Chapter 15
I glance down at my bare wrist. I don’t need a watch to tell me that I’m late.
Jude’s truck is idling, waiting for me, no doubt, to head to town. I yank open the door to the vehicle, climb in, and apologize rapidly.
“My bad, I got distracted, I know I’m late, I just-” My words dry up as I stare at Dr. Alex Shields.
Her dark, wavy hair is pinned back and gathered low on her neck, and her eyes are cast down at her knees. Jude sits on the other side of her, hands gripping the steering wheel, knuckles white.
It’s dead silent.
This is going to be a long fucking drive.
“Well, hello there, Doc,” I croon, fluttering my eyelashes at her as I pull my seatbelt on. “What brings you to town with us today?”
“Need to restock,” she says softly. Her body is tense, like she’s trying to make herself as small as possible, eyes on her fingers where they dig into the soft black fabric of her leggings. “Can we switch spots, Dario? I prefer to sit by the window.”
“You’re the smallest,” Jude says, putting the truck into reverse. “I told you, it makes sense for you to sit in the middle.”
“Yeah, but-”
“But nothing, Alex. It’s also the safest spot for you in the event of a crash. Please don’t fight me on this.”
Why is this the hill our esteemed leader is dying on? I don’t care if I sit bitch. Never bothered me one bit. I can think of worse places to be than stuck between them.
The air in the truck is a thick bubble of tension, so I do what I do best.
I pop it.
“Well, I have a few stops I need to make. I need to go to the grocery store, the mall, and then, if we have time, Jude, can you take me to Pack’s Paradise ?” I casually rake my fingers through my hair, noting the small change in Alex’s body language at my mention of the sex shop.
Jude sputters for a moment, his handsome face turning red at my words. “Why the fuck would I do that?”
“Well, my big, fat knot broke my -”
“Dario!” Jude slams on the brakes and reaches out to cross an arm over Alex’s chest to stop her from slamming forward. “We don’t need to hear this.”
But I’m not listening to him. I’m watching the way Alex stiffens under his touch, how her skin pales as she rolls her lips inwards, no doubt to smother a whine. She leans as far back into the seat as possible, crossing her arms over her chest protectively.
“Jude, I’m not sure why this is something that you are struggling with, but you have to stop touching me.” She’s trying to sound firm, but her voice shakes with every word. “ I know you mean well, but it’s getting to unprofessional levels.”
He groans loudly and rubs a massive finger down the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry, but Alphas are tactile, and…”
“And nothing,” she snaps. “If I can control my instincts, so can you. You would have me out on my ass if I so much as whined around the crew, so don’t hold yourself to a different standard.”
“It’s not the same!” he snarls.
Where’s my popcorn? This is some good entertainment.
“It is the same!”
“No! Because you whine when you’re distressed or uncomfortable, and I am sensory seeking all the time!”
The man may be a brute, but he’s not wrong. As a whole, Alphas tend to require more physical contact than other designations. A lot of them satiate this desire by boxing or wrestling, but the ones with Omegas typically get it through sex and cuddling, casual touches here and there.
I’m lucky that my act requires me to touch a lot, or I’d probably be as hard up for it as Jude appears to be.
She laughs hollowly and scoots a little closer to me. I want to bury my face in her hair and see if I can catch a bit of her scent, but I am not going to take advantage of the situation to push my agenda.
My agenda being the desire to get a taste of the pretty Omega doctor.
But, alas, I know it’s not going to be possible to discover what she smells like. She’s got that shit locked down with what has to be industrial-sized doses of suppressants.
Alex narrows her eyes before turning to look out of the window. “Bold of you to assume I’m not always uncomfortable. ”
Oop.
I don’t like hearing that.
I may not be a stereotypical Alpha, but that comment makes me feel strange. Like I’m failing at my job.
I am at a crossroads. Do I attempt to redirect the conversation into something less combative, or do I try to figure out what is making this sweet Omega doctor so uncomfortable?
She makes the decision for me.
“So, Dario,” she says casually, turning her back to Jude. “Tell me something about yourself.”
“I’ll show you mine if you show me yours,” I purr, leaning a little closer to her, but not too close to spook her. “We’ve got a bit of a drive, so let’s make it fun.”
She rolls her dark eyes, but I know I’ve got her. “Fine, a question for a question.”
“Ooh, truth or truth. Almost my favorite game. Jude, you joining us?” I ask the big, grumpy Alpha. He grunts, but gives me a short, clipped nod. I clap my hands together, pretending I didn’t see Alex flinch, but filing the information away for later. “I’ll start. Why did you go to medical school?”
That must’ve been the right one to start with, because a beautiful smile stretches across her face.
“When I was three, my parents gave me one of those doctor playsets. You know the ones with the fake shot and plastic cast that pops onto the arm of a doll?” I nod encouragingly, leaning against the door of the truck to give her a little more space.
I’m cramped as fuck, but it’s worth it to see her shoulders relax a little.
“Well, from that moment, I knew. I knew that I was supposed to help heal people. I never feel more myself than when I’m treating someone.
When I first presented as an Omega, I mourned the loss of my dream.
I thought there was no way that I could make it as an Omega doctor. ”
“But you proved them wrong.” Pride that I have not earned swells within me. “You did it.”
“I did. Not that it was easy, but it was, is, everything I hoped it would be.” A gentle, easy silence fills the cab before she clears her throat. “Okay, my turn. What’s the weirdest thing about being a twin?”
“Dexter.” Jude barks a laugh, and Alex snorts a little at my answer, but I’m not joking.
“I mean it. The whole thing is weird. Just that he exists, knowing we have the same DNA, is so fucking weird. Sometimes it feels like I don’t exist if not for him.
Like we’re not two people, we’re just reflections of one another. ”
Oh, that went deeper than I had intended.
Jude grunts from the other side of Alex. “You two are different as fuck, though. Even without the tattoos, it’d be easy to tell you apart.”
I run my fingers through my hair, looking up at the sagging fabric roof of Jude’s beater truck. “Nice of you to say, but that wasn’t our experience growing up.”
“Then they weren’t looking close enough,” Alex says gently. “Because I agree. I don’t know you two very well, but you’re not copies of one another. You’re two very distinct people.”
“Aw, thanks, Doc. Never been called distinct before. You’ve got me blushing now,” I tease to lighten the mood.
We don’t need to dig into the lack of autonomy twins have in the world, from the moment we’re born and dressed alike, and how everyone assumes we’re the same person with matching needs and desires.
This is supposed to be a way of getting to know each other, not a substitute for the therapy that I probably need but will avoid for as long as possible .
“You’re up, Jude,” I tell him.
“Alex,” he says roughly. “What are your three favorite things in the world?”
I clap my hands gently but enthusiastically. “Oh, great question, boss man. I’m excited to hear her answer.”
The doctor clicks her tongue a few times as she’s thinking. Eventually, she comes up with an answer. “Okay, you’ll make fun of me for this first one. Carnival and circus foods.”
My eyebrows fly into my hairline. “Elaborate on that for me.” Jude’s eyes meet mine over her head, and I give a minute shake of my own, telling him to keep his mouth shut.
“You know, all the sweets, the fried food, that kind of thing. Memories of childhood, with sticky foods and special treats. Then, as a teenager, dates and thrill rides where the thrill is if it’s going to fall apart while we’re on it, and candy apples shared with a boy.
Even to this day, I can’t help but gorge myself every time I get access to the food. I never learn my lesson.”
She giggles girlishly, which has my mood brightening exponentially. I want her to sound like that all the time, light and carefree.
“Okay, so that’s one, and a good one, I might add. What are the other two?” I lean forward, but not too close, to listen to her answer.
“Probably cliche as an Omega, but lounge clothes. Anything soft and cozy, really, but I especially love sweaters and sweatpants, fuzzy socks, that kind of thing. The moment I’m home, I take my bra off and change into something more comfortable.”
While it is cliche, it’s a cliche for a reason, and it does tell us a bit more about our mysterious doctor. Namely, that she is at least somewhat in tune with her Omega instincts, and we need to be aware of that and how it relates to our Alpha tendencies.
“And the third thing is music. I’m not one of those people who will lie to you and say they like anything, though.
” She pulls out her phone, as if to show me a playlist, then shoves it back in her pocket after a glance at the screen.
“I lean towards heavy and nu metal, but screamo and even some folk and indie stuff make it into rotation. It’s a healthy outlet for my anger. ”
“You have anger?” I ask, propping my chin on my fist.
She rolls her eyes. “What Omega in this world doesn’t?”
“Have you watched the show yet?” Jude asks her as he turns into the mall. “All of it is set to that kind of music.”
“I haven’t,” she admits sheepishly. “But I’ve read a lot of reviews, and they all say wonderful things. It’s just that sitting in the audience by myself makes me uncomfortable, so I haven’t yet.”
“Then I’ll sit with you,” our showrunner says roughly. “You should see it at least once.” He puts the truck in park and undoes his seatbelt,
“Don’t you have to… run the show?” she asks curiously. “You’re the ringmaster.”
“Showrunner,” he grunts, like it’s not the same damn thing. He’s sensitive about it, for some reason, but seriously. They’re the same thing. “And not tonight. I’ll find someone else to do it.” He’s out of the truck, slamming the door behind him as he heads into the mall.
It appears someone has gotten under Jude’s skin, because he definitely does need to run the show.
Tonight is going to be interesting.