Page 71 of Queen of Diamonds

I waited, absolutely still, as he switched the battery on the collar, trying to ignore how much I wasn’t at all affronted by the damned device.

“You still box?” he asked quietly.

I glanced down to my wrapped fists, then up at him silently.

“I can’t imagine my brother supported the hobby more than your father did,” he said as he withdrew his touch, holding the old battery.

I cocked my head, considering that. Knight had taken me on a few kickboxing dates when they were courting me, and I’d loved it. My father had supported teaching me how to use a blade for self-defence, but nothing as ‘uncouth’ as ‘throwing fists or feet’ as he’d called it. Leave the fighting to the Alphas.

I smiled coldly. “I took it back up after he dumped me.”

It wasn’t a lie. Both boxing and kickboxing were something I’d claimed back after I’d fled. Zed ran his tongue along his teeth, not moving, and clearly not done.

“What do you really want?” I asked.

“I’m wondering why it seems, all of a sudden, as if you do want to be here.”

“What about my escape attempts seemed ungenuine to you?”

His jaw clenched as he stepped toward me. “You’re getting very close to Kyan.”

“I’m close to heat.” I turned back to the punching bag in dismissal.

“You can’t fuck with his head like that?—”

“I’m not—” I spun back to him but cut off, scowling. He was too close. Those ice-blue eyes were staring down at me in challenge. “He’s not making it easy.” I waved at the gym. “Why do you think I’m out here?”

I was praying that I could cool off steaming hormones. I knew I couldn’t get any closer than I had. I’d woken in their scents this morning, Kyan’s arms around my waist, nightmares a million miles away. I was starting to believe in this safety—and I couldn’t afford to.

Zed wrinkled his nose but didn’t argue.

I should take a step back. We were too close, and it was doing things to me. Zed lifted his hand as if he wanted to cup my cheek, but caught himself.

“You’re keeping me here,” I said quietly. “You’re responsible for leashing Kyan. I can’t turn off being an Omega.”

“And yet you could just… turn off being our scent match.”

I broke his gaze.

I had to step away.

Last time I’d been this close to Knight I’d made an idiot of myself.

Zed returned his hand to my neck, cupping the collar, and his touch was like a shock from the damned thing itself. Every hair on my body stood on end, my blood running hot.

I hated the way my hormones had latched onto this collar. I’d been running from these Alphas for so long, knowing a future with them couldn’t ever be, but they were defying that even when I couldn’t. It was wrong because the threat remained, regardless of which of us broke Ace’s rule.

“He wants to keep you,” Zed said quietly. “Believes you want that, too.”

I blinked up at him, throat dry, all responses dying in my mind as I tumbled into his eyes. He took one step closer, so close I felt his body brush mine as his hand closed tighter around my neck.

Instincts wiped my brain blank, my fists closing in his shirt.

I stared up at him.

Alpha…

Holy. Shit.

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