Chapter 257

Chapter 257
Isabella

"Let's get back to the matter at hand," Richard said, mercifully steering the conversation away from our complicated relationship. "The phone hacking situation."

I nodded gratefully, eager to focus on something emotionally less complex. However, my inner wolf whimpered in disappointment, wanting to bask in the warmth of their approval and caresses.

"I want you to consider everyone who's had access to your phone," Richard continued, "I mean everyone." He paused, his amber eyes locking onto mine. "Including us."

I blinked, caught off guard, the suggestion hitting me like a bucket of cold water. "You guys? You think one of you might have done this?" No. Impossible. That's insane.

"Statistically speaking," Richard explained, his tone cautious and careful, "stalkers are usually people the victim knows, not strangers. It would be negligent not to consider all possibilities."

I stared at him, then at Michael and Kevin, trying to imagine any of them secretly monitoring my phone, sending threatening messages, leaving photos of me while I slept. The idea seemed absurd, outlandish. And yet... I barely knew them, really. We'd only known each other for a few months. Did I truly know any of them?

No, I told myself firmly, pushing away these invasive thoughts. This was ridiculous. If they wanted to hurt me, they'd had plenty of opportunities. All they'd done was protect me.

But once introduced, doubt is hard to completely banish. It crawled through my mind like a poisonous insect, leaving contaminated thoughts in its path. I felt a headache coming on, pressure building behind my eyes as the stress and confusion of the day caught up with me.

"I can't..." I rubbed my temples, suddenly feeling drained, as if all the energy had been sucked from my body. "I can't think about this anymore tonight. My head is spinning. It's all too much."

"You should eat," Kevin said, nodding toward my plate where the food had gone cold. "Then rest."

I looked at the food with barely any interest but forced myself to take another bite. I wasn't really hungry—my appetite had disappeared the moment Kevin mentioned my phone being hacked—but I knew he was right. I needed to keep up my strength. And I didn't want to argue with him, not when he was looking at me with that mixture of concern and command that made something inside me flutter and my wolf submit.

I ate mechanically, barely tasting the food, aware that Kevin was watching me the entire time. Under his gaze, I managed to finish most of what was on my plate, though it took considerable effort. By the time I put down my fork, I was swaying slightly with fatigue, my eyelids heavy.

"Good girl," Kevin murmured, his deep voice sending a shiver straight down my spine to my core. He reached across the table and squeezed the back of my neck gently, his touch both possessive and comforting. "You can go rest now."

I nodded, too tired to even feel embarrassed at how quickly I responded to his praise, how my body instinctively leaned into his touch. I stood up to leave the table, my legs wobbling slightly beneath me.

"Need help?" Michael asked, already half-rising.

"No, I'm good," I said, taking a step toward the hallway that led to the bedroom. Then I stopped, sudden anxiety washing over me. Even in this secure house, the thought of being alone made my chest tighten with fear. Imagining my stalker watching through cameras, listening through my phone, knowing where I was... it was too much.

"Actually..." I turned around, hating how small, how vulnerable my voice sounded. "Could one of you... could you stay with me? I just... I really don't want to be alone right now." Please don't make me beg. Please understand.

"What's wrong, beautiful?" Michael asked, his voice filled with concern. "Is something wrong?"

I shook my head, feeling foolish and fragile and weak. "No, nothing like that. It's just... after everything today, I'd feel better if I wasn't alone." I'm scared. I'm fucking terrified and I don't want to admit it.

"Of course," Michael said without hesitation, his expression softening in a way that made my heart clench. "We can stay with you for a while."

Relief washed over me, easing some of the tension in my shoulders. "Thank you," I said softly, more sincere than he could know.

Twenty minutes later, I lay in bed with Richard's arm wrapped around me from behind, his chest pressed firmly against my back. His body was warm and solid, a reassuring presence in the darkness. His scent—amber, sandalwood, and something uniquely him—enveloped me like a security blanket, making my inner wolf settle contentedly.

"Michael apologizes for not joining us," Richard murmured, his breath tickling my ear and sending little shivers down my spine. "He has some work to finish for his classes tomorrow."

I nodded, already half-asleep, lulled by Richard's warmth and the safety his presence provided. "That's okay. This is nice."

Richard hummed in agreement, his arm tightening slightly, pulling me closer. We lay in comfortable silence, his steady breathing luring me toward sleep.

"I should go to school tomorrow," I said suddenly, the thought cutting into my drowsiness like a knife. "I've missed too many classes already."

Richard sighed, his breath warming my scalp. "I don't think that's a good idea, little wolf. You need time to recover."

"I can't fall too far behind," I insisted, more awake now as anxiety about my academics surfaced. "My education matters to me, Richard. It's all I really have." It's my ticket out of the life I was born into. My chance to be more than just a poor forest territory Omega.

"I understand," he said patiently, his voice a soothing rumble against my back. "But you need this time to heal. And you need rest." His voice took on a firmer edge that made my inner wolf sit up and take notice. "Besides, we still don't know who's behind this. You're safer here until we do."

I wanted to argue, to insist that I couldn't put my life on hold because of some psycho. But the truth was, the thought of going back to campus, of leaving the safety of this house and the protection of the three Alphas, made anxiety writhe in my stomach like a poisonous snake. What if he was there, watching me? What if he decided to do more than just observe?

"What about my assignments?" I asked, a weaker objection but still important to me.

"I'll handle it," Richard assured me, his voice filled with confidence. "I'll arrange for a medical leave and get a doctor's note."

I turned slightly to look at him over my shoulder, studying his handsome face in the dim light. "You seem to have thought of everything, haven't you?"

Richard smiled, his amber eyes glinting in the bedroom's low light. "Everything I do is for you," he said simply, pressing a light kiss to my forehead that made my heart skip a beat.

The sincerity in his voice made something warm and sweet unfurl in my chest, and I turned back around, not wanting him to see the effect his words had on me, not wanting him to read the emotions in my eyes. It was still strange to me, having someone—actually, three someones—care so much about my wellbeing. I wasn't used to it, didn't know how to handle it. Part of me still waited for them to disappear, to realize I wasn't worth this much trouble.