“You’re worrying about the wrong thing,” Leia’s voice startled me.
“How do you figure?” I kept my eyes trained on the ceiling but there was an inherent shrug in the silence before she responded.
“Just because you try to push someone away, it doesn’t mean that they don’t care about you.”
“Caring about someone doesn’t mean that they’re good for you,” I said quietly, not bothering to question how she knew what I was pondering. “Sometimes the best thing you can do is save someone from themselves.”
Leia’s answering snort was amusingly inelegant. “Bullshit. If you respect him as a person, it’s not your place to make decisions for him.”
“Even if you know the person you care for is going to ruin their life if they don’t walk away from you?”
“Wow, you’re really full of yourself, aren’t you?”
Thathad me turning away from the ceiling to glare in Leia’s direction even though I knew she wouldn’t see. “How do you figure?”
The unseeing violet eyes were trained on me, leaving me with an eerie feeling she was looking into my soul.
“You’re not a bad person. You made a mistake. You did your time and paid the price. How does that make you a life-ruining choice for your mate?”
“I’m a felon.”
Since I was still looking at Leia, I saw the shrug that time. “You are. You’re also a good friend, a protective Alpha, and a devoted caregiver. Shouldn’t it be the Omega’s choice whether or not the possible stigma is worth it to him?”
“How do you know about me? Someone been talking?”
Leia’s face shifted into a serene smile. “You watched me help my dad and the others find the location on the map I couldn’t see earlier and now you’re wondering how I know things?”
“Yep.”
She laughed. “Fair enough. I don’t know the details, but I can tell something is bothering you. Your energy is tangled, disturbed. I can feel the heaviness in your heart that comes from avoiding a fated bond.”
Fated? That..well, that couldn’t be right, could it?
“You knew I’m a felon.”
“Youtoldme you’re a felon. I saw no reason to dispute it. I’ve known Clark and Jackson since I was a child. They wouldn’t have involved you if you were not a good person.”
“That’s it?”
Leia’s smile widened. “Other than the vague impression of another heart yearning for you? Yeah, that’s it, Otto. That’s all I’ve got right now.”
ChapterSeven
Dex
Avoiding running into Otto was much easier than trying to avoid running into my best friend. As much as I loved Taylor, there was no doubt in my mind that he would take one look at me and know exactly what happened after he left me the night before, so avoiding him until I had a better grip on myself was the obvious answer.
Unfortunately, it was as impossible as it was obvious considering Taylor knew my schedule, my hiding spots, and had a key to my apartment. However, since the door lock was broken during Otto’s surprise entrance, the key probably didn’t matter.
“There you are!”
I sighed at Taylor’s chipper greeting as I slunk down the hall to my apartment after a five-hour shift that felt like twenty. “Hey.”
Catching up with me, his step faltered when I didn’t stop for our usual hug. “Dex? You okay?”
“Of course,” I lied, waving the ultrasound images clutched in my hand. “Just getting back from the clinic and want to get these someplace safe.”
“Oh, okay.” Taylor fell in beside me, talking cheerfully about his morning class.
