Page 94 of Gigi and the Gym Rats

Zayne laughs. “Yeah, Ron, will you swing that big club of yours and slap people with it?”

“Shut up,” I grumble. “You’re both hilarious.”

Zayne props his jaw in his hand and winks at me over Gigi’s head.

He hasn’t taken Gigi tonight. I wonder why he’s hesitating. They’ve been together before. I know he’s hung like a horse, as top alphas usually are, but it wouldn’t be the first time… Or would it?

“Maybe Casey will be back tomorrow,” Zayne says. “And as for Grey, he works at Ink and Shadows, right? You have to have some more information on him. Another address, maybe?”

“Yeah, I’ll ask Cole.” I run my lips over her neck, and again the need to bite down and mark her hits me square in the chest. I always thought instinct would lead me to mark omegas, lust after omegas, claim omegas, yet here I am, overwhelmed with the urge to claim a beta and an alpha as mine. As pack.

Is this real? Am I really in control? What is control when feelings take over?

Do I need control? Is it important? It always felt like the most important thing—a way to safeguard myself, keep the instincts from taking over, a way to safeguard others from suffering because of me.

Which brings me back to Grey and Casey.

I’m fucking worried about them. I hope I haven’t managed to chase them away. And as I drift off, pressed to Gigi’s warm body, Zayne’s dark eyes watching over us, I sink into a nightmare where monsters have taken them and no matter how hard I run, I can’t reach them, and it’s all falling apart…

* * *

“I don’t know where he is,” Cole says. “The only address I have is the apartment down the street, but you’re telling me he moved out? What the fuck?”

“Calm down.” I rub the back of my neck. The muscles are so stiff they burn. “I’ll find him.”

“Is he okay?”

“I don’t know.”

“I thought you were friends.” Cole’s scowl is dark. Another top alpha, his anger can be a thing to behold, though I’ve rarely seen that side in Zayne. No, Zayne has always been so fucking kind to me.

As have Gigi, and Grey, and Casey. They like me, and I’ve pushed them away. How could I have been so damn blind?

“Thanks,” I say, tapping the reception desk and heading back out, pulling out my phone.

I came here to the tattoo parlor first thing in the morning, swallowing down a scalding cup of coffee before jogging over here to talk to Cole. Meanwhile, Gigi stayed hoping that Casey might make an appearance and Zayne decided to go to the gym and check the streets around the area, in case he happens to see either of them.

Why would they just leave? I might have been a dick, but this is where they live and work. I’m not that scary of a motherfucker, am I?

I try Grey’s phone again but it goes straight to voicemail. Maybe it’s off. Cursing under my breath, I decide to go to his apartment. Maybe he’s back, maybe it was a misunderstanding and his roommates only thought he left.

I can’t stand not knowing whether he’s okay or not.

My phone rings as I jog down the street. It’s Zayne.

“Ron,” he says briskly. “Tell me you got good news.”

“Sorry, man. Heading to Grey’s apartment, in case he’s back or something. Where are you at?”

“He’s not at the gym, hasn’t been in days. In fact, last time I saw him there, he’d been looking for you.”

“What?” I stop. “When?”

“It’s been a couple of days. He wanted to talk to you and Gigi.”

“Fuck. Why didn’t you say so?”

“I didn’t realize he was about to vanish into thin air, Ron. I actually thought you’d get to talk and clear up whatever was wrong.”

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