“And you do?” I ask.
“I promise I will make it worth your time. Help me up?”
“And leave him to die?”
“Yeah. We need to go, anyway.”
“We?”
“You and me.”
I have to hold back my laugh. This guy’s blood loss must be getting to him. “I’m not going with you.”
“Yes, you are. Don’t argue with a dying man, by the way,” he teases, running a hand through his dark hair, waving another tease of his perfume towards me.
I steady myself for his bark, ensuring I do what he says, but it never comes.Beta, remember? He can’t bark you into submission.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
“I should be asking you that,” I mumble, deflecting my slipup back on to him. The aim of the scent blockers and the suppressors was to keep my designation, and other people’s designations, less of an issue by hindering my reaction to their scents and presence, but in the space of a few seconds, I’m pretty sure I blew that concept out of the water. Or this Beta did.
“Sorry to push,” he says quietly, not letting my natural response to him go without apologizing, which is pretty sweet. “We need to go, and theweis unavoidable. There’s a camera at the front of the alley that both his pack and mine will be hacking into pretty soon, rewinding to see who ran to help. You help me leave, and I’ll make it up to you.”
“And if I wait here for help to arrive instead?”
“No witnesses isn’t just a motto—it’s a way of life. Sorry, not sorry.” His voice falls away.
Call it a hunch, but I know he’s not lying about men like him not leaving witnesses around to talk. Hoping my faith in him isn’t going to get me killed later, I make a hasty decision.
“Can you stand?”
“If you help me.” He opens his eyes, and I don’t miss the flash of triumph in them.
“Really? You’re putting it on?” I scoff incredulously. “You’re faking your injuries right now?”
He laughs softly. “Have you seen yourself? Of course, I’m pulling out the big guns, hoping you agree to leave with me, instead of me having to kidnap you.”
“You’re in no position to be joking right now.”
Except, apparently, it’s not just joking he’s doing. He climbs to his feet without too much effort, and I look up at him, my mouth gaping wide as he towers above me, offering me a hand up.
“Really?”
He shrugs. His blazing ego is such a turn-on. Add in the fact that it’s happening without the pressure or sway of his designation, and I’m changing my mind about dating Betas right here and now. Especially ones that smell like vanilla bean.
Helping me up, he doesn’t let go of my hand as he scoops down to pick up his gun before dragging me closer to the other guy starting to rouse. The other man, the Alpha, is groaning in pain.
Before I can argue, he tugs on my hand. His strength surprises me, and I find myself stuck to his chest, one of his hands on my shoulder keeping me there.
“Sorry, this is theleave no witnessespart.”
Barely a heartbeat later, his hand holding me gets firmer, and a gunshot rings out, making me jump.
I fight out of his space. “Oh my god, are you serious?”
He doesn’t answer, nor does he let my hand go as he starts to walk away. When he stumbles after only a handful of steps, I end up under his shoulder, supporting most of his weight. I’m a little unsure if it’s all an act, but not leaving with him doesn’t seem open for discussion anymore.
5
