Dash backed up a step, barely able to breathe from the rage within. He paced the length of the car, attempting to calm himself down.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this upset overanything,Keller. I’m impressed,” Jackson said.
“Donottalk to me right now,” Dash snapped as he made another lap. When he felt a little more in control, he eyed Jackson. “I tossed your tracker. How did you find me?”
“You foundthe dummytracker,” Jackson said, grinning. “Not the real one.”
“Youasshole.”
“So, you said,” Jackson murmured, chuckling to himself. “Who’s this guy you were just arguing with?”
“None of your business.”
“Sounds serious. Did I hear the wordmatelobbed around?”
Dash spun to glare at Jackson, ready to launch a full-scale attack—but he stopped himself somehow. “You know what, I’ve had my fill of asshole alphas tonight. I’m going home,” Dash said, marching past Jackson and to his car.
“Ishe your mate?” Jackson asked while Dash had his hand on the door handle.
“Of course he’s not,” Dash snapped. “You know full well that’s impossible.”
“I’ve seen many so-called impossible things turn out to bequitepossible,” Jackson said. “So have you.”
Dash glared.
Jackson lifted off the car and walked closer. He stopped a few inches from Dash. “I’ve always gotten the sense you might be into alphas. I tried to catch your eye for years, with no luck. What’s he got that I don’t?”
Me.
“I don’t know.” Dash sighed. This was a conversation he’d never wanted to have and was less in the mood to have it than any other moment in his life.
Jackson lifted a hand to Dash’s face. Before Dash could pull away, he heard a growl. When he turned, Emerson stepped out of the shadows and into a circle of illumination from one of the overhead parking lot lights, staring at them.
More to the point, staring atJackson.
“Touch him and die,” Emerson growled.
Why the fuck did that possessive alpha bullshit suddenly turn Dash on so fucking much? It should’ve made him livid—yet all the anger immediately manifested into raw need. His cock grew hard, his body tensing.
Jackson growled back in answer yet thankfully took a step away from Dash. The last thing they needed was two alphas brawling—over another alpha.
“Get out of here before something we’ll all regret happens,” Dash said to Jackson.
Jackson turned to eye him a moment. “We’ve had enough regret, I suppose.” He lifted his hands in surrender and glanced at Emerson. “It’s all good. I’ll go.”
Once Jackson was a few feet away, Dash could finally breathe easier. He peeked at Emerson, who hadn’t taken his eyes off Jackson.
As he walked away, Jackson looked over his shoulder and grinned at Dash. “I’ll see you at your office tomorrow around nine, hmm? You can finish reviewing my file—and maybe you can let me look at whatever you’re hiding in your front seat.”
“We’ll see,” Dash spat.
After Jackson slipped behind the wheel of his rental and pulled away, the parking lot was completely empty, besides the two of them and a few unoccupied vehicles. The whole place was desolate, other than the large ships in the faraway docks. Dash turned his focus to Emerson, who stood with accusation in his eyes.
“Oh,hellnooo,” Dash said. “You’renotgoing to make me feel like the bad guy here. I’ve donenothingwrong.”
Emerson slowly walked closer, his expression masked in shadow until he stopped under the light where Dash stood. Dash’s body trembled in recognition as soon as Emerson neared. Emerson’s pheromones were thick and cloying. In that moment, there was no doubt about it. Thiswashis alpha.
Instead of anger, all he felt was longing.
