15. Alpha
Alpha
JON
Cooper was shaking his head. “No,” he kept repeating. “I don’t want that!”
I moved my hand in slow circles on his back. My whole body ached from the need to soothe him. Shoulders slumping, Cooper slipped out of my grip and sat back on the bed. I tried not to dwell on the feeling I was failing him somehow.
“Is there a cure?” he asked, clutching the cursed monkey to his chest. I wanted to strangle the stupidly grinning toy.
Jealous over a stuffed animal, Beckett? Wow.
“It’s not a disease, Coop.” I turned my phone toward him. “There’s lots of research. And look, there’s an online store for Omega products.”
His eyes brightened at the mention of the store, but then he pouted. “I’d rather be an Alpha. How can I switch?”
The absurdity of it made me smile. “There’s no switch. You know how it works.”
I studied him closely, wondering how many surprises he could handle.
“What?” he asked, narrowing his eyes. “What aren’t you saying?”
I took a deep breath, then said in a single exhale, “I’m an Alpha.”
His head snapped up. His eyes went comically round. “What? You’ve presented? When?”
I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling weirdly flustered.
“I found something interesting,” I said, ignoring his question. How badly was he going to flip when I told him? Cooper was a dramatic person even when he wasn’t going through his first Omega heat.
“Apparently, close proximity to an Omega can trigger a counterpart Alpha presentation,” I explained. I paused, trying to figure out how to continue. “But only under specific conditions.”
“What do you mean? What conditions?”
“The Alpha needs a pre-existing emotional attachment. Something strong enough to activate the dormant gene.”
He blinked. “Pre-existing what? Speak normally!”
I ran my fingers through my hair. This was the weirdest fucking way to admit anything.
“Your Omega presentation triggered my Alpha presentation.” I gave him a meaningful look. “Because of the emotional attachment.”
Cooper was too agitated to get it.
“For fuck’s sake, Jon, stop saying emotional attachment and tell me what’s going on!”
“I’m in love with you, you idiot!” I snapped, the words tearing out of me. My heart was hammering furiously. “I’ve been in love with you for a long time, so when you presented, I presented!”
Cooper’s jaw dropped. His eyes moved over my face, my mouth, my shoulders, like he was assembling something piece by piece. Then he went red. All the way down his neck.
“Oh.”
Yeah. He got it now.
“I—” he whispered, grabbing the lilac blanket and dragging it over himself.
Then he was gone.
I stared at the lump. “You’re hiding.”
“Not hiding. Processing,” came the muffled reply. He shifted slightly. “You’re in love with me.” He sounded accusing.
“Yeah,” I said. “I am.”
The blanket twitched. “Oh my God.”
Then slowly—very slowly—the fabric moved, just enough for one curious eye to peek out.
“How long is a long time?”
“Coop.”
“But I want details!”
“And I want you to say it back. Unless . . .” My voice trailed off. What if Cooper hated me so much that I could never fix what happened? What if he didn’t love me the same way?
He flung the blanket aside, eyes flashing.
“Oh, now you want me to say it? Well, just to put you out of your misery, yes, I love you too, but we’re not focusing on that right now.
We’re focusing on how I was right—every time I told you you were being stupid and stubborn for ignoring this—” He gestured wildly between us. “I was right?”
“I guess so.”
“No, you’re not guessing, you’re knowing! Say it. Say—Cooper, you were right.”
“Cooper, you were right.”
“I can’t believe this.” He dragged the blanket back up. “I need a moment.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean, why? I need to gloat. Obviously.”
“Obviously.”
“Don’t judge me! You’ve been pining after me, suffering in silence, of course I’m going to relish the fuck out of this!”
“I haven’t been suffering,” I argued. Then I sighed. “Well, maybe I have. But mostly, I’ve been waiting.”
That got him interested. The blanket moved again. “For what?”
“For a moment where wanting you and . . . loving you wouldn’t feel like hurting you.”
The words landed heavier than I meant them to.
“And this is the moment?” he demanded. “Right after I find out I build nests, you express your undying devotion?”
“I haven’t said anything about undying devotion,” I pointed out.
He threw the blanket away, looking indignant. “Undying devotion is the bare minimum for a relationship with me.”
I watched his mouth, admiring the fullness of his lips. How many times had I pictured kissing him? I’d lost count. “Fine. Undying devotion it is.”
“Thank you,” he said with a courteous nod. My lips twitched. Trust Cooper to negotiate devotion while hiding under a blanket. He pulled it over his head again. The constant shifting of the fabric had made his hair electric and it was pointing in every direction.
“Oh, God,” he breathed. “There’s going to be so much kissing.” A pause. “We should’ve bought lip balm. I feel unprepared. What if I get a stubble rash?”
“Not an issue if you stay buried in that blanket,” I joked.
He peeked at me, his scent becoming richer. It wasn’t just peaches anymore, it was something wilder and even more inviting. I’d never smelled anything like it before.
“Wow,” he murmured. “You’re coming on strong, Alpha.”
“Come here,” I said, enjoying the way his lips parted. The blanket slipped away. “Sit in my lap.” I waited for a heartbeat before adding, “Where you belong.”
He blew out a breath hard enough to move his curls. For all his attitude, when the reality of us slammed home, he was adorably shy. He didn’t move at first. Then, very slowly, like any sudden movement might trigger an explosion, he slid closer.
He paused.
He looked at me, then away, then at me again, biting his lip.
“Don’t say anything,” he warned.
I didn’t.
He took a breath. Another one. Then, so carefully it was almost ridiculous, he climbed into my lap—and immediately shut his eyes.
He looked like a very suspicious cat. I didn’t move; I didn’t dare to.
I held my breath and said nothing, letting him settle, letting him realize I wasn’t going anywhere.
Then I just waited.
His hands hovered before landing awkwardly on my shoulders. His scent wrapped around me, intoxicating, sweet, mine.
Slowly, he opened his eyes. They zeroed in on my mouth.
“Oh, God,” he whispered. “This is worse than I thought.”
His fingers clutched at my shirt.
“Worse?”
He nodded solemnly. “You’re definitely going to kiss me.
” He looked like he wanted nothing more.
My hands moved, my palms sliding slowly up his spine, feeling his warm skin.
I pulled his smaller frame completely flush against my chest, anchoring him against my weight until there wasn’t an inch of space left between us.
He went entirely still, a soft, helpless whimper catching in his throat as his heart raced frantically against mine.
“You’re absolutely right,” I said just as solemnly. He stared at me, lip caught between his teeth. I wanted to tease him a little. “Just so you know, I’m going to do so much more to you than kissing. But that’s where I’ll start.”
He looked dumbstruck. Had I actually managed to render Cooper speechless? He didn’t even blink.
“You okay? I was planning on starting now.”
For a second, I thought I’d broken him. But then he smirked, and God, I wanted him so fucking much.
“Go ahead, Alpha. Unless you’re all talk—”
I cupped his face, and then our mouths met.
Fucking finally.