“You took quite a hit to thecajones, Gage. Maybe Olly should check you out before you go for Round Two with her.”
“You can’t soothe her if you’re, um…” Olly clears his throat, his voice sounding uncharacteristically nervous. “You need to take care of yourself, first. You can’t help her if your body is, um…responding to her heat.You won’t have a clear mind.”
Something about Olly’s words make me feel vulnerable and exposed.
Like I understand them, but…
My alpha bites at my consciousness.It’s probably best Gage doesn’t take her to hold. He might try to mate with her.
Not that the thoughts in my mind aren’t straying there myself, but…
I can keep myself in check. A job is a job. I can compartmentalize.
At least that’s what I tell myself as Diego and Gage get out of the car.
“Olly’s right, Gage. We need to breathe for a moment. Collect our bearings.” Diego glances at me. “Emmett and Olly will make sure she is safe.”
I snarl at the mention of the beta, and that’s when Auryn wakes up.
Recharged.
I tighten my grip as she moves to leap out of my arms.
“Ah-ah, not so fast, princess,” I tell her, and she moves to bite me again.
“Put me down!” she yells, kicking me in the stomach from her movement.
Gage and Diego move toward us, but it’s Olly who charges me.
“Safe,” he says, and she whines. “Auryn, you’re safe, I promise. Em won’t hurt you.” He glares at me. “Will you, Em?”
“Fuck no,” I say as I tighten my grip on her.
“Olly,” she murmurs, and the stupid smile on his face makes me want to throw up.
“Yeah, that’s right,” he says, swallowing nervously. I catch the worried glare of the others.
Fuck, why does she like Olly? What does he have that I don’t?
OrGagefor that matter?
“I’m Olly. This is Emmett.” He touches my arm softly. I watch as he nods towards Diego and Gage. “You know Gage already, and,” he sucks in a breath, “that’s Diego. He’s not so bad, either.”
“Hola, princesa.”
“All alphas are bad,” Auryn says, her voice pained.
“Olly’s not an alpha,” Diego nips.
I watch his expression falter at the words. “He’s right, I’m not.”
Auryn blinks, sniffing the air. “Beta?”
I watch Olly’s stance. He flinches but brushes it off. “That’s right.”
She glances up at him, twisting her lips as she holds his gaze. “Tell him to put me down,” she says. “Big fucking brute.”
A smile tugs at the corner of his lips.
