“Date?” Gray asked, his tone darker than it had been all morning.
“Yes, and yes,” I said, matching Holden’s brightness. “Do I need anything else?”
“Perfect as you are,” Matt told me.
“Enjoy work, Gray,” I said over my shoulder. “See you later.”
A furious rush of anger filled my chest as Scott closed the door.
I struggled to understand what she saw in Matthew Holden. A woman who prided herself on years of education, whose grey matter was consistently in use, chose to date an oaf like Holden. It begged sense and logic.
Originally, I thought she’d said yes to the mortal because she was trying to make me jealous, and I’d stamped that out when I’d forced her hand to make Holden move out. A spanner in his plan. But somewhere along the way, they’d patched things up and were on another date.
I wasn’t interested in her for anything other than sex, but I couldn’t wrap my head around why she’d choose someone so unlike me. Holden attempted to behave as an alpha and could convince others, but he picked fights he couldn’t win. I’d shown that repeatedly. And while Scott had a lot of bite, our one-to-one session confirmed she wanted someone who could take control.
Last night was meant to drive her out of my head, but she still took up space. The vision of her spread out on the bed like a feast. The taste of her like the sweetest nectar that had been created. The feel of her body, so perfectly against mine. Scott had cemented herself as an obsession, and I didn’t plan to share.
As easy as it would be to sit and spiral and plot Holden’s downfall, other matters required my attention. Forcefully, I pushed her and the current predicament from my mind and prepared for the council meeting.
Sitting together in Gareth’s living room felt suffocating. Time away from Elysia and from my kin had given me space to breathe. Reminded me how invasive and judgemental they were. Every time we gathered together these days, all twelve of us, my skin itched, and I looked for an excuse to leave.
As usual, I took my position beside Erik. The moment I sat down, his head snapped in my direction.
“Please tell me you didn’t,” he hissed.
My expression remained neutral. “What?”
“Grayson, as much as I think you’re an idiot right now, I know you aren’t stupid.” Erik lowered his voice. “What were you thinking?”
Erik’s responsibilities meant he could vaguely sense what had transpired. He wouldn’t be able to tell with who, but as starry-eyed as my little brother was, he remained sharp. There was no use in denying what he knew as a fact.
“I was thinking,” I replied coolly. “I needed to get her out of my system. It’s done and dusted and no one else needs to know.”There was a warning tone lacing my words.
Erik shook his head. “I told her —”
“Yes, she told me about your little conversation. I should thank you. You gave her the push she needed,” I told him, grinning.
“If Sloan finds out, she’s going to kill you.”
“Why?”
“She hasn’t told you —”
“What haven’t I told him?”
Both of us jumped, too invested in our conversation to have sensed her behind us. She lovingly kissed Erik on the cheek and ran a hand through his hair in a disgusting display of affection before taking the seat on the other side of him.
“Nothing, dear,” Erik assured her with a smile.
“What’s your issue with Scott?” I asked her, no time for manners.
Erik shot me daggers, but Sloan took in a deep breath and replied.
“I don’t have an issue with her. I just don’t want you getting in trouble, Gray. First, you’re getting too close to her by the looks of it, and if anyone else sees the way you two behave, that’ll get you in shit with Hunter. Second, she works hard, so let her work. Hunter might actually kill you if you ruin this for us.”
I clenched my teeth and leaned back in the chair. “Fine.”
There was more to it than that, and I wouldn’t let the topic go with ease. Sloan must have seen something, and I wanted to know what. She dealt with fertility, so it was to do with Scott having children or her own conception.
