Page 22 of Denied By the Alphas

“Wow, what on earth are you reading?” Logan asked with a scowl, his nose twitching as he detected my arousal in the air. The pupils of his eyes darkened with feral energy.

I quickly tried to close the book, but he was faster, crossing the room with the agility and speed of a panther. He snatched the book from my hands, flipping it open to the page I had been reading.

My face flushed crimson as he silently read the passage where two alphas were knotting an omega at the same time. He sighed and set the book down on the bedside table, meeting my gaze with a mix of amusement and intensity.

“Don’t read this stuff anymore,” he warned, placing the book on the dresser.

“Why?” I replied almost defensively. “Listen, you’re not my alpha…”

“Do you want me to rut you?” he asked, inhaling my scent deeply while closing his eyes. “Because if I did, you would be mine. For life.”

“No,” I said in a low whisper. “But that doesn’t mean I have to stop doing what I enjoy.”

Suddenly, Logan turned serious. “I came here with a proposal to make.”

“Oh?” I asked, sitting up in bed, instantly nervous.

“We’ve had an amazing friendship all these years,” he said slowly, his eyes searching mine. A pang of fear coursed through me as I wondered where this conversation was heading.

“Logan, what—” I started to ask, but he continued, cutting me off.

“Please, let me finish,” he said, taking a deep breath. “For years, I’ve had feelings for you. I’ve watched you grow into theamazing omega you are today. After everything we’ve been through, I can’t keep this to myself any longer. Do you think I could ever be a suitable alpha for you?”

I was shocked, my mind racing as I struggled to find words.

My heart pounded in my chest, and my breath hitched under the weight of his confession. The ring he had given me sat on the dresser, sparkling under the dim lights, suddenly seeming to hold more value than I had first thought.

chapter 8

. . .

Carmen

My mouth was dry as I tried to find an answer. I didn’t want to ruin our friendship, and I was scared to move on from my past rejection.

“Logan,” I said slowly, trying to be as gentle as possible. “I appreciate your offer to be my alpha, but I really don’t want to ruin our friendship if we take it there.”

“A relationship built on friendship is always a beautiful thing,” he said, his brows furrowed as he studied me. “Is it Tyler holding you back?”

My throat tightened at the mention of Tyler's name, but I had to make things clear once and for all.

“No, it has nothing to do with him,” I said quickly. “I love the friendship we have, that’s all. There’s nothing wrong with you or anything.”

“Be honest with yourself. Are you just waiting for Tyler to claim you?”

“No, I’m not waiting on him. Not in a million years,” I said, sighing under the pressure Logan was applying. My breaths were coming harder, and the room suddenly felt stiflingly warm. I slipped out from under the blankets andpulled on a jacket. “I need some fresh air. I’m going for a walk outside.”

“Snow’s coming down pretty hard right now,” Logan warned. “It might not be the best time.”

“I’ll be fine,” I insisted, zipping up my jacket. Then I quickly put on mittens and a hat. “I’ll just walk down the block and come right back, I promise. I just need to clear my mind and figure things out.”

“I’m sorry if I made things awkward or anything,” Logan said quickly as he followed me out of the room. He sounded sincere, and I looked up at him as my heart ached. There was longing in his gaze—a longing I couldn’t fill.

“Don’t worry,” I said, taking his hand and squeezing it once I was at the front door. His hand felt gigantic and warm, but I needed a moment alone.

He opened the door. “Don’t be long. Are you sure you don’t want me to walk with you?”

“Yes,” I said. “My life has literally turned upside down, and I need to figure it out.”

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