When he didn’t finish the sentence, Cyrus did it for him.
“Jury?”
Koe’s frown returned with a vengeance.
“Easy, Koe.” Cyrus held up his hands as he got to his knees and then rose to his feet. “I’m not bad-mouthing her. It’s just an observation.” Lifting a hand, he rubbed at the sore spot where he’d cracked the back of his head when he’d been taken down. “You’ve been a little off since she arrived.”
Heaving a weighty sigh, Koe lowered his fists and muttered, “Is it that obvious?”
“Yeah”, Cyrus answered. “It is. So much so that you didn’t even need to call the pack together to tell us to give Jury a wide berth. We have eyes, brother.”
There was a slight snarl to Koe’s voice when he bit out, “Meaning?”
“We know she’s off limits. We just don’t know if it’s because she’s female, because you don’t trust her, or because…”
When his words tapered off, Koe narrowed his eyes on Cyrus. “Or because of what?”
“Is she yours?”
The question had Koe tensing. His knee-jerk reaction was to deny the assumption, but why? Doing so could only make things worse. Sighing in resignation, he shook his head. “I don’t know. I feel protective of her, but I’m unsure if it’s because she’s female or if there’s more to it.” He didn’t mention her scars or what had been done to her. That’d be Jury’s tale to tell if she ever properly joined the pack.
“Well, is it more than just protective?” Cyrus prodded.
Pacing to the nearest wall, Koe pressed his back into it before he slid down and rested his forearms on his upraised knees. Cyrus followed and mimicked his Alpha, dropping to sit beside Koe.
“It’s more than protective,” Koe admitted. “I’m possessive. But again, I don’t know if it’s because I’m attracted to her or because I’m the Alpha, and I refuse to have Jury experiencing anything remotely close to the shit she’s suffered with the Biters.”
“The shit she’s suffered with the Biters?”
“Bottom-feeder shit,” was all Koe was willing to disclose. “How other packs treat Omegas, but worse.”
Cyrus nodded. “Well, are you attracted to her?”
Koe rolled his head from where it rested against the wall to shoot Cyrus a look of incredulity. “Have you fucking seen her?”
Cyrus chuckled a deep sound. “Yeah, man. Sheisfine.”
Koe’s head jerked off the wall as his brows speared down. “See! Like right there. I wanna rip your fucking head off for saying that, but why?” He shook his head, “Man, even if I wereinterested, I couldn’t act on it. Not now. She’s been through too much to walk into a new pack only to have the Alpha lusting after her. She deserves better.”
“You’re a good man, Koe. She’d be lucky to have you.”
Koe’s gaze turned distant, his Adam’s apple dipping low as he swallowed hard. “If you knew the shit she suffered, you’d tell me to leave her the fuck alone.”
“Shhhit,” Cyrus breathed. “That bad?”
Koe nodded. “She deserves a soft place to land after what she’s been through. Free of harassment, free of pressure.”
“Maybe you should ask her what she wants.”
Shooting him a pointed look, Koe shook his head. “That feels like me pressuring her. Fuck, what if it’s just because she’s the first female to come here? What if I’m just hard up?”
Cyrus shrugged, “So go into town this weekend and get laid, then see if you still feel the same way toward Jury.”
Koe was already shaking his head. “I wouldn’t do that to her, man.”
Cyrus’s response was a knowing grin.
Getting to his feet, Koe held out a hand, and when Cyrus took it, he hoisted the Enforcer up. “Stop making that fucking face before I punch you in it again.”
