And then there washer. Westin.
She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.
No, she had to be the most beautiful woman to ever walk the earth.
Rage filled me when I took in the bruise marring her cheek and her split lip. The urge to fight, to destroy whoever had harmed her, seized my chest.
I wiped my sweaty palms on my pants. Just standing near her made me feel unsettled in a way I’d never felt—weird and jittery and something else I couldn’t quite identify. When she smiled at me, I thought I would fucking pass out.
“Umm…” Westin eyed me with apprehension.
I realized I’d been scowling at her while grinding my jaw.
“You alright?” Theo asked, clasping me on the shoulder and shooting me a warning glare.
Shit. I was fucking this up.
“Of course. Nice to meet you, Westin.” I moved further into the room and extended my hand. That was a normal thing to do, right? I tried to smile, but based on Westin’s raised brow as she took my hand, my expression wasn’t convincing. I wasn’t sure I could feel my face anymore.
I didn’t understand why I was having such a strong reaction to her. It must just be my inner alpha responding to a hurt omega. This was just further evidence that I shouldn’t guard omegas. They were too alluring and tempting, which made them dangerous. But no omega had ever affected me like Westin.
“I know you’ve talked to Cam and Theo about guarding me, but I kind of feel like it’s overkill.” She pulled her hand out of mine.
The urge to grab her hand back or, better yet, grab her and take her home with me, hit me like lightning.
I blinked, unsure of what she’d even said.
“It’s not overkill,” Cam said gruffly. “Until we know who hired that fucker, you need someone to keep you safe.”
“Absolutely,” I said, my head finally clear enough for me to speak a coherent sentence. “You need protection.”
And I would kill anyone who came near her, who even looked at her.
What the actual fuck was wrong with me?
“As long as you’re prepared to be bored,” Westin said.
“Boring is fine.”
The stunning omega smiled at me again. She had to tilt her head up to reach my gaze, her head only coming to my chest. I imagined her spread out in front of me, my face between her…
Fucking fuck. I had to get my shit together.
“Alright.” I gritted my teeth with the effort it took to focus. “We’ll need to go over your daily routine. From now on, I’ll drive you if you need to go anywhere. I’ll also install an alarm system at your home so you’re protected when you’re alone.”
“I’m not sure my uncles will like that.” She hugged her arms across her body.
“They live with you?” I asked.
“No, but it’s their house. They’re only there every once in a while.”
“You know you can stay here,” Josie said.
Westin smiled at her friend, but I thought I saw a tightness around her eyes. “Let’s just install the alarm system without telling them. Hopefully, this will all be resolved before they return.”
“If you’re sure,” Josie said before turning to me. “You better protect her.”
I held in a chuckle at this omega trying to be threatening. “Of course I will.” And it was true. The urge to protect Westin was all-consuming. It only got worse when they showed me the letters she’d gotten.
