Chapter 14 Hero
Hero
Aurora
Mads kissed me. I’m surprised I’m able to keep it together.
He kissed me, and I have no idea why. Did I black out for a few minutes?
I keep looking at him for answers, but he’s not giving me any.
My head is a whirlwind of questions that I want to ask and answers I’m afraid to want.
Mads kissed me, and there was something there.
It was a quick kiss. The kind a maiden would give a hero who is about to ride off into battle.
But I’m no hero.
I’m selfish. I’m stupid. I’m a vapid, silly girl. I only want to save myself.
I can be mean. Really mean. My first reaction is always to be self-serving.
I don’t need a kiss to remind me to be brave. I don’t need a kiss to tell me I’m loved. I love myself enough all on my own.
I don’t sit back down. I stand and watch Locke in the cage with the tiger. He’s going to be fine. I was the one who deleted the security footage showing him using his alpha voice on the tiger.
I looked it up, and sometimes an alpha bark is only good on animalia predators. Locke’s alpha bark is useless against my father or other human alphas. If they were smart, they should have wondered if it was because he had a different variant. It means he’s quite powerful.
But my father and his friends are all drug-addled narcissists with too much unchecked power. It’s easy to topple a tall tower with a crumbling foundation.
Mads stands next to me. The heat of his body makes me want to lean into him and warm my bones. But I don’t. I stand still and tall on my own.
A large countdown timer on the wall reads 00:05:00 and, with the sound of a loud buzzer, begins the five-minute round between man and tiger.
Locke, the dumbass, shouts at the tiger to stand down and jumps at it. The tiger, who has been starved for his last several feedings, does not yield right away. It lowers its head and stalks Locke, herding him to the end of the fighting ring.
I sigh heavily.
Locke throws his limbs about. The tiger backs away.
And they go back and forth like a little dance.
I glance up and see Honey coming our way.
She’s no longer in her g-string and pasties, but a harness, full-body fishnets, and even taller pleasers than before.
Her sloping curves and plush parts beg to be touched.
She doesn’t come up to me, though. She goes up to Mads.
“Can I get you anything, big guy?” she asks, and I roll my eyes.
Mads turns to her, and I watch him check her out. It’s quick, but his eyes flit up and down her whole body, and then he turns back to watch the fight.
She’s a beautiful woman in a come-fuck-me outfit, so it is what it is. And Mads isn’t mine. So it shouldn’t bother me. It doesn’t bother me. A man looking at a beautiful woman doesn’t bother me. He can look at whomever he wants. This place is teeming with things to look at.
“I can get you a drink. Or are you hungry? We have so many things to choose from tonight.”
Honey places her hand on Mads’s bicep, and I don’t have a chance to second-guess my reaction, because I act so swiftly. I push in front of Mads and grab Honey’s wrist. Hard.
“Do not fucking touch him,” I sneer and spit. Her face is the very picture of shock. I didn’t mean to be rude to Honey twice today. I try to keep it to once a day. But she touched my beta, and there was nothing I could do to stop the omega in me.
Fuck.
I let go of her wrist, and she pulls it to her chest and rubs the marks I definitely left there.
I’m standing between Mads and the balcony’s grated railing. I don’t realize I have the leash wrapped around my hand so many times that my hand is right by his collar, holding him close. I’m still staring at Honey.
“Ro…” her voice cracks. “Don’t do this.”
I don’t entertain her plea.
“Bring us food. And some waters. Please, Honey.”
A tear slides down her face, and she runs off.
I close my eyes and grumble, fuck under my breath. When I look up, Carmen catches my eye. She sees Honey running off and hopefully concludes she needs to console her. Again.
I sigh and lean into Mads’s chest like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
“What was that all about?”
To avoid answering the question, I check in on Locke and the tiger. The tiger makes a swipe for Locke’s head, but he tucks and rolls away.
“Nothing. Just…I already made Honey cry once today.”
He places his hand on the railing and pins me between it and himself. Then he takes his other hand and sets it on mine, the one next to his collar.
“I’m not going anywhere, heartbreaker. You don’t need to hold me so tight.
” His voice is a bit strained at the end, and I realize I’m cutting off his air.
I loosen my hold and let a couple of inches of the leash unwind from my fist. Our faces are close, and he’s looking me in the eye like a lover.
The crowd cheers, and I don’t turn to look, but he breaks eye contact to look at Locke.
“You’re not worried about him at all?”
“No, he’ll be fine.”
“What makes you say that?” Instead of waiting for me to answer, he says, “I would be worried, and I am, but seeing you more invested in protecting me from that woman than protecting Locke against a Bengal tiger makes me wonder. Is that woman more of a threat to you than a 500-pound tiger?”
He looks back down at me, and my hand suddenly has the entire leash wrapped up again. I’m pulling his head down close to mine.
With a beautiful, strong nose and curly lips inches from mine, I memorize all his features, so I can keep him with me always. I’m stealing him and putting him in my memory forever.
“I can’t control a woman. Locke can control that tiger.”
His head tips to the side.
“What?”
“Locke’s alpha bark works on animals. Well, predators. I’ve seen him use it on that tiger before. He’ll figure it out.”
I watch Mads watch Locke. Our breaths are out of sync, and I try to match his.
“He doesn’t look that in control. Are you sure?”
“The tiger is just a bit hungry. Locke will have to try harder. I’m sure he’s motivated.”
He laughs as if I had told a joke. Just a little laugh. I steal that as well and put it in my memories. He doesn’t know how much of him I want…forever.
“Does your dad know?”
I tug on the leash, and he dips his head down so I can whisper in his ear, “I have access to the CCTV around here. I used to watch him. I saw it happen, so I deleted the footage. My dad has no idea. So play along.”
When I pull back, I see a soft look of awe. He’s impressed. It makes me squirm. His jaw shakes, and he looks away and sucks in a breath. He’s overcome with emotion.
I try to explain. “I told you to trust me.”
He looks like he’s going to kiss me again. His hand settles on my hip, and I want it. I want another kiss.
But Honey is back, holding a tray of food, and Lucy is behind her with wine and glasses. They set it up on a small table, and I finally unwind the leash from my hand. Mads takes his cane, and we separate from each other a few feet.
“Honey,” I start to say.
“Stop, okay. I know. Carmen talked to me.”
“Honey, come here,” I order. She takes a few steps closer. I soften my words. “I’m feeling possessive of the beta. I didn’t mean to be so rude to you. Are we still friends?”
She nods once, then turns and takes Lucy’s hand, and they walk away.
I don’t like hurting people. I feel guilty, but I’m happy she has her pack to be there for her.
I can’t dwell on it. They have each other. I have myself. I have to move forward.
“Mads, I’m sure you haven’t eaten. That’s all for you.” I point to the tray, and he doesn’t need more encouragement. He digs in, and I turn back to the tiger in time for the timer to go off.
Locke is panting, his clothes are torn, but he’s alive.
Heartbreaker, he called me with a tenderness I’ve never quite experienced.
I’m so fucked.