It makes sense that he’s surprised. Before I left for the auction earlier, I had been pacing around like a right lunatic, debating on whether or not I should confess my feelings. After all, I’m a beta, she’s an omega. How could it work?
“You bet your fuckin’ arse I did.” I grab my helmet and put it on, letting the bluetooth take over, “an’ she feels the same way.” Grinning, I rev the bike and peel out into the road. The meetup point for the sale isn’t too far away, and then I’ll be able to go home, pack a bag, and run away with the love of my life.
“That’s great, Ted…” I can hear the frown in his voice though, and I can’t keep the irritation from mine.
“Wot?” I nearly snap.
“It’s just…I mean, you said it before, right? She’s an omega. How are you going to handle her heats? What are you going to do if she meets a pack or a true scent match or some shit?”
My jaw tenses under the helmet as I enter the busier part of downtown. “She gets wot she wants, so long as she ‘as me too.”
“Even if what she wants is a pack of alphas?”
Nowthatmakes me laugh.
The last thing my Dove wants is a pack of alphas.
“Sure. But, ‘onestly, Ethan, wot do you care? I’m sure you’re fuckin’ tired of ‘earing me talk abou’ ’er. Now you’ll ‘ave the opportuni’y to get ‘nother roommate wiffout all my drama.”
He huffs. “Maverick’s not going to be happy you’re leaving.”
I snort. “Maverick can suck big, ol’ fat—”
“Fucking hell, Ted.” Ethan mutters. “I’ll get the new identity packet together, just give me a few hours.”
“Roger roger.” I grin as he hangs up.
Maverick really can go suck a big fat…whatever I was about to say. Sometimes, when I start a sentence, not even I know where it’s going.
However, the fact remains that I don’t give a flying fuck what Maverick has to say about what I’m doing. I’ve been helping them out for a while now. Well, it started with me helping Ethan. Casing places, getting the layouts of security cameras, and whatnot. Then Maverick started bringing me in on his jobs. With my look, I fit right in with some of the crowds they try to blend in to.
Whether it’s helping people escape bad situations or retrieving stolen property, Petrov Recovery Services does it all.
It takes about another hour to get to the meeting place to sell Dove’s painting. When I pull up, the handoff is as easy as fucking pie. Provide the painting, get the twenty-five hundred, and in no time I’m pulling back up around to the woods on the side of the road where I hide my bike behind the Messina Family Estate.
I check my watch—it’s nearly midnight. She should be ready for me.
Heart racing, I shoot off a text to Ethan to create that blind spot for me again, and once that’s done, I listen for the footstepsof the guards.
When they fade away, I hike myself over the wall and then climb up the trellis next to Wren’s balcony. My heart is racing as I climb over the railing. The way she looked at me earlier…fuck. I can’t wait to see the unrestrained emotion staring back at me again.
Don’t get me wrong, if I had confessed and she told me to fuck off, then I still would have sold the painting, gotten her the money, and helped her leave her messed up family situation.
I’m glad she didn’t, though.
Hand shaking slightly, I knock on the glass like I always do, fully prepared to sweep my Dove into my arms and finish that kiss we started earlier. The way she tasted on my tongue, like apple, cinnamon, and something warm and sweet…fuck. My cock gets half hard just thinking about it.
My eyes scan the dark room beyond the glass, but…something is wrong.
There’s no Dove, concentrating so hard on a painting her tongue sticks out a little.
She’s not in her nest, snuggling the rabbit stuffy I got her for Christmas.
There’s no pile of hair hanging over the edge of the mattress as she holds a paperback high above her head, reading in a way that will no doubt result in her dropping the book on her face at least once.
There’s no movement, no light.
Ice settles over my veins as I desperately try to turn the handle. Surprisingly…it opens.
