Chapter 23
Reid
“Nice to see you again, Reid,” Ruth says as she opens her door.
“It's nice to see you too, and thank you for watching my pup for me.”
Honestly, I’m really grateful she was able to look after our two dogs. If Arabella trusts her with Suki, then I know Toast has been in good hands.
“I bet it is,” she replies, giving me another once-over.
I can’t help but worry she finds me lacking in some way, that she thinks I’m not good enough for Arabella. I try not to fidget as I wait for her to finish her inspection.
“Toast is quite the character, you know,” she continues, either unaware of my concerns or uncaring of them. “Lots of personality for a dog with hardly two thoughts in his sweet head. Does he take after you?”
“Did you just ask if I'm pretty but stupid?” I snort, laughing harder when I realise she means every word. She’s direct, but there’s no malice.
I can see why Arabella likes her. “I like to think I'm not so bad. Common sense and critical thinking make up for the lack of book smarts.” I shrug, noticing that Toast has figured out I'm here and is already doing happy taps behind Ruth in the doorway.
“Hmm. Off to a better start than the other two already. Like I don't know when an alpha keeps coming around sniffing after an omega,” Ruth scoffs, and my eyebrows shoot up. “At least the one that smells like vanilla has the good sense to try and stay hidden. Unlike the other one.”
“Oh, uh. You mean…” I clear my throat, growing increasingly uncomfortable. “Arabella’s other, um, suitors?”
If alphas have been hanging around the building, then maybe I wasn’t crazy when I thought I caught their scents through the window the first night with Arabella.
I had brushed it off. I thought that maybe they had been with her recently, and their scent was just lingering in the area, and that I was imagining it was stronger than it actually was.
I didn’t know for sure, and I didn't dare ask. I was trying not to scare Arabella off by rushing her towards exclusivity if she’s the type to date casually for a while first.
“No.” Ruth gives me a look that makes it clear she's still judging my potential intelligence. “I mean the alphas that have been sniffing around. Arabella told me that she’s only seeing you, Reid.”
“Sniffing around…?” I trail off as my heart starts to race.
Did I read the situation all wrong, again?
If she's only seeking me—shit. Arabella is being stalked! I should’ve said something about the scents. Fuck.
“You know what sniffing means, right?” She frowns, genuinely concerned about my answer.
Great, she really does think I’m an idiot.
Maybe I am.
I should have said something; I should’ve done something about the scents sooner.
“Yes, Ruth,” I grumble, fighting not to roll my eyes at her. “Listen, if you see them hanging around again, give me a call."
She agrees, and we exchange numbers.
When I offer to take Suki home, Ruth says she'll do it herself, as she wants Arabella to rest for a little while longer. I’m not about to argue. She could definitely use the extra sleep after that marathon of sex. I know I’m probably going to crash for a good twelve hours when I get home.
I'm halfway down the long street, nose in the air as I sniff for any signs of those alphas’ scents, when I realise how I must look right now. I’m doing a weird impression of a sniffer dog while acting like I’m her fucking guard dog.
Shit. What should I do?
I don't want to scare Arabella. If I tell her she's being stalked—that I think she’s being stalked—she might freak out.
The last thing I want to do is cause her unnecessary stress when she's already so delicate right now. These mini-heats she’s going through are no joke. Not to mention, if I start hanging around outside her flat to watch out for them, I'll be the one who looks suspicious if she catches me there.
Do I really care about that? No. Her safety is more important.
Fuck, at the very least I need to talk to her about this, but maybe I can figure out who these guys are first. If I bring this up to her, I don’t want to look like a jealous fool seeing threats where there’s none.
I need something concrete for when I tell her.
And a plan to make sure she feels safe when I do.