The look he pins me with makes the Omega inside of me squirm. But I don’t back down. This is my life, and I have a plan. I have a schedule I have to stick to, and then I can take time off to deal with my impending heat.
I’m not going to explain myself to a bunch of Alphas that don’t know how to control themselves once spring turns the corner.
The little girl in the man’s arms whines, and I draw in a deep breath. No doubt, she’s sensing the tension in the room. I have to be strong for her. I have to manage myself better than this.
I close my eyes and draw in a deep breath before looking back at the Alpha with the glasses. “What’s your name again?”
“Eli Black, miss.”
“You have to go to the store anyway, correct?”
He nods. “For the popsicle molds.”
“You can accompany me to the store.”
“I’ll go pull my truck up,” Knox says.
“No,” I say as I shoot him a look. “Eli can walk with me. The fresh air will be good for his daughter. Dr. Quinn?”
He chuckles. “Yes, Miss Lia?”
“Where do I pick up my prescription?”
“The drug store is beside the grocery store,” my scent-match says.
I peer at him over my shoulder. “What’s your name again?”
He looks like I just shot him. “Walker Boone.”
“Okay, so it’s not Dr. Quinn. Just making sure.”
Knox barks with laughter, and I have to work to bury the smile that threatens to pull across my face. I have to get out of this scenario.
It feels too much like what happened last time.
“Then, at the very least,” Knox says as he puts a hand on Walker’s arm and takes a step forward, “let us follow you back to your place. None of us want to get in the way of anything. We all just want to make sure you get what you need and get home safely. You’ve passed out twice, after all.”
“I didn’t pass out twice,” I say as I snatch up my purse. “I passed out once, and then the pain kicked in. I didn’t pass out again in the alleyway.”
“If you have to split hairs, then you need to be accompanied,” Walker says, and my goodness, it takes so much willpower inside of me not to jump his bones just for more of his scent. “We won’t get out of our cars. We won’t follow you to your front door. We just want to make sure you get back to where you need to be safely without passing out behind the wheel of your car.”
I have to admit, I am worried about the car ride home. I live about twenty minutes outside of town, but it’s a twenty-minute straight shot down a road that’s sixty-five miles an hour. It’s ahaul, especially when I’m feeling like this. I don’t like it when I’m backed into corners with logic.
But I’m definitely backed into a corner.
“No one gets out at my place,” I say.
“Done,” the three of them say in unison.
Somehow, that translated into the three of them escorting me up the street to the grocery store, but I’m tired of fighting. I can already feel my preheat clawing at the back of my neck, and the need for my nest is greater than ever. As long as they don’t follow me inside my place, we’ll be fine.
If they do, Pickles will gnaw them down to nubs.
After picking up the things we needed—as well as getting those popsicle molds for Eli’s daughter, Amber—I get back in my car. Walker closes my door for me taps his knuckles against the hood. I crank the engine and pull out of the parallel parking space, hoping that maybe I can lose them on the ride to my place. Maybe we’ll catch a stoplight or something heading out of town.
I should have known better than that, though.
Alpha pride is a stubborn thing to override.
