Page 39 of The Librarian and Her Alphas

My human co-workers probably won’t notice the smell, but I want to ensure all traces of my weekend heat are gone.

The books that survived Damon, Max, and Gunnar’s onslaughts are stacked into piles and returned to the storeroom, where I find my blue dress stained and slightly torn. Thankfully, I keep a spare hoodie in the break room, which I quickly slip on over my clothes, hoping it will conceal the stains.

I should throw away my dress and eliminate any reminders of the alphas. But their scent lingers only on this dress, and I’m reluctant to part with the one piece that encapsulates the most exciting weekend I’ve ever had.

After the library is clean and I’m satisfied that I haven’t left any incriminating evidence, I open the front door and head to my car.

I’ve barely taken two steps when I spot Annabelle coming down the street. I freeze, hoping she hasn’t seen me.

Fortunately, she seems lost in her own world as she glances down at her phone, so I rush back inside and decide to use the back door instead. My car is parked in front of the library, but I can’t get to it without running into Annabelle, so I will have to wait until she enters the library.

After a few minutes, the coast is finally clear, and I sneak around the side of the building toward the front.

My car is parked in the lot, and I quickly check my surroundings before hurrying forward.

A black sedan I hadn’t noticed starts to drive toward me as I get closer to my car, prompting me to quicken my steps, determined to get inside and away from whoever is in the other vehicle.

The sedan stops, and Damon gets out from the driver’s side, standing by the door of my car. Part of me is relieved that he hasn’t left, but a larger part is panicked that he has stuck around to see me off.

“What are you doing?” I ask, clutching my keys tightly. “I thought I told you to leave!”

“I want to know why you don’t want to see us again,” he replies bluntly. “Max and Gunnar are right. We know you felt the attraction between all of us.”

I stay silent, unsure how to answer without exposing myself. I don’t want to reveal my true feelings because it might make him try harder.

I don’t know if I can trust him.

“Come on, Lena,” he urges. “How can you shut me out after everything we shared this weekend? I want to see you again, and I know the others do, too. We’re fated to be together.”

He steps out of his car, and my heart flutters wildly. Then he cups my chin in his hand.

Electricity sizzles beneath my skin at his touch, making my heart skip a beat.

I can feel the fire burning between us, waiting to become a raging inferno given half the chance. The wild and reckless part of me wants nothing more than to dance in the flames, but my cautious side, the one that’s been burned before, is reluctant to get too close.

Reluctantly, I pull away from his grasp and step back, wanting distance between us.

“I guess you’re just not my type,” I finally say, knowing it’s a bald-faced lie. Damon’s eyes darken, and a low growl escapes his lips. “Please leave me alone, Damon. I don’t want to see you or your pack ever again.”

It feels like I’ve chipped pieces of my heart away with my words. My chest aches, and tears sting my eyes.

I don’t understand what’s happening to me. After my ex-pack dumped me and left me for dead, it hurt, but it didn’t feel like this. This feels like I’ve clawed my own heart out and shoved it through a meat grinder. I take a deep breath, willing the tears not to fall.

I need to be strong.

Damon stares at me, probably wondering if I’m lying. His face darkens, and the pain in my heart intensifies at the hurt that crosses his eyes.

“Alright,” he says after a beat. He steps aside, allowing me to open my car door. “I respect your decision, then, Lena. Can I give you my number in case you change your mind?”

“Sure,” I reply before getting into the car. I pulled out my phone and quickly typed in his number.

“Call me if you need anything at all,” he says firmly, and I nod before closing the car door.

Slamming the door shut, I stare straight ahead, not turning around when he walks away. I don’t look back when I hear his car start up again.

He drives out of the parking lot, taking my heart with him. Breathing hard, I lay my forehead on the steering wheel, finally allowing my tears to fall.

CHAPTER12

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