over my head.

I may never come out of the comforting darkness.

I drag the hoodie more firmly over my face, while I take deep breaths of Rhett’s shirt and Luca’s jacket that I have wrapped around myself.

It’s my final morning before the contract ends and the Coles leave.

And Rhett went out to socialize with his crew yesterday, rather than spend the last night of my heat with me.

Our bed felt cold without him.

I couldn’t sleep, hoping he would return.

I couldn’t sleep, knowing that when I woke up it would be the day I lost Acorn Inn forever.

Yet I have already lost the pack who I have come to love.

I truly am losing everything all over again.

I can’t take it.

I bite on the collar of Rhett’s shirt to hold in the scream.

“She’s retreated into a den,” Luca says, thoughtfully. “Hold on, I’ll look it up online. I didn’t know Omegas did this.”

“Our one does.” Angel strokes my shoulder through the quilt. “Put your phone away, pretty, there aren’t studies on every aspect of Omega care. Sometimes, you just have to wing it.”