Aurum groaned. “Dude, don’tactfriendly.Befriendly. Are you trying to fail on purpose?”
I was not in the mood to take a verbal smackdown from my irritating younger brother. I sighed, pushing up my glasses. “Aurum, I am exhausted. Can we save this conversation for later?”
Once again, Mylo came to my rescue. He put his hand on Aurum’s arm. “Let’s give Jade a break. It was a busy day.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Aurum admitted. “Besides, we gotta put Kiara and Desiree to bed. Don’t we, you little stinkers?”
The girls yawned and burrowed closer together in Mylo’s arms. Despite my fatigue and annoyance at their alpha father, gazing at the ferret twins lifted my spirits. I was happy to be their uncle.
But being an uncle wasn’t enough. Despite my flaws, I wanted a destined partner. I wanted to father children of my own. Yet without a mate, that was impossible.
And with my abnormal proclivities, would an omega ever accept me for who I was?
The final stretchtowards my room took an eternity. My feet dragged like lead, and I felt burdened by the knowledge that I’d have to do this all over again tomorrow. I regretted not holding my ground during the family meeting. I should’ve insisted that I wasn’t fit to be a bachelor. But I’d clung to that small hope of finding my mate on the Games, just like my brothers before me. Now I had to live with the consequences.
As I entered my room—my inner sanctum—I stood on the precipice of relief, ready to have a moment to myself; one where I could simply relax and breathe.
Until someone slammed into me from behind, shoving my chest against the door.
My dragon instincts flared. I whipped around, ready to shift and fight my assailant.
Until a familiar baby powder scent tickled my nose. The fire in my chest died, and my muscles went limp.
“Alaric?” I said incredulously.
“Oh,nowyou know my name?” he hissed, digging his hands into the front of my shirt. The aggressive motion made the heart-shaped lock his collar jingle.
He was still wearing it.
Something fluttered in my chest. After the way I’d treated him tonight, Alaric had every right to forcefully rip the collar off, to tear it to shreds... yet he didn’t.
Alaric tightened his grip. “Answer me, dammit!”
“You didn’t take the collar off,” I said in disbelief.
The fire in Alaric’s eyes didn’t snuff out, but the flames paused. “What? Of course I didn’t, asshole. You’re the one with the key.”
“You could’ve destroyed it,” I pointed out.
He scowled. “Why would I do that?”
I didn’t know how to respond. In the midst of his fury, he never thought to destroy the bondage I’d placed on him.
I felt a ray of warmth in my icy heart. The pleasant surprise made me break into sudden laughter.
“What’s so funny?” Alaric growled.
I smiled down at him. “Nothing. Please continue your attack.”
Alaric scoffed. “You really are a freak. Here I am threatening you, and you’re laughing about it.”
I shrugged. “What can I say? I like your intensity.”
Alaric’s eyes widened. A dash of pink bloomed across his cheeks before he scowled harder. “I don’t think so, you silver-tongued bastard. You’re not getting away with it that easily. I demand an explanation for the stunt you pulled earlier.”
I couldn’t help but be charmed by his arrogance. Alaric had broken into my room for a second time, and still had the audacity to interrogate me.
His claws tightened in my shirt. The way he pushed his body up against mine sent ripples of heat through me. Was he aware of how close we were? Or was he too angry to notice?
