Chapter 90

ISABELLA

Lying in bed that night, surrounded by the warmth of my three mates, I should have felt completely at ease. Asher was on my left, his arm draped protectively over my waist. Knox was on my right, his hand resting on my hip, while Jax was nestled close behind me, his breath soft against the back of my neck. I felt safe, cocooned in their presence, yet my mind kept drifting back to Spencer and everything that had happened today.

The way things had turned out was still a whirlwind in my mind. Spencer had appeared out of nowhere, disrupting our lives with his talk of duty and protection. I understood the importance of what he was saying, but it was hard to wrap my head around it all. He seemed so certain, so resolute, and while I believed him, it still left me with a heavy feeling in my chest.

Knox broke the silence, his voice a low rumble in the darkness. “Do we know where Spencer’s spending the night? I’d rather not have him roaming around, especially after everything that’s happened.”

I could feel the tension in his body as he spoke, his fingers curling slightly against my hip. Knox had always been the most protective, the one who worried the most about anything that could pose a threat to our family. I didn’t blame him for being cautious, especially with someone like Spencer—an outsider—so close.

“I gave him the keys to my apartment downstairs,” I replied softly, hoping to ease Knox’s concerns. “It’s just a floor down, and it’s safer than having him stay somewhere else. I thought it would be better to keep him close, where we can keep an eye on him.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, I could sense the shift in the room. Asher’s grip tightened slightly, and I could feel Jax’s breath hitch behind me. They didn’t say anything, but I knew they were processing it, considering the implications.

“Your apartment?” Jax finally spoke up, his voice laced with concern. “Are you sure that’s a good idea, Isa? He’s still a stranger, no matter how much he says he wants to protect you.”

I sighed, feeling the weight of their worry pressing down on me. “I know it’s strange, but… I believe him, Jax. He’s not a threat, at least not to me or our baby. I think he really does want to help, and it’s not like I’m giving him full access to everything. It’s just a place to sleep.”

There was a long pause, the only sound in the room the steady rhythm of our breathing. I knew they were all thinking the same thing—wondering if this was the right move, if we could trust Spencer, if I was making a mistake by letting him into our lives this way.

“I trust your judgment, Isa,” Asher said finally, his voice steady and calm. “But we’ll keep an eye on him. If anything feels off, we’ll deal with it.”

I nodded, grateful for their support, even if they were still hesitant. “I’ll be careful. We all will.”

Knox leaned in closer, pressing a kiss to my temple. “We just want you safe, Isa. That’s all that matters.”

“I know,” I whispered, closing my eyes and letting myself relax into their embrace. “And with all of you here, I do feel safe. But we need to figure this out, and I think Spencer might be the key to understanding what’s really going on.”

The room fell silent again, the tension easing slightly as we settled back into the comfort of each other’s presence. But even as I drifted toward sleep, I couldn’t shake the feeling that things were far from resolved. Spencer had brought a new layer of complexity to our lives, and while I believed he was an ally, the road ahead was still uncertain.

As I lay there, surrounded by my mates, I knew we’d face whatever came our way together. But in the quiet moments before sleep claimed me, my thoughts kept returning to Spencer, and the role he might play in the days to come.

The next morning, I woke up feeling the gentle warmth of sunlight streaming through the curtains. The room was quiet, the steady rise and fall of my mates’ breaths filling the space with a comforting rhythm. Carefully, I slipped out from under the covers, not wanting to wake them just yet.

As I padded down the hallway, heading toward the kitchen, I couldn’t help but feel a bit lighter. The night before had been intense, but it ended with the reassurance of being surrounded by those I loved. The lingering anxiety from yesterday's events had settled a bit, replaced with a cautious optimism.

But as I rounded the corner and stepped into the kitchen, I froze.

Spencer was there, sitting calmly on one of the bar stools at the kitchen island, a newspaper in his hands. He looked up from the pages, his expression serene as if it were the most natural thing in the world for him to be sitting in our kitchen, reading the morning paper.

For a moment, I just stood there, staring at him, my mind trying to process what I was seeing. This was the same man who had taken me by surprise yesterday, who had whisked me away in a car, only to claim he was protecting me. Now, he was here, in the very heart of our home, looking completely at ease.

"Good morning, Isabella," Spencer greeted me with a nod, his voice calm and composed.

“Good morning…” I managed to say, still trying to wrap my head around this unexpected scene. “How did you—?”

“Asher let me in,” he replied before I could finish the question. He folded the newspaper neatly and set it down on the counter. “We had a chat, and I believe things are calmer now.”

Asher let him in? I blinked, glancing around the room as if expecting to see my mate standing somewhere nearby. It was one thing to offer Spencer a place to stay, but to let him into our home, our personal space, without telling me first—it caught me off guard.

“Where’s Asher?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

“He’s in his room,” Spencer said. “He wanted to get an early start on some things. We talked for a while and he seems to understand my position a bit better now.”

I nodded slowly, still processing. “And… what exactly did you talk about?”

Spencer’s expression softened slightly, almost as if he could sense my lingering unease. “We talked about you, Isabella. About the situation we’re all in, and how I can best assist in keeping you safe. Your mate—” he paused, as if the word carried a deeper significance, “—he’s a good man. Protective. But I explained that my instincts to guard you are not a challenge to his authority. Rather, they complement it.”

I let out a slow breath, feeling a mix of relief and apprehension. “And he understood that?”

Spencer nodded. “I believe he did. We both want the same thing—for you to be safe, for your child to be safe. That’s our common ground.”

For a moment, we stood in silence, the tension from last night still lingering but not as sharp as before. I could sense that there was still a lot unspoken between us all, but at least there was a semblance of understanding forming.

“Thank you,” I finally said, meeting his eyes. “For helping me yesterday. It was… overwhelming.”

Spencer’s gaze softened further, and he gave a slight nod. “You don’t need to thank me, Isabella. It’s my duty. But I’m glad I was there.”

Just then, the door to the hallway creaked, and Asher walked in, his eyes immediately finding mine. He gave me a reassuring smile before glancing at Spencer.

“Good morning,” Asher greeted, his tone warm as he approached me, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “I see you’ve met our early riser.”

I returned his smile, feeling the tension in my shoulders ease a bit. “Yes, we’ve had a chat.”

Asher looked between Spencer and me, then nodded as if confirming something to himself. “Good. I think we’re all on the same page now.”

I glanced back at Spencer, who was watching us with a calm, almost serene expression. There was still so much to figure out, so many questions and uncertainties, but for now, things were calm. And that was more than I could have hoped for after the whirlwind of the past few days.

Asher squeezed my hand gently, drawing my attention back to him. “How about some breakfast? We can all sit down and talk a bit more.”

I nodded, feeling a sense of normalcy slowly returning. “That sounds good.”

And as we moved around the kitchen, preparing breakfast together with Spencer quietly observing, I couldn’t help but feel that, despite everything, we were starting to find our balance again.