Page 8 of Heat & Deceit
“There’s a lot of risk that comes with what I do,” he explains. His eyes dart to the hand tucked inside my purse before fixing on my face with a bored look. He’s wholly unconcerned by what I might have inside my bag.
Confident. Sure. Cocky.Alpha.
“I get it.” Cutting my gaze from his, I say, “I need some heat suppressants...for my sister.” The lie is probably silly, but I’m sitting across from an unmated alpha. I don’t want him to know I’m an omega. My fingers flex around the can of Mace. My protection.
“How many?” he asks without missing a beat. I expected a dozen questions or, at the very least, for him to catch the lie. Maybe he’s used to this sort of thing.
“Two months’ supply.”
“Two months?” The question pulls my attention in his direction. “That’s a lot.”
“Her pack is out of town.”
He hums and stands from his desk, moving to the cabinet behind him on the left. His shirt stretches across his broad back, and I let myself take in all that muscled goodness for a second before studiously reminding myself why alphas are off-limits. Though I have no interest in alphas, that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a strong body when I see one, and Mr. Gray is the very definition of muscle.
Pills rattle, and he turns with an orange bottle in hand. There’s even a label wrapped around it, like a legitimate prescription. He sets it in the middle of the desk and drops his hands on his hips. With him standing and me sitting, I suddenly realize how huge he is and how very alone we are. A spike of fear rolls through me, but I grind my teeth together, shoving that feeling aside.
I’m almost done here.
“For two months, it’s eighty.”
My stomach bottoms out. Eighty? I only have forty. I stare at the bottle full of the pills I desperately need, swallowing a few times and keeping my expression carefully controlled.
“Is that a problem?” he asks when I don’t respond.
“Um. I only have forty dollars.” The rest of my paycheck from the coffee shop went to food and a few extra pairs of jeans suitable for work.
“That’s okay. Forty is plenty.” He picks up the bottle and holds it out for me to take.
My face scrunches in confusion. “You just said it was eighty.” I lift my gaze to his face, noticing the gentle concern painted across his features.
“It typically is, but I know my customers need these things for a reason.” He extends his hand toward me. “Forty is enough.”
First firing the receptionist, and now this? Alphas aren’t this generous without reason. As much as I want to accept his offer, I’m terrified of what the condition might be once I take the deal.
I squint at him and shake my head. “I’ll just take a month’s supply.”
“It’s okay,” he tells me in a soothing tone, making my hackles rise. “Forty works. Your sister needs it, right?” First, they lull you into complacency, and then they destroy you.
I’m not falling for that again.
“No,” I say, firm and fierce. “One month is fine.” I tighten my hold on the Mace.
He searches my face and the stubborn set of my jaw before relenting and adjusting the pill count. He doesn’t speak while he works, and I quickly grab the money while he’s distracted and set it on his desk, clasping the canister in my purse once more.
“A month’s supply of heat suppressants.” He places the bottle on my side of the desk, and I snatch it with my free hand, muttering my thanks and making my escape, not bothering to say goodbye. I don’t ease the grip on my Mace until I’m safely locked inside my apartment, clutching the bottle of pills against my chest.
They’ll only last a few weeks, but I’ll get paid before they run out, and I can go back for more. My heart skips a beat at the thought of seeing Mr. Gray again, not nearly as fearful as I should be.
Silly omega heart...always desperate to belong.
When will it learn that finding a pack isn’t in the cards for us?
Three
NOVA
Spooky alien sounds break through my heavy sleep, jolting me awake. I roll over, half-conscious, and search the nightstand. My fingers bump into the phone, knocking it to the floor with a heavy thud, and I curse, finally cracking my eyes open. My room-darkening curtains block out most of the light, but the bit that leaks in is warm and sunny.
