“You didn’t. My friend who is no longer my friend came unannounced and broke into my yard. But no matter what, he should never have touched or threatened you.”
“Why are alphas like that?”
Immediately, I thought of my dads. “Not all are.”
“You’re not.”
“I used to be.” I sucked in a breath and pointed at myself. “A work in progress.” I pressed the towel closer to his swollen eye. “Go on. Take that aspirin.”
He finally swallowed the two pills he’d been holding with orange juice.
“What will I do now?” he asked.
“What do you mean?” My other hand pulled the blanket further over his chest.
“I don’t want to upset your dragon or be in the way. You don’t like sets. I don’t want to be trouble but that’s my life. It’s controlled by others. I’m just a disruption for you.” His face became drawn. He shut his eyes.
“Not another word about that.” My voice came out low. I wasn’t the placating type. I’d rarely used that tone with anyone.
“But I am a disruption and my heat’s coming and—and…”
“Cassius, relax. Bish did this. You’re not responsible. And you’re not a burden.” I wasn’t sure what to say to the remark about his heat. Had he felt symptoms? I sniffed the air and there it was, faint but undeniable, a sweet, honeyed scent that made me want to lean closer.
Had Bish and his cohorts scented it? Again, not an excuse for their behavior. But it could explain why Malinekan jumped out of my skin with little warning. His instincts and senses were more heightened. As a dragon, he was protective. Dragon instinct and dragon behavior. But I’d never known him to fly out of my skin like that.
You must see it. Cassius is special.
Over these past weeks I had seen it. “You know,” I began. “I don’t actually hate sets. I just said that at the party that night because anything that reminds me of Kirion starts a war inside me. It’s easier not to deal with it. Easier to hate.”
“He’s the only other set omega you ever met, right?” Cassius asked.
“Yeah. And it was under terrible circumstances for me.” I had one hand on the towel and the other in his hair as if I could hold his head still while applying the cold compress. But really, I wanted to feel his hair. My fingers buried themselves in the softness. That honey scent returned and a warmth ran through my body in response.
“Are you feeling any better?” I asked.
“Yeah. It’s cold but my eye doesn’t hurt anymore.”
“Cassius, you said something about your heat coming.”
He turned away from me, the towel sliding away. “I’m sorry,” he murmured.
“Why are you sorry? It’s natural for you.”
He pushed his hands on either side of himself to sit up. “I’m an abomination. Nothing about me is natural. Nothing.” His eyes welled up and he wouldn’t look at me.
I had to say something. It was a compulsion. Normally I would walk away. I didn’t like heavy emotion. But Cassius controlled me somehow. He made me need to do more.
“Over the past weeks I think we’ve gotten to know each other, haven’t we?”
Silence.
“I disagree with everything you just said. Abomination is the worst word you could use to describe yourself. You’re kind and smart and a fantastic cook.” I chuckled. “You’re funny and weird and cute. And you’re a much better man than I am. So you can cut that word right out of your vocabulary.”
He looked up, frowning. “You scent my heat, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“I knew it. That’s why you’re saying those things. As an alpha you can’t help it.”
