Page 42 of Gigi and the Gym Rats

“What was I supposed to say?” He huffs. “That he’s my fuckbuddy?”

“Is that what we call boyfriends nowadays?”

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Come again?”

“We only fuck. We have an arrangement.”

“And it includes sucking face in a bar?”

He looks away. “I hadn’t planned on that.”

“You fell against his mouth?”

“Jesus, Gige. We don’t go out together. We don’t go clubbing, don’t go for drinks or romantic dinners. We just fuck.”

“That’s kinda… sad,” I whisper.

He scowls. “Why did you run away?”

“Was I supposed to stand there and watch?”

“No, you were supposed to say hi.”

“While you kissed Grey and groped him and got him off?”

Ronin chokes a little. “I wasn’t gonna… Not if you said hi.”

“That’s nasty, Ron. I felt like a voyeur watching you two together, and it felt… wrong and uncomfortable and…”

Hot.

It was hot.

Wait.Did I just think that?

“I’m sorry you feel that way.” Ronin stuffs his hands into his pockets. “I hadn’t meant for you to watch. Why are you so upset?”

Exactly the question I’ve been asking myself.

“I didn’t know you were into betas,” I say to buy myself time.

“I don’t have a particular designation preference,” he admits. “I just… like who I like.”

“But what about a pack?” I say. Can’t whisper it or he won’t hear me over the din. “Don’t you want to have a family?”

“Families… are complicated.” He looks away. “And I’m not sure I’m ready. That I’ll ever be ready.”

I stare at him, at his handsome, square-jawed face, wondering why he would say something like that. I bet he’d have zero trouble finding a pack. Founding one, either. Who wouldn’t want to have him? All the girls are falling over their feet, trying to get to him, and obviously quite a few of the guys, too.

“You don’t mean that,” I say. “I get not being ready yet, but soon enough you’ll find the right pack, the right omega.”

“I don’t want to be around omegas. You don’t get it.” He shakes his head. “I hate the thought that my body will take over and I will go into a rut. That I will lose control. Hence, Grey.”

It’s like an echo of my thoughts, only in this case, he’s talking about losing control of his body the way only alphas and omegas do. I can’t begin to imagine what that is like. I always thought it was kind of scary, but Bee seems delighted to be an omega and that led me to believe I was wrong.

Yet, here is Ronin, admitting to that fear.

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