Chapter Twelve
Roderic
She would be the death of me.
I accepted the knowledge with the same calm I’d maintained each time I’d carried out an order that held the risk of death. I wasn’t afraid to take a fist, a knife, or a bullet. If the Galleon’s had needed my life, I would have laid it at their feet without question.
But she threw a wrench into that.
It was insane to feel the way I did about a woman I’d known less than a week, but that didn’t change the fact that I knew she was my new priority. I’d still protect Leo and his family with my own life if necessary, but only if there was no risk to Paige.
I grimaced as I opened my closet door and caught sight of myself in the floor-length mirror inside.
If I claimed her the way my instincts were pushing me to, I’d be tied to her, so my death could potentially cause hers.
It was possible to survive the death of a mate, but it was more usual for both to go together, and even if she survived my death, she’d be damaged by it.
A blip of uncertainty forced its way through the wall of determination that had grown around my plans for the little omega. I wanted Paige as my own, bound to me in every way, but could I put her at risk like that?
The cocky, alpha part of me said I’d made it this long without dying, but I hadn’t survived without knowing when to be cautious and listen to reason.
Paige was young and I didn’t think she’d have any issues adapting to my lifestyle, but being involved with the Galleons made everyone a target.
I wouldn’t abandon the man who was as close as a brother to me, so that meant I’d be putting her in danger if I made her mine.
But I wanted her.
Growling under my breath, I yanked a pair of slacks off the rack and put them on, followed by an undershirt and a button down. Leaving the jacket behind, I tossed another undershirt over my shoulder and began rolling my sleeves as I returned to the bathroom where I’d left Paige.
She was a siren calling me to my doom, and despite knowing it, I went willingly. Having another person I needed to protect would make my life more complicated, but there was no denying the pull that grew stronger with every breath of her pear and jasmine scent.
Years of practice meant I moved silently, and I caught the way she slumped on the counter before spotting me.
I knew her body would be sore and tired after her heat, but the look on her face made me think there was something more.
She didn’t know me well enough to trust me, and she likely suspected leaving wouldn’t be as simple as I’d made it sound, but I could have sworn it was sadness written across her face, not fear or suspicion.
“You can wear this for now.”
I hated not being able to see every inch of her flesh, but having both of us covered was the only way we were going to make it out of my apartment.
My cock ached with the need to be buried inside her, and it took everything I had not to rip the towel from her and bend her over the counter I’d sat her on.
Only her resemblance to a porcelain doll let me keep my hands to myself, reminding me of her fragility.
Omegas were resilient, built to take an alpha’s aggression, but already weakened by her cycle, I wouldn’t risk doing damage to her because I was too selfish to see to her basic needs first.
I swore to myself it wouldn’t be long before I had her on my knot again.
I knew she wanted to resist, saw it in her eyes, but just as obvious was the way her body came alive for me.
She wanted me just as much as I wanted her, and I’d be sure she had no choice but to listen.
She wouldn’t get the chance to ignore or forget how I made her feel.
“Salad with chicken okay? I should be able to put that together with what’s in the kitchen.”
Leo had said he’d have groceries brought by when he left for me to deal with Paige. I knew he was worried about a random omega knowing things she shouldn’t, but he trusted me enough to handle the situation. Once he realized she was mine, there would be no concerns.
“That sounds great.”
Her smile and the chipper tone were a little forced, but I forgave her for it. This situation was new, and it would take time for her to grow used to it. Whether she liked it or not, she had a new shadow, and I’d make sure everything she needed was taken care of.
She hadn’t moved to get off the counter, and while I knew she was capable, I couldn’t stop myself from taking hold of her hips once again and lifting her down.
Her little inhale and the way her lips parted made me want to lean down and devour them as I ground myself against her, but the way she stepped back told me I was already pushing things.
Keeping my hands loose despite the way they wanted to curl into fists, I took a step back so I wasn’t looming over her. My shirt dangled from her fingers, and while I’d already seen her bare far more than I’d seen her in clothing, she likely wanted space.
“I’ll put your things in the wash, and you can meet me in the kitchen when you’re ready, Sweetheart.”
I won the fight to turn and walk away instead of remaining in the bathroom. I even managed to pull the door almost closed, leaving an inch of space when my instincts roared over closing her away from me.
It was another fight to collect her clothing from amidst the mess of fabric strewn around the bed.
I hadn’t given her time to build a nest when we’d first arrived, but she’d arranged one around us as she was locked on my knot, working on it when she wasn’t sleeping or distracted.
Each time I’d fucked her it had gotten messed up, pillows falling off the edges and blankets getting tangled until they were tossed aside, and it looked as if a bedding store had exploded, but each was marked with the scent of us.
I wanted to hoard them away so I could savor that scent whenever I wanted, but I knew it would fade.
I’d just have to keep making a mess of the bed each night, and her along with it.
Groceries were sitting in the entryway when I finally made it there.
I put them away, leaving what I needed to make our meal on the counter, and it wasn’t long before I heard quiet footsteps coming down the hall.
I’d just put the chicken in the pan when Paige’s head peeked around the corner, her blue eyes holding me hostage until they moved away.
“You have a nice place.”
The alpha part of me preened over the omega liking my home, but I tamped it down. Her saying it was a nice place didn’t mean she wanted to stay, it was simply good manners.
“Thank you.”
I generally wasn’t the type to talk about myself, but if I was going to get her to trust me, I had to, so I used the opening.
“It’s not as nice as where I grew up. My parents have a place nearby, in a little community, and I think I prefer that over living downtown.”
Her head tipped to the side, reminding me of a curious bird eyeing something they wanted.
“So why do you live here instead?”
“Work.”
It was the simplest answer even if it wasn’t the most descriptive.
I figured keeping things about that side of me quiet for a bit longer was better than hitting her with “I Work For The Galleons” right off the bat.
She’d already heard enough to scare her away, even if she was doing a good job of hiding it, but everyone in the city knew that name and what it meant.
“Ah.”
The non-committal answer wasn’t what I’d hoped for. I wanted to know more about her, but it seemed I was going to have to try harder.
“Are you from the city?”
It was a harmless enough question, although the answer could help me determine if I was a fool to believe she was harmless. I didn’t really think she could be a spy for another family, but there was always the chance.
“The outskirts. I’ve been downtown enough to know my way around, but we always lived out where it’s cheaper.”
I took a moment to process. “We” likely meant her family, not a partner. She made it sound like they moved around a lot, but that was normal for lower-income families. The way she dressed and carried herself fit with that idea.
“Did your parents work downtown?”
The subtle tightening of her muscles said something about my question was uncomfortable. Since she’d mentioned being familiar with downtown it didn’t seem like that would be the issue, so I was left thinking it was something about her parents.
“Mom was an office assistant. She worked at a few places downtown, but she usually tried to stay close to where we lived.”
I gave her a chance to keep going but there was no mention of her father or what he did. Filing that information away, I tried to turn the conversation.
“What do you do?”
Her body loosened, shoulders slumping. She had avoided my gaze when I asked about her parents and continued to look elsewhere. I wanted to keep watching her, but I knew enough about interrogation to know it was the wrong move. Turning to focus on the food would make her more comfortable.
“The same. I’m an office assistant at a school.”
Many omegas were in positions where their caring nature could be used to their advantage, but she didn’t sound too happy about her career choice.
“Do you want to teach?”
It seemed the logical answer. Working in the office while going to school to become a teacher made sense, but a glance over my shoulder showed her distaste even before she answered.
“Definitely not. I don’t need a bunch of grimy kids crawling all over me, or teens who think they know everything ignoring me. Teachers get put through way too much for how little they get out of it.”
I couldn’t help releasing a laugh as I remembered some of the crap my friends and I pulled while in school. Paige wasn’t wrong.
“So, if you could do anything you wanted without going into debt for school or any other issues, what would it be?”