Page 11 of Power Shift

I don’t look away from the alpha in front of me. “I’m sorry. I should have been more careful. If this is because I wiped your neck—I should have asked if you were mated first.”

Shame chokes me. Shame and jealousy at the potential that this man has a mate and I was just touching all over him.He could have an omega.

Something ferocious snaps in my chest. I bite back a possessive growl and drop my hands, fists clenched.

The alpha shakes his head only once, top lip curling. He retreats, finally taking the time to look down at his clothes. His eyes are like twin balls of blue fire as he huffs and shakes his hands out, sending pasta flying.

Someone places a hand on my back. I flinch, a startled noise slipping free. The cinnamon scent darkens, taking on a deeper, smoky edge.

“What is going on here?” Greg asks.

The loose snarl that appears doesn’t sound anything like him. It’s too . . . rough.

He keeps a hand on my back but then drops it in a flash. When I catch him lifting it to inspect the mess on his palm, I fear my cheeks will melt off at the heat in them.

“Are you together, sir?” the same voice who told me to leave asks.

It’s a hostess. A different one from when we arrived.

“Yes,” Greg says exasperatedly. “What did she do?”

I straighten at that question. The alpha across from me hasn’t looked away yet despite his obvious hatred. My omega preens beneath the attention, trotting in a proud circle even asI scold myself, trying to force myself closer to Greg. I almost wretch when his citrus scent washes over me. It’s suddenly so . . .wrong.

I don’t want it close to me, and I surely don’t want it on my clothes or skin. I’d rather smell the parmesan in the pasta than citrus right now.

Acting on pure instinct, I lean away from him and take a generous step in the other direction. Greg frowns, a vein in his forehead thumping.

“What are you doing?” he asks, lowering his voice.

WhatamI doing? Nothing makes sense. I’m never this sensitive, yet every moment that passes without this mysterious, gorgeous alpha touching me, I’m flirting with an emotional breakdown.

My instincts are more prominent than they’ve ever been, my omega on edge and trying to tell me something that I’m too frazzled to understand.

Instead of searching for the meaning behind my actions, I look to the alpha in front of me, searching for clarity. His stare is narrowed, his chest rising and falling rapidly. I’ve been around big men before, but this one is intimidating even without his wide shoulders, intense dominance, and the thick pheromones that seem to be getting stronger?—

Greg reaches for me again, this time grabbing my bicep and tugging me into his side. The mystery alpha snarls at where Greg’s fingers make contact. He lunches forward a step before stopping, forcing himself to stay rooted in place.

My lips part, every inch of my body wanting to leap across the space between us and ask why he’s reacting this way. God, I want to be close to him. Maybe I just need one more sniff of his vanilla and cinnamon scent. Right from his throat this time.

Not missing anything, the alpha grinds his teeth together and shudders, spaghetti-coated fingers curling at his sides. Excitement claws at me. Maybe he can smell me after all.

In one forceful movement, he spins on his heels and stalks out of the restaurant. The door spits a forceful wind at me as he rushes outside. I don’t move an inch.

He’ll come back. He has to.

Only no, he doesn’t.

When Greg tugs at me again, muttering something to the hostess about our bill, I fight him. With a pull, I’m shaking him off and chasing after the alpha. Panic threatens to send me into a spiral as I stand on the street and search for him.

Tears fill my eyes, and with my attention focused on finding the man, I don’t blink them away. They spill down my cheeks as I stand on the street, more devastated than I’ve ever been.

5

LANDON

No fucking chance in hell.

My molars are dust, and there’s a heavy, spiked boulder rolling around in my stomach. I’ve never been this on edge. Not. Once.

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