Thrall looked from Koe to Cyrus, then back to Koe. “Fuck yeah, I want that!”
Cyrus choked on the bite of eggs he’d just shoved into his mouth.
Koe chuckled, filling his plate high with eggs, bacon, sausage, and fruit as he spoke. “That’s fine, and you can have that,but you’ll do it the right way.” He stilled in mid-reach for a doughnut to glare at Thrall. “You’ll court, and you’ll ask, and you’ll wait to mark her until she says you may. Understood?”
Thrall’s shoulders slumped. “Fucking shit,” he muttered under his breath. “I knew I shoulda just bit her when I had the fucking chance.”
That had Koe turning to face him fully. “Her? Her who? Are you already crushing on one of the females we’ve taken in? It’s been one goddamn week.”
“Yeah,” Thrall growled. “One week of the sounds and scents of you and Daemon claiming your women filling this goddamn manor and torturing us.” He looked at Cyrus. “I don’t know about you, but my balls are so goddamn blue I feel like they’re going to pop.”
That had Koe chuckling. “Yeah,” he set the doughnut on his plate, lifted his hand and licked the icing from his fingers, not looking an ounce repentant. “Sorry about that.”
“Oh, shut your fucking lips, bro! The only time you leave that room is to come grab food for you and your mate. You’re not an ounce of sorry.”
Koe dropped a second doughnut onto his plate. “No.” He grinned unabashedly, “No, I’m not.”
“And that’s just…” Thrall choked on his words when Cyrus elbowed him hard in the ribs, eyes on the doorway. Turning to frown at Cyrus, Thrall followed his gaze and saw a few of the women they’d taken in entering the mess hall. Adina was among them.
Shoving up from the table, cereal abandoned, Thrall walked straight up to Adina. “Good morning, beautiful.”
Shoving a strand of sandy-blonde hair behind her ear, Adina looked him up and down. “Oh, goody, the Beta,” she drawled sarcastically. Her eyes dropped to his feet. “Who helped you tie your shoes today, Thrall?”
He grinned and boasted proudly, “I did it.”
From behind him, Koe laughed.
The sound had Adina sobering, her attention abandoning Thrall. “Alpha, Koe. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any disrespect to you or your Beta. I was just teasing. I…”
“By all means,” Koe cut her off. “Disrespect him all you like.”
“Yeah,” Thrall breathed, eyes never leaving her. “Disrespect me.Please.”
Koe rolled his eyes and carried his towering plate of food from the mess hall. “Ladies,” he remarked as he passed.
Alone again, the women behind Adina went to the buffet line, leaving her with Thrall. Glancing up, she looked repentant as she whispered, “I’m sorry, Thrall. I was only teasing. I would never…”
“Stop.” His brows speared down as the smile left him. “Don’t apologize to me for teasing, sweetheart.” Unable to stop himself, he reached out and pulled her to him, his arms going around her as he canted his head and stared down at her. “I enjoy our banter, Adina, and I’m honored that you’re comfortableenough with me to tease. It means you think I’m a safe space. And I am. I always will be.”
She blinked up at him with her baby blues, then glanced toward where Koe had disappeared. “I don’t want anyone thinking I’m ungrateful,” she whispered. “I’ve never been able to tease a male before. I’m sorry if I embarrassed or demeaned you, Thrall.” She reached up, looking sincere, and placed a palm on his chest. “I would never disrespect you like that, especially in front of the Alpha. Again, I apologize. I won’t do it again.”
She pushed at his chest, but Thrall kept her corralled. “Uh-uh,” he shook his head. “I don’t agree to those terms.”
Confusion clouded her pretty features. Glancing around them nervously, she lowered her voice. “Please. I shouldn’t have started this. I think you’re beautiful, Thrall, but I need to fit in here. I can’t make waves or mess this up.”
“You won’t,” he started, but she cut him off with urgency.
“Please! I’m asking you to stay away from me.”
And that felt like a punch to the nuts. He didn’t want to stay away, but he didn’t want to pressure her either. How did he convince her that something forming between them was okay?
She shoved at his chest again. “Thrall. Let me go.”
And that’s the problem. He didn’t think he could, and he certainly didn’t want to, but he reluctantly did as she asked. Lowering his arms, he released her, even though his wolf was shredding his insides.
Yasmine took a step back, wrapping her arms around herself and lowering her eyes. “I wish… I wish things could be different.”
When she turned to walk away, Thrall caught her elbow. She didn’t turn to face him, so he walked up behind her, pressing his body against hers as he towered over her. His hands settled on her hips, and he leaned down, lips brushing the shell of her ear as he whispered, “This ain’t over, Adina. I’ll give you space. I’ll give you time. But I won’t give up. I see you, little wolf. He nipped her ear, evoking a startled gasp from her, before he turnedand stalked from the mess hall, hands flexing at the absence of her touch.
