Chapter 192 A Little Too Late

Eira scratched the German shepherds behind the ears.

"Stand down," she murmured. "Good boys."

The guards kept hold of their leashes, forming a wall between her and Alpha Sebastian. One of them jerked his chin toward the gate.

Move.

Eira slipped her arm through Mrs. Jones’s and started toward the house.

"Eira!"

She glanced back.

Alpha Sebastian’s face was streaked with tears.

Then he doubled over, clutching his abdomen. Cold sweat broke across his forehead as he struggled to breathe.

One of the guards noticed."Ma’am?"

Eira took one look at him.

"Call 911. He’s in severe pain."

Her gaze stayed on Alpha Sebastian.

"And I’d rather not have him die on my front walk. The Pack doesn’t need that kind of headline."

Then she turned to Mrs. Jones.

"Give the dispatcher the address. Tell them he’s been bitten and is having severe abdominal pain."

By the time the ambulance arrived, Alpha Sebastian was barely conscious.

One of the EMTs crouched beside him.

"How long has the pain been going on? And did the dog bite break the skin?"

"The handlers have the dogs’ vaccination records," Eira said. "The bite is on his calf."

"Is anyone riding with him?"

"No one from his family is here," Eira replied. "He came onto private property and refused to leave."

Mrs. Jones folded her arms. "Security asked him to leave more than once."

The EMT nodded and turned back to Alpha Sebastian.

As the ambulance pulled away from Southridge Estates, Mrs. Jones suddenly gasped.

"Oh, shoot—the soup!"

Mrs. Jones hurried into the house and lifted the lid from the stockpot. Steam rolled out.

"Thank goodness," she said. "It’s still simmering."

"What are you making?" Eira asked.

"Chicken soup with vegetables and rice noodles. Nothing too heavy. You had lamb stew late this afternoon, so we’re keeping dinner light."

She ladled soup into a bowl and set it on the table with a small serving of steamed greens.

Eira lowered her eyes to the soup.

After a moment, she asked, "How did you know I’ve been skipping meals?"

"Alpha said you have a bad habit of forgetting to eat when you get busy."

Eira’s spoon paused.

"Killian?"

Mrs. Jones’s face lit up.

"There it is. Your boyfriend finally has a first name."

"He’s not—"

"Mm-hmm."

"He just noticed."

"Of course he did." Mrs. Jones turned back toward the stove, smiling to herself. "He also told me to keep extra hand cream in the bathroom. Said your hands looked sore."

Eira glanced down at her fingers.

The skin around her knuckles was still rough from years of neglecting herself and putting everyone else first. She had not realized Alpha Killian had noticed.

He could have seen her skip meals at work. He could have noticed the way she lost focus when she had gone too long without eating.

But he had also noticed her hands.

That small detail unsettled her more than it should have.

"Miss Eira?" Mrs. Jones called. "You planning to eat that soup, or are you going to stare it into submission?"

Eira picked up her spoon.

"I’m eating."

"That’s better."

Eira took a sip, then glanced toward Mrs. Jones.

"Did he say anything else?"

Mrs. Jones turned slowly, her eyes bright with amusement.

"About you?"

Eira immediately looked back at her bowl.

"I was asking about the soup."

"Sure you were."

Before Eira could respond, Mrs. Jones’s phone buzzed on the counter. She picked it up, typed quickly, and tried—and failed—to hide her smile.

Eira narrowed her eyes.

"Who are you texting?"

"No one."Mrs. Jones slipped the phone into her apron pocket.

"Eat your dinner, sweetheart."

--

Across town, Alpha Killian sat in the Sterling Tower boardroom, reviewing quarterly reports before the Council session.

The northern territory expansion was still under negotiation.

He preferred knowing every advantage and weakness before taking a seat at the Council table.

His phone buzzed.

Alpha Killian glanced down.

Mrs. Jones: Miss Eira just said your name.

A second message appeared.

Mrs. Jones: She also asked if you said anything else about her.

Alpha Killian’s gaze remained on the screen.

Killian: What else did she say?

Three dots appeared.

He changed his mind.

Killian: Never mind.

He didn’t need Mrs. Jones turning one quiet moment into a full-blown romance novel. Eira had said his name. That was enough.

A second later, he sent another message.

Killian: I’m hungry.

Mrs. Jones stared at the text.Then she looked over at Eira.

"Alpha Killian says he hasn’t eaten. Would you mind if he stopped by for dinner?"

Eira glanced at the table. He had shared her lunch and skipped dinner. He probably was hungry."Is there enough?"

Mrs. Jones looked over the spread: soup, roasted chicken, vegetables, and a generous bowl of rice noodles."I’ll make him a plate."

"I can split mine," Eira said. "I haven’t touched it yet."

Before Mrs. Jones could object, Eira picked up her chopsticks and divided her portion in half.

Mrs. Jones watched her do it.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Then quit staring."

Mrs. Jones hid a smile and reached for another plate.

By the time Alpha Killian arrived at Number Nine, Eira had gone upstairs to rest.

Mrs. Jones reheated his food and set the plate in front of him."This is the portion Miss Eira set aside for you."

Alpha Killian looked at the plate."She gave me half?"

"She offered."

That small distinction mattered more than it should have.

He thought of his parents. His mother would unwrap a square of chocolate, take one bite, and his father would immediately ask her to save him the rest.

As a kid, Alpha Killian had thought it was ridiculous.

Tonight, he sat at Eira’s table and ate the portion she had set aside for him.

It tasted better than it had any right to.

When he finished, he folded his napkin and glanced toward the stairs.

"She asleep?"

"Out cold," Mrs. Jones said. "She talked more tonight than I’ve heard her talk all week. Wore herself out."

Alpha Killian stood and headed for the door.

Then he remembered the chocolate bar in his coat pocket. Natalie had passed them around the office earlier, and he had slipped one into his pocket without thinking.

He took it out and set it on the table.

He left it whole.

For Eira.

--

The next morning, she found it beside her coffee."What’s this?"

"Alpha Killian left it."Mrs. Jones poured more coffee, looking far too innocent."He didn’t say anything. He just left it there."

Eira looked at the chocolate, then slipped it into her bag.

After breakfast, she texted the research center to say she would be out for the day. She had something else to take care of.

Then she opened her messages and typed Serena’s name.

Alpha Sebastian was taken to the hospital last night. Severe stomach pain.

She hit send.

If Serena still cared about Alpha Sebastian, she would show up at the hospital.

For once, Serena would have to stop hiding.