Chapter 33 #2
“What?” I ask suddenly, looking down at myself, trying to figure out what’s got their attention.
“Why are you early?” Keegan asks, blasting to his feet and coming in fast.
“Because I am,” I answer, throwing up a hand. “What’s wrong? Why are you here?”
“Why are you scenting so anxious, sweetheart?” Rafferty approaches from the other side of the room.
Ronin’s storming over this way too. “Why are you bleeding?”
I duck under his arm, weave around Rafferty, and have to jump backwards to escape Keegan. “Oh my god. Stop. You’re freaking me out, you freaks!”
Clearly, my communication skills are shot, but it’s been a hell of a week. I keep backing up, their scents hitting as hard as their presence. “You guys are so full on sometimes. Give a girl some warning.”
“There’s lots going on, Tally girl. And honestly, we didn’t expect you back so soon.
The scratch on your arm, and the anxiety ruining your peachy scent, set me off,” Ronin says softly, explaining himself as he takes a series of slow inhales and exhales while a smile takes the place of his ugly outburst and his chocolate and pepper scent clouds me.
Doing what a good Alpha should with his designation, helping everyone find their equilibrium after my chaotic arrival.
Keegan is equally responsive, swallowing his scowl and pushing his hands into his trouser pants, intentionally appearing more relaxed.
As much as a man like Keegan can. A noticeable wariness remains in his eyes, especially when they dart back down to my arm every few moments.
But he drops the bull in a china shop thing he had going on.
I get a tight smile as he floods the room with his own unique scent, which is his apology and confirmation he’s not about to lose it again. I give him a tiny smile right back, and his eyebrows flick up in challenge. I guess he wanted a bit more, but that’s all he gets. For now.
Rafferty is in the middle of them both and does a big long inhale with his eyes closed.
When shivers rack his body, I know he’s not acting.
Both his Alphas are absolutely fucking tasty.
I understand his reaction completely. His eyes pop open, and they’re extra flirty.
He mouths off a silent sorry , as he goes back and sits down again.
Leaving Tynan standing behind me.
He was there the whole time, ready to jump in but waiting to see what happened. And I guess that’s why I ended up closest to him, because it feels once again that he’s giving me all the power.
When I twist around, he’s right there. His blue eyes are full of the same intensity as the others, but he’s got a quiet resilience that appeals on so many levels.
“Hey,” I say softly.
Again, because it’s Tynan, I don’t have to talk over him or fight to be heard. It’s not that I like one behavior over the other—this whole pack is full of contradictions, which is really, really appealing—but today I need his quietness.
And he knows it.
“You guys go. We can go to dinner another time,” Tynan says, his tone firm without setting anyone off again.
“We were going to go to dinner?”
“Aye.”
As opposed to trying to work out why there in my house when I’m not, I take in what they’re wearing. Or perhaps it is not what they’re wearing but the effort they’ve gone too. They look fine, indeed. “Damn.”
Ronin’s got his momentum back and approaches with a swagger that has me questioning what my name is.
And judging by his smirk and the flare of heat in his eyes, he knows exactly his effect.
His hand curls around the back of my neck, and he leans down, his lips on mine, and I seriously forget how to breathe.
He stops kissing me and pulls back slightly, because I do actually forget to breathe. My head is spinning, but I like being dizzy and feeling like I’m about to faint. It’s how a kiss should be.
“Sorry I lost myself when you walked in, Tally. I actually do that a lot, and even though I should be worried, it doesn’t bother me at all. Have a nice, relaxing night, and I’ll see you in the morning.”
He kisses me again, his eyes wide open, a wicked smile on his lips. I’m woman enough to admit I feel myself falling after every time he touches me until I remember the pretty solid reasons I need it not to happen.
The process of saying goodbye to Keegan and Rafferty is equally different, to match who they are as individuals, and sweetly poignant.
Unknowingly, they take a small part of me with them.
This is getting harder and harder to do; every day, hour, and minute I spend with this pack, my foundations crack that little bit more.
Before rejoining Tynan, I have to take a couple of seconds sorting through fact from fiction and what is a means to an end and an end to me.
Working undercover is always a precarious balancing act that involves becoming someone else, but there's still a part of you in the persona you adopt. This job is going to push me to all the limits they talk about at the Police Academy. Justice is my motivation, but the costs are mounting.