The Alpha tips his head, giving me a look that says he’s letting it go, for now.
“I call dibs on Scott.” I sing-song, trying to break some of the tension, raising my hand in the air. Beau snorts, but Apollo glares.
“I will be the one that ends him.” Apollo’s threat is such a low growl that it sends shivers across my skin. “I’m going to lock him in a crate and bury it, leaving a small air hole so he can’t suffocate. He’ll die alone, trapped, and unable to escape.”
“That’s…dark,” I murmur, shivering from the chill in the air. “He deserves worse."
“That wasn’t supposed to be attractive, right?” Beau winces, shaking his head rapidly like he’s trying to clear the thought away quickly, but Apollo’s blank-eyed look turns into a smile. The unsettling vibe turns heated in the next blink, and I swallow thickly. “Shit, sorry. That’s an insane thing to say.”
“Nah, it was definitely hot.” I consider that for a moment, and then wince as well. “I’m a little concerned by my reaction as well, but yeah, hot.”
“Right, you three are all unhinged, not just the Alpha.” Hudson huffs, sitting back in his seat and sipping from his mug again, but I see his smile. I see the heated look he shot Apollo. He’s not fooling me.
“Oh come on, that was hot, right, Thor?” I whine, turning to the big man who’s been quietly offering his stoic support. “Don’t you agree? Tell Hudson it was hot.”
“I don’t think I should answer that,” Thor grunts, not making eye contact with anyone. For what is the millionth time, I wish I could get one little lungful of his scent so I could tell what he’s thinking. He’s acting shy, but maybe he’s just trying not to insult Apollo?
“You’re the one that dragged me out of Whitehill. You saw what Scott was responsible for, what he did to the people I was locked up with.” Apollo growls, dropping his laptop in his seat ashe stands, moving until he’s right in front of Thor. The tension between them is undeniable.
“Please don’t stab him,” I whisper when Apollo points a knife at Thor’s throat. I can’t look away as I hold my breath. Thor has proven he can handle Apollo, but I’m still nervous. Or maybe I’m not worried, and the nerves are curiosity?
Beau and I share a look. Oh boy, at least I’m not the only one watching them, wondering if they’re about to fight or kiss.
“You saw all of it, Hawthorne, and you don’t think you should answer?” Apollo’s growl is lethal as he presses the blade to Thor’s throat.
“No, Alpha, I don’t think I should answer." The larger Alpha tilts his chin up as Apollo applies more pressure, daring him to say the wrong thing. In a blink, Thor has his hand wrapped around Apollo’s wrist. He doesn’t move, simply holding it in place, preventing him from drawing blood.
“You pity me,” Apollo hisses, and panic kicks in. Fuck, what have I started with my damn big mouth?
“Fuck you.” Thor hisses right back, and my eyes go wide. “I don’t pity you. I think your anger and violence are beautiful. I think the light inside of you, the one they tried to snuff out, is so blinding and brilliantly beautiful that I’ve never seen anything like it. So if you need an answer, then yes, it was hot to witness your eyes darken with bloodlust as you talked about how you’re going to destroy that fucking piece of shit.”
Apollo’s only response is narrowed eyes and a deadly smirk that could melt the polar ice caps with the heat.
“Oh my,” I whisper, eyebrows sky-high, eyeballs wide and bugging out of my head. “That’s unexpected.”
“Very,” Beau agrees, nodding his head as we huddle together, watching the show.
“I can’t tell if Apollo wants to rip his throat out or rip him out of his clothes…” I add, glancing at Hudson quickly, curiousabout his reaction since he hasn’t said a word. He’s watching all of this unfold with a slack jaw. “Can’t tell if Hudson’s into it, either. Imagine an Alpha sandwich with the three of them.” I whisper to Beau, giggling when he blushes.
“Not happening,” Apollo scoffs, breaking away from Thor and returning to his seat, four sets of eyes tracking him.
Thor looks ready to pounce, and I can’t blame him.Aren’t we all, big guy?
There’s a history there I wasn’t aware of. I should have figured it out before this, but I was distracted. Apollo hates Alphas, but he’s doing so well with Thor and hasn’t tried to kill Hudson in a while. Progress.
“Bummer,” I tease, giggling when the guys all look at me. You would think I just told them I want to inspect their cocks with a magnifying glass with the wide-eyed looks I’m getting. “Just kidding.” I snort after a long moment of silence. “Or not,” I whisper just for Beau, wiggling my brows at him. His breathy giggle is my reward. So cute.
“What happens now?” Beau breaks the silence once it’s clear no one else is going to.
“Now, Apollo is going to give me back my phone so I can call Declan.” Thor huffs. “Then we’ll figure the rest out together.”
“Why don’t we talk? You can tell me everything you can think of that might help us take down your dad,” I offer.
“I’ll join.” Hudson moves next to us on the couch, closing a suddenly nervous-looking Beau between our bodies.
Just wait till you catch his scent. Then you’ll really be nervous.
Chapter Twelve
