Chapter 102

Our apartment in Packhaven turned out to be the perfect blend of a homey and upscale, a place befitting in alpha but not ostentatious.

Our bodyguards took us to a building in the very center of town, not too far from the government district. Theo, who seemed to be a very chatty man, explained all about it on our elevator ride up to where our apartment was.

“This building,” he said, “Is typically reserved for employees of Packhaven’s government, including the state offices and their families. This way, most of the critical workers live within walking distance of their employment buildings so that if anything goes wrong, we’re not trying to reach officials or critical employees from far-flung residences. This is actually one of several buildings that houses those families.”

“Oh,” I said, as the elevator door opened into a carpet line hallway that reminded me of a hotel—a nice hotel, but not home.

The scents of the new guards didn’t help either. I’d found the smell of our other guards irksome, though useful. At least I known when and where they were lurking around. But Theo smelled of caramel and David of rum. Between the two of them, I wanted a cocktail. Worse, I didn’t want to like their scents, but they were far homier than I was comfortable with, probably because they reminded me of Cathy’s warm vanilla.

This thought dropped a rock into my gut, hurting me. I missed the familiar and homey smells of all my friends. And I missed Cathy so much my stomach cramped. She was basically my only family. It wasn’t until David handed us our keys and Charles opened the door to our apartment that I finally felt like I could be at home here, at least until they let me go back to Lustrum.

Expansive windows looked out over a green courtyard, and I could see then that we were in one of four buildings that surrounded it. Our apartment was on the third floor, so our windows looked out right at the tops of the trees, offering a view over the shorter ones and into the taller ones.

“It’s lovely,” I said.

Theo beamed a smile at me. “I thought you’d like this.” He blushed. “From everything I’ve read on your profile, I mean. You just seem like the kind of person who would be happier when they could be connected with nature.”

Theo crossed the room. “Watch.” He moved aside the panes of glass, which slid seamlessly into one another and then out of the way until the living room became a virtual part of the balcony. He stepped outside and pointed over the courtyard.

“This residence is made up of a set of four buildings. It’s one of several, and each foursome has a moon garden,” he explained. “You’ll find most of the civic spaces in Packhaven have been designed to honor the goddess.”

I walked out onto the balcony and looked over the edge. Sure enough, I could see a rippling moon pool with its rounded ridge reflecting over it. Our room didn’t have a perfect view, so rather than being round, the reflection was more oblong. But I could tell that from on the ground, it would be perfectly constructed.

Birds hopped and twittered in the branches just off the balcony, and grass spread manicured and inviting underneath all of the trees around the moon pool. Small benches and picnic tables invited the residents of the buildings to come and spend time there.

Charles came out and joined me on the balcony, putting his arm around me and giving me a big kiss on the cheek.

“I can already tell you’re happier here than you were in Lupinton.”

“I could be happy just about anywhere,” I said. “As long as those vultures weren’t there.”

I turned and went back inside the apartment, Charles following close behind and taking my hand. Together, we toured the inside of our new place. It was less glass and chrome than his place back in Lustrum. And less wood and hominess than mine.

Instead, this was a space of clean lines. For example, the kitchen cabinets had no pulls. They simply opened with a push at the corner. It was the kind of space that asked for a classic wool rug and cocktail parties with jazz music.

The living area was furnished with leather furniture of the sort that wanted to be sat in rather than off-putting stiffness. The only word to describe the bedroom set was stately. The dining table’s wood was so highly polished it could work as a mirror.

I turned to Theo. “Did this apartment come furnished? Or did you guys do this?”

“There are furniture packages that the residents can select from,” he explained. “But David and I did choose which one to put in.”

David frowned. “If you don’t like it, we can always put in a request for a different package. I can let you see the catalog if you’re interested.”

I shook my head. “No. I like this stuff. It doesn’t make me feel like I can’t sit on it without getting in trouble. Fancy furniture always makes me feel as if I can’t use it without being scolded by some overbearing grandmother.”

Charles chuckled and rubbed my hair. “You have such a cute and innocent way of looking at the world.” He leaned close and whispered in my ear, “Just wait until tonight. I’ll get rid of some of that innocence.”

I blushed and turned away, asking David a question to cut my embarrassment. “Did you stock the kitchen with food? I know you said something about dinner.”

David pulled out his phone. “Since we couldn’t agree on anything in the car, I figure we can just order in. What type of food do you guys like?”

“Steak,” Charles said immediately.

I pouted. “Aw. I was thinking pasta.”

Theo laughed. “That’s the beauty of ordering in. Everybody can get exactly what they want. Because we can order from as many places as we need to.”

The idea of ordering something different for everyone turned out to be brilliant. I got my pasta. Charles got his steak. Theo had fried chicken, and David ordered wraps.

After two weeks of mealtimes being full of stiff conversation between Charles and me while our four guards watched like some sort of judgmental vultures, sitting around and chatting with David and Theo was quite the change of pace.

When we ran out of general news and pleasantries to discuss, what followed was the inevitable awkward silence. I could let that go on or leave neutral territory to ask more personal questions. Men seemed to enjoy companionable silence, but it felt awkward to me. Compelled by my own awkwardness, I dove in.

“So,” I asked, “do either of you have a family?”

They smiled almost as a pair. “I’m only twenty-three,” Theo chuckled. “I have a girlfriend, but nothing serious.”

My mouth puckered in thoughtfulness. “I thought you said you and David had worked together for several years?”

“We have,” David interjected. “I’m a couple of years older than him, but we met when he was still in high school. Theo spent the weekends moonlighting as a bouncer to save money for college. We worked together at the club and then went into business as bodyguards together after he graduated.”

“Then do you have someone?” I asked.

David shook his head. “No. I’m still waiting for Miss Right to come along. Wouldn’t it be nice if the goddess offered prepackaged soulmates instead of sending you on a scavenger hunt for one?”

“I hear you there,” Charles agreed. “It took years and a little bit of luck to end up back with Elena.”

“I think it’s sweet that you guys came back together,” Theo said. “Like I said, we read up on your history. Though I guess going back that far wasn’t strictly necessary, but I’m a sucker for romance,” he admitted. “Public record and word of mouth only got me back so far, though. Were you high school sweethearts?”

I shook my head. “Not a chance. I was way too shy,” I admitted.

“And I was too unsure about myself and her,” Charles added.

My lower lift scrunched out in thought again as I stared at him carefully. “When were you ever unsure of yourself?” I looked at the two bodyguards and explained that Charles was one of the most popular kids in school.

He raised his hands in defeat. “Hey, just because you are popular doesn’t mean that you don’t have insecurities. Let me tell you about mine.”