Page 35 of The Mating Game
Alpha.
Alpha.
Alpha.
I take a deep breath. “That’s what you called me. Last night.”
I watch as her cheeks tinge pink, no doubt remembering everything that happened last night. Not that I can blame her. It’s playing on a loop in the back of my mind.
“Oh” is all she says.
“Oh?”
“I mean…the doctor mentioned that I should steer clear of…people like you. I don’t even remember saying that. Maybe I was thinking out loud?”
Silence stretches between us, both of us no doubt trying to decide how to move forward. I can feel irritation brewing inside me,an emotion that makes no sense. Why on earth would I beannoyedthat she hadn’t meant to call me that last night?
“Can we just…” She shuffles her weight from one foot to the other. “Can we please just pretend last night didn’t happen?”
“Pretend,” I echo dumbly.
“Yeah, I mean…I still have a job to do.”
“And what if this happens again?”
Her mouth forms an O shape, her brows lifting. “Again?”
“It seems like this came out of nowhere, right?”
“Kind of,” she admits.
“And it only lasted a few hours? I’m no expert, but that’s not normal.”
“The doctor said that I might experience some…issues. While my body changes.”
“There’s a chance this will happen again, Tess.”
She bites her lower lip. “Maybe it won’t.”
I want to grab her and shake her. I’m too on edge thinking about this happening when someone else is around. When she’svulnerable.
“And what if it does?”
“Then I’ll deal with it,” she says primly. “Contrary to the way I acted last night, Icantake care of myself.”
I stare back at her, thinking. The words on the tip of my tongue go against everything I’ve ever sworn to myself, but the thought of her finding herself in a situation where someone might use her makes my stomach twist. I can’t let myself get wrapped up in…whatever this is. I know where that road leads.
“You need to be on suppressants,” I say through gritted teeth.
Her brows knit. “The doctor said we shouldn’t hinder my body’s natural changes.”
“And how is that fair to me?”
She rears back. “Fair toyou?”
“You think it waseasy? Turning you down like I did? It causes me physical pain to be around you when you’re like that.”
“Wow,” she snorts. “I’m sorry that my life blowing up is inconveniencingyou.”
