Page 14 of Vallaverse: Twist
“Ms. Miller would like to request an audience with you.”
“And who is Ms. Miller?” I couldn't keep the distaste from my tone if I wanted to.
“It would be better if that information came from Ms. Miller.”
I look back across the arena to find Laz's gaze still trained on me. He pulls half of his bottom lip between his teeth.
“When?”
“She suggests dinner after the fight.”
“After this fight,” I say. “Not after all of them. After this one.”
“I will relay that message.”
“At the restaurant on the roof.”
“I will also relay that information.”
“Is that her Omega with her?”
“I am not at liberty to discuss Mr. Williams.”
I despise the fact that any of these people are close enough with Laz to be at liberty for anything. “Fine. I will meet her after this fight.”
The messenger leaves and I go back to Laz's blue eyes.
I have no idea what happens during the fight. I don't feel any guilt about it, either. I know that Laz's hair needs to be trimmed. I know the tie loosely hanging around his neck is gray. I know his shirt isn’t wrinkled. I know he's uncomfortable.
I know he doesn't like the woman touching him when he's looking at me.
Who is she? She must be his Alpha. That's the only thing that would make sense. Otherwise he would have come over to speak to me himself. But why would she set up a meeting? If he was still mine, he wouldn't be meeting with anyone, especially not a Valla and especially not someone from his past. What is her goal with this? To show me that he's happy where he is, with her, and put me in my place? I can't fault her for that. I'd be having a pissing contest with every person who gave Laz more than a passing glance.
The final bell rings, and based on the crowd screaming Shane's name, it's safe to assume he won. I'll celebrate with him tomorrow. Right now I have to get to the roof.
I stand up and Laz mirrors me from across the arena. He bites that lip again and raises a finger to point upward. I nod and start moving. I send Grady a gushing text to share with Shane on the way, promising to take them out tomorrow to celebrate. Shane should be so busy celebrating his win on his own tonight that he likely won't get my message until sometime tomorrow morning.
I make my way up to the rooftop restaurant, pushing around small clusters of people and through crowds. There's no race to get there first, but I am a Valla. I will be first. The space will be mine when Laz walks into it, regardless of the stupidity of feeling territorial of a table at a restaurant.
Or the stupidity of feeling territorial over a man who rejected me.
My therapist says I'm a work in progress, and this moment is all that's necessary to prove how right he is. We'll likely be talking about this little trek to the roof for months, and I'm dreading telling him about that stadium staring contest. I can already see the look on his face when I tell him about this adventure.
My grand plan to claim a table and the room is ruined by the fact that everyone in this city decided that tonight is the night to eat in this restaurant. I have no choice but to take a seat at the bar and order a drink and pray that no one tries to take two of the three miraculously empty seats beside me.
Just as the bartender puts my drink down in front of me, the same messenger from before clears his throat behind me.
“Ms. Miller and Mr. Williams invite you to join them at their table.”
Fuck. “Alright.” I pick up my drink and stand up.
“This way, please.”
I follow him through the spaces between tables to a round table in the back corner. The woman is most definitely an Alpha, and it looks very much like Laz belongs to her. She's curled around him possessively, stroking his cheek and tucking his unruly hair behind his ear when I arrive at their table. She smiles at me, her bright red lips flashing a satisfied smile.
Laz doesn't look up from where his hands are clasped on the table.
“We don't meet many Valla,” she purrs. “Are you new to the area?”
