Chapter Seven
“What are you doing here?” Claire’s suspicion came out loud and clear through the metal screen that stood between she and Kaidan.
“We already told you, you need protection. That hasn’t changed.” He put his hands in his pockets but made no move toward the handle, no attempt to get into the house. Let her realize I’m not going to do anything.
“Bryce called you?”
“He did.”
She stared at him. Was she waiting for him to lecture her? Too bad for her, because he wasn’t someone to do that. He preferred letting people figure things out on their own, found the lessons sunk in deeper that way.
“I’m not inviting you in.” She snapped the words, like the silence had gotten to her.
Kaidan’s lips tilted up before he nodded and grabbed the chair sitting at the edge of the porch. It groaned as he sat, and for a moment he expected to topple onto the hard porch.
“What are you doing?”
“Sitting.”
“You can’t just sit there all night.”
He leaned back, legs kicked out and crossed at the ankles. “I can, actually.”
The same tense moment as before passed. Even though from his spot he couldn’t see her, he could imagine her look. Unsure, expecting some reaction from him that would hurt her. She did it a lot, he’d come to realize. She waited as if sure he would blow up, that he’d scream or attack her. The tension would sit between them, thick and suffocating.
He could have said something, tried to reassure her, but he knew better. Eventually, she’d get her feet beneath her, sure up her courage, and continue.
“Why aren’t you trying to come in?”
There you go.
He grinned. “Because you don’t want me in your house.”
“So? Since when does that stop an alpha?”
He folded his hands in his lap, trying to look as non-threatening as a male his size could. “I’d tell you I’m not like that, but you won’t believe it. You’ll just have to see in time that not all alphas are alike.”
“Instead, you’ll sit alone on my front porch? Because that’s not creepy at all.”
He turned, catching her with his side-eye. “Well, I’m not alone right now. Maybe you don’t dislike my company as much as you want to pretend. Why don’t you grab a chair and talk with this nice locked metal door between us?”
She hesitated at the door before the soft falls of her steps said she’d left. Would she come back? Would she take him up on the offer, or was he stuck sitting by her front door all night?
He’d stay either way, but a nice conversation would make the night pass faster.
When she returned, he kept his back to her. He didn’t speak, letting her make up her own mind, letting her argue with herself in her head.
Claire took a deep breath then unlatched the lock. She teetered off-center as she leaned out, a plate with a cup of something hot and half a muffin on it in her hand. One good breeze could knock the girl over, but she seemed unwilling to bring any more of her body out into the open.
Kaidan laughed softly and took the items but made no move to follow.
Claire yanked back, throwing the deadbolt on the screen door, her breath fast and loud even through the screen.
“Thank you.” He lifted the cup to his lips. She makes good coffee.
Shuffling from inside said she hadn’t left. A soft sipping made him guess she had a cup of her own.
“You should get some sleep,” he said.
“I’m not tired.”
He took a bite of the muffin, the plate balanced on his knees. “Of course you are. I can hear it in your voice. Do you always neglect your needs like this or is it because of us? Because of your heat? Because of the stress we’re causing?”
“I’ve taken care of myself for a while now. I’m fine at it.”
“No, you’re really not. You clearly have been neglecting your basic needs as an omega, which is why your heat happened the way it did. Since then, you haven’t eaten properly, haven’t slept. The store is well organized, the house well kept. I’m going to guess you take care of everything except yourself.”
“I’ve got a lot to think about. I don’t rank very high on the list.”
“Not surprising. People like to think of omegas as weak, but the truth is they simply don’t think of themselves. Most are so busy taking care of everyone else their own needs drift away.”
“Are you going to say that’s why they need an alpha?”
“Yes.”
She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she seemed as if the answer surprised her, like she’d expected him to lie. “I don’t need anyone, least of all some overbearing alpha.”
He took offense at the statement. “Really? Even after you admit to not taking care of yourself? Love, you misunderstand me. Omegas and alphas, they fit. Each has evolved to counter the other. Alphas have grown more protective, more aggressive. They’re driven to see to the care of their omega. In turn, omegas are driven to care for all those around them. Alphas, unchecked, can be vicious and single-minded. Omegas unchecked can be selfless to the point of harm. Omegas calm alphas, and alphas care for omegas. When they fit together correctly, it is to the benefit of both.”
“That sounds nice,” Claire admitted. “But it hasn’t been my experience.”
He considered her reaction to Bryce, to how she hadn’t wanted Kaidan in her home. It all pointed to one thing. “You haven’t invited an alpha into your home before, have you? It’s not just that you don’t trust us, but you’ve never actually invited one in.”
“No. I’ve lived alone a long time, and I’ve made it a point to avoid alphas.”
He crossed his ankle over his other knee, plate still balanced in his lap as he thought about her all by herself in that house. “That sounds lonely.”
“Lonely isn’t so bad.” A soft thud and the rustle of the door made him think she’d rested her head against it. “Lonely is safe.”
“It only seems safer. Bryce and Joshua have saved my life countless times, and I owe the two of them more than I could ever repay. Life is hard enough on its own, so I can’t imagine not having others to rely on.”
Claire didn’t respond for so long, Kaidan wondered if she’d left. Had her courage run out?
When he’d almost lost hope, she released a long sigh. The hinges on the screen groaned as she opened it, then held it for Kaidan.
Despite not saying the words, the point was clear. She was inviting him in, and that meant for the first time ever, she was willingly inviting an alpha into her personal space.
He stood, plate and cup in his hand, and didn’t comment on the choice before sliding in past her.
Claire’s home reminded Kaidan of her. Simple, but warm. She had extra sets of things, things that appeared well used. Plates with chips, cups and glasses showing wear.
She didn’t date, didn’t seem to have many friends. Who exactly spends time in her home?
“Do you have roommates?”
She stared at him, her back against the wall. She’d yet to turn around, to let him out of her sight. Her body remained rigid as she watched him, expecting attack. “No. I live alone.”
“So, who spends so much time here?”
“None of your business. Besides, you and your buddies keep saying you’re not jealous.”
Kaidan smiled at her biting wit, at the way she stood up to him even if she didn’t see the strength in herself. “We have no jealousy with one another, but that doesn’t mean we’re willing to share with anyone else. You don’t allow alphas in here, but I’m not interested in sharing you with betas, either.”
Claire watched him with the caution and study of someone who wasn’t sure what she thought of him. Finally, she shook her head. “Just friends. Romance hasn’t been on my mind for a long time.”
“Not since your bad experience?”
“No. And before you think anything positive, I wouldn’t have started with you, but I didn’t have a choice.”
“We all have choices, Claire.”
She sighed, rubbing her hands over the tops of her thighs. It drew his attention to her figure again, as if it had ever really left. She had hips he’d like to grasp, to hold close. Everything she did screamed omega. The fact she’d thought for a moment she’d be able to pass as a beta made him shake his head.
She was all protective, all caring. He could have spotted her a mile away even if she hadn’t been mid-heat. It reminded him of how much he missed having an omega, how much he missed the softness and grounding they lent to his life.
Not that he had a bad life. The family he’d created with the other alphas suited him and the work they did pleased him, but nothing could quite replace the warmth and softness of a female. He wanted to go home to an omega, to the life one could bring to a house, to make it a home.
“You can’t sleep in my room,” she said.
“Didn’t plan on it.” Which was only half true. He wouldn’t force the issue, but he’d be lying if he tried to say he hadn’t hoped.
The little bit of attention she’d gotten wasn’t nearly enough to sate her. Lust crawled along the edges of her eyes each time she glanced his way. Deny it all she wanted, he could see the need inside her, smell it on her.
Instead of risking anything else, he nodded toward the sofa. “I’ll take the couch. It will let me keep an eye on the front door.”
Her answering yawn had him wishing he could tuck her into bed and press a kiss to her sweet lips before watching her slip into an easy sleep.
Since that wouldn’t happen, he only sank his hands into his pockets to keep still. “Go on, love. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”
Her wary eyes wanted to argue, but exhaustion won out. She nodded, backing away, still unwilling to turn on him. “Goodnight, Kaidan.”
The door shut, and he couldn’t help the stupid grin at the way his name sounded on her lips.
She couldn’t sleep.
Hours passed, the house silent, but the scent of alpha wouldn’t let her rest. Her body ached, molars grinding, thighs pressed tight together.
She craved his touch. No matter how many times Claire told herself to stay put, reminded herself of the danger, she couldn’t stop. Her mind would drift back to Kaidan’s hands on her, to the way his tongue, soft and giving, had stroked against her clit.
He’d do that again. She knew it without asking, knew he’d give her anything she wanted. Nothing came for free, though. There would be a price, and she had no idea if she could pay it.
Still, she couldn’t help it.
She considered trying to quell the fire herself. She could slip her hand between her legs and get herself off, despite the fact that she hadn’t done that, hadn’t wanted it in so long. Her fingers brushed down her body before she shook the insane thought loose.
First, he’d know. No alpha could remain asleep if she gave in. He’d smell her, drawn by it. Even if he didn’t force himself on her, they’d both know she’d done it and why. Besides, giving in felt like losing some part of her she didn’t want to lose. She’d surrendered so much of herself to her nature, to them. She didn’t want to give that, too.
By the time two rolled around and she still hadn’t managed to unwind, Claire pulled a robe over her pajamas and crept from the room. Tile chilled her feet, but she kept going. Soft snores from the couch drew her closer, told her Kaidan slept.
She lied to herself, said she could turn back, said he was sleeping so she wasn’t doing anything. Just one quick look, a reminder of his size, his strength, his danger, and she’d go running back to her bed.
Except, when she passed the couch, she froze.
He was stretched out on his back, shirt off, legs hanging over the arm rest, body too large for the small couch. His arm rested behind his head, eyes closed, face relaxed. The snores from his lips made him seem innocent, almost young.
This was what she feared? This man, who snored and slept so soundly she could have hurt him, was who she’d panicked from? Who’d she flinched from? Not just him, but any alpha. He was the nightmare that kept her up, and yet as she surveyed him there, she couldn’t find that fear.
The wide set of his shoulders, the muscles in his chest, over his stomach—they all said yeah, he was what she feared. That fear was held back by want, though. The desire inside her at the sight, the smell, the memory…it all dammed the fear back, gave it no room to escape.
She came forward, each step slow, caution, careful, silent. Above all, silent.
His scent pulled her closer until she crouched beside him. Her body demanded she taste him again. Between her heat and the time with Joshua, she was starved for the taste of alpha. Those had given her the barest satisfaction, had reminded her instinct what it wanted. Now? Now it screamed for more.
She reached out, her trembling hand hanging in the air.
Can I do this?
The heat had been out of her control. Joshua, in the backroom of the restaurant—that had been her giving in. She’d surrendered to an instinctual want, but Joshua had offered. He’d held out what she wanted, coaxing her forward.
This? This would be all her. It would be her taking what she wanted, not reacting but acting. Could she change the way she saw herself by doing this?
The rise and fall of his chest, the way the waist of his pants drew a line across his stomach, the line of his cock, hard even in his sleep, against his jeans, answered for her. She might be damned for it, but she needed.
Just before she made contact, though, she lifted her gaze to find his eyes open and staring at her.
He’d caught her.
She left her hand hanging in the space between them, caught between what she wanted and what she feared. Claire rested on a threshold between the two lives—the one she’d lived and the one she might have.
She just needed to take a small leap.
“Go on,” he whispered, his voice soft as if he didn’t want to startle her.
“This doesn’t mean anything.” It can’t mean anything.
“Sure.” Amused sarcasm colored his answer.
She remained on the balls of her feet, muscles tight. She offered more of the tentative touches, sliding her fingertips over his arm, tracing the solid muscles there, running over each rough knuckle. “I couldn’t sleep.”
“Because I’m here?”
She nodded as she stroked over each finger, her motions slow and methodical. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you.” Her voice dropped lower. “Or smelling you.”
His eyebrow lifted, but he let the statement stand. He nodded toward himself. “Go ahead. You know you want to.”
“I’ve never wanted to before. What did you do to me?”
“Nothing, at least nothing you haven’t done to me, as well. You know alphas and omegas can bond, and this is the start of that.”
“Why would I bond with you? I don’t want that.”
“You may not want to eat, may not want to sleep, but it doesn’t stop your body from needing it. You’ve spent so many years denying your instincts, pretending they don’t exist, that now they’ve broken free and refuse to listen.”
“I can’t do that again. Why would my instincts put me there again?”
He reached slowly but didn’t grab her. Instead, he cupped her cheek in his palm. “It won’t be like that again. Whatever happened before, it won’t be like that this time. Give in, just for tonight. I won’t touch you, not unless you ask. Sate some of your instinct with me. You’ve spent too long denying it, so allow yourself just for a short while.”
“You want me to just use you like that?”
“If it means your hands on me, then yes. Make no mistake, my body has made some demands as well, and you touching me? It helps to quiet it.”
She waited for that to frighten her, as if admitting that he wanted her made him more dangerous. That subtle warming in her body, though, the tightening of her nipples and the excitement that sparked beneath her skin were the only reactions.
After a tiny nod, she moved her hands again. She brushed over every inch of exposed skin on his wide chest, lowered her face to his throat and breathed him in.
A low groan from him broke into the room, telling her everything he felt, everything he needed. On the tail end, it shifted into a soft growl, but she didn’t pull away.
No, she pressed her nose harder to his skin, her breath hot against him, more of her body touching his. She grew confident as she went, as her own wants and instincts swept her up and made demands.
She worked her lips down his body as she continued to smell him, shifting from his throat, to his chest, to his stomach. When she reached the waist of his pants, she froze.
Kaidan’s arm, folded behind his head, flexed with want, but he still didn’t move. “You can keep going.”
This is it. Am I going to let James control me anymore? Am I going to let him steal anything else from me?
Her tongue wet her bottom lip, then she undid the button at his waist.
What she was doing, she had no idea. It was as if she didn’t control her body anymore, as though the fear she’d lived with for so long had fled. Now it was just the secret wants, the things she’d shoved away and sworn she couldn’t want, shouldn’t want.
The teeth of the zipper separated with tiny clicks as she pulled it down, as more and more bare skin came into sight. At least, it did in her peripheral vision. She didn’t dare rip her gaze from Kaidan’s, from the steady rock he was for her.
Joshua had been fire, something that made her want to burn, to taste something, something unsafe but worth it. Kaidan was solid, a presence that made her grounded and brave.
So, she took that bravery, that feeling she so rarely experienced, and went with it. She curled her fingers into the waist of his pants and pulled.
He lifted his hips, his hands staying put behind his head. The action reminded her of a sacrifice, of someone submitting before her. It shook her, since the alpha below her was many things, but submissive wasn’t one. He was doing it for her.
She got the pants down, and he kicked them off.
Claire steeled her courage and looked, a soft gasp when she realized he hadn’t worn underwear. It left him exposed to her, and she readied herself for fear.
She prepared for a panic attack, to go running, to chicken out. She waited for the crashing wave of fear to strike her, to drag her under as the panic always had before.
Only, no such fear came. Instead, interest swam through her, settling as heat in her lower stomach, skittering across her skin in waves. A spot of pre-cum sat at the slit on the head of his cock, and when she stared, his cock jerked.
He’d told her to explore, hadn’t he? Told her to enjoy, to have, to try. She pushed aside all else and leaned in, not with her hands, but instead used her tongue to taste that tempting drop.
The moment the salty liquid touched her tongue, a growl of her own escaped her throat. Just as she’d felt when Joshua had fed her his cum, her instinct roared in her head for more. It chanted over and over that he was hers, as possessive as any alpha.
Only, it wasn’t an alpha. It was her. She’d never felt that with James no matter how much of him she’d swallowed down. It had never made a peep. Why now? Why was instinct rattling around in her head and demanding she have more of this man? Of Joshua?
The soft snarl on his lips would have terrified her any other time, but Kaidan remained still. His narrow hips didn’t even lift. He didn’t grab her hair, didn’t force her down his length. He waited, the only movement his chest rising and falling and the occasional jerk of his length as it twitched beneath her hungry gaze.
So Claire continued. She slipped onto the couch, her knees on the cushion straddling a leg of his. She set a hand on his hip both for balance and to keep him still, or at least to feel as if she could. She knew he could throw her if he wanted to.
She wrapped her other hand around his erection in a grip surer than she felt. She stroked him, tried to picture a future when this came naturally, when she’d feel happy to do this, when she’d feel at ease. His sounds would have terrified her had they come from anyone else. Vicious and untamed, they leapt from his chest, from his parted lips, but he didn’t move. He kept his word and stayed still, so the deep rumbles and demanding snarls only made her grow wetter.
Her body knew what it wanted even if she wasn’t ready yet.
She took him in the only way she could at that moment, the only way her body and mind could agree on. She lowered herself and wrapped her lips around his dick.
Every muscle in his strong body went rigid beneath her. It coiled like a beast under her power, as though she alone controlled him. Still, he did nothing, took nothing.
Claire closed her eyes and stopped worrying about anything. She didn’t think about the fact she’d never willingly done this, not clear-headed. She didn’t bother with considering if he’d enjoy it, if she’d make a fool of herself. The sounds he made said he enjoyed it, and she focused only on what she wanted.
She wanted more of his taste. She wanted more of this surrender. Not the surrender of a person who had no choice, but a willing surrender for her comfort.
She moved her wanton lips over his rigid shaft, tongue dragging against the underside of his cock to swirl around the head. She tilted her head, so his dick brushed the soft inside of her cheek.
Before long, her jaw ached from the wide set needed to accommodate his thickness, but she didn’t care. She hollowed her cheeks and stroked her palm against the base of his shaft that she was nowhere close to encasing. She teased him, devoured him, explored each reaction. She savored each drop he gave, felt each kick of his length against her tongue as he fought off his end.
“I’m going to come, love. You might want to stop if that isn’t what you want, because I’m not going to be able to hold off much longer.” His words came out halted, breathless and desperate.
Can I do this?
This time she was choosing. He was leaving it in her hands. Not instinct, not heat, not what he wanted.
What do I want?
Claire closed her eyes and curled her fingernails into his hip, urging him to understand the message, her choice. She wanted this. Whatever it was, even if it was just the moment, she wanted it.
She expected him to reach for her, to force her farther down his length, but Kaidan did none of it. His growl deepened until she felt it more than heard it before his cock jerked against her tongue, and he spilled into her waiting mouth.
The taste drugged her, sating that part of her desperate for this. She swallowed, not needing to be fed it this time, not needing anyone else to offer. Instead, she took.
By the time she pulled away, he had started to soften, and one last drag of her tongue ensured she hadn’t missed any.
The walk back to her cold, empty bed seemed too far, so Claire crawled up Kaidan’s body and placed her cheek on his chest.
He pressed a kiss to her head and wrapped his around her.
She’d worry about the rest come morning.
* * * *
Bryce forced his face to remain neutral when Kaidan and Claire walked into the office.
They walked side by side, close enough they could brush against the other. She smelled of him, the way she had of Joshua the day before.
So, it seemed her aversions centered only on Bryce.
It didn’t shock him. He’d never been as good with women as the other two. Joshua’s easy charm and Kaidan’s honesty drew them in a way Bryce could never quite manage.
He tapped on the keyboard at his desk, which he leaned over as he considered how to move forward. Time could help, perhaps, but what if it didn’t? The more Joshua and Kaidan bonded with her, the larger the divide would grow.
Could Bryce remain as part of the group if he and she never developed anything? Could he watch his brothers find that happiness and stay, knowing he’d never find the same?
Kaidan’s frown met him, let him know he’d been staring and that far too much of what in his head had spilled onto his face. The last thing he needed was for Kaidan to interfere, to have him trying to mother-hen Bryce as he did to his females.
Instead, Bryce straightened and kept his gaze off Claire, unwilling to look at her, to risk anyone seeing what he thought. “Any problems?”
Kaidan hesitated too long for it to be an accident before shaking his head. “No. No sign of any issue at her house or anyone following her. I’d guess whatever she’s involved in isn’t a danger to her yet.”
“Does that mean I get rid of this whole babysitter thing?” Claire’s tone bordered between bored and uneasy, as if snark sat on her tongue but she still wasn’t sure about it. At least she didn’t flinch that time.
Bryce finally turned to face her directly, noting the increased color in her cheeks. She looked better, the bags beneath her eyes lessened. Her time with Kaidan had done her well. A good night’s sleep? Some food? Her scent said something had happened, since only the cum of an alpha could alter her scent like that.
“No, not until I understand exactly what you’ve got going on. Just because someone isn’t after you now doesn’t mean they won’t be. The people we deal with are dangerous and their enemies are even worse. You trying to get into our system and our files says you’re after either a client or the enemy of one.” Bryce crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the desk. “So for both your safety and that of our clients, I’m not letting this go, not until we figure it out and deal with whatever problem you’ve created for yourself.”
“It’s none of your business.”
“It wasn’t, but you made it my business when you broke into my office. You again made it my business when you had us service you for your heat. Now? Well, little omega, now you are very much my business.” Bryce allowed every speck of possessiveness to saturate his words, let her see just a spark of the want he had. It rumbled from him between the words, in the soft growl at the tail end of the promise.
Kaidan shook his head before excusing himself, leaving Bryce and Claire facing off. Kaidan had never cared for Bryce’s temper, for the way he let his instincts rule him. While Bryce had control, he was never above giving in to the wants of his instincts. Kaidan would have advised him toward caution, to go easy, but while Kaidan could be marvelous with females, he also tended to spoil them. He’d had too many walk over him, walk out on him.
Her color drained upon Kaidan’s departure, her savior having left her to fend for herself. Not protecting her from the big bad wolf that she saw Bryce as?
Still, Claire didn’t seem ready to give in. “I can’t tell you what’s going on,” she said, as if that were reasonable.
“You can, and you will. You are playing with things and people out of your league. There are people in those files who would have you killed without a second thought. Nothing is worth that risk.”
She pulled her shoulders back, squaring them against him. “Yes, there is. The fact I was willing to break into your office, that I was willing to risk pissing off three alphas should tell you I think it’s worth it.”
Bryce didn’t move, leaning against the desk, watching her. There was some truth to that, the fact she’d risk so much. She wasn’t some naive omega new to the world. She’d gone into that office knowing what could happen, and she’d done it anyway.
“If it’s worth that much, talk to me. Tell me what it’s about. I can help.”
Her lips parted as if she wanted to tell him. It soothed part of his frustration, that spark of trust. It didn’t last long, though, and she pressed her lips together a moment later.
“Then I guess you won’t be getting much alone time.”
She closed the distance between them, coming close enough he could smell Kaidan on her. She stopped when only a breath rested between them. “You can’t do this, can’t just decide you’re in charge of me.”
“Of course I can. If you make stupid choices, if you put yourself at risk, I’ll do whatever needs to be done. You can count on that with me, always.”
She poked her finger against his chest, the spot stinging from the hard jab. “I’m going to do what I need to do, and you won’t get in my way.”
“I won’t? What exactly do you plan to do about it?” He knew he was taunting her, but damn if it wasn’t fun to see her breathing smoke.
“Whatever I have to.”
And she looked like it. She looked as if she’d risk taking him on for whatever she had in her head, for whatever it was she’d decided was so damned important. She didn’t wilt, didn’t give in. No, she didn’t trust him, and she would protect whatever it was from even him.
“I like this side of you.” His gaze dropped to her finger. “I like your bite.”
Her eyes narrowed, but she didn’t move back. “I thought alphas all wanted sweet omegas who listened.”
“Now, where would the fun be in that?”
“You’re going to try and tell me you aren’t controlling?”
Bryce set a hand on her hip, grip soft so she could pull away. “I never said that. I enjoy control, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like to see you snarl.”
Her gaze darted away. He could almost see the wheels turning, see her pondering, testing if there could be any truth in the words. She stared past him at his desk, his computer.
A moment later, she pulled away. Too soon, far too soon for what he’d like.
“Can you get me some water?” She kept her eyes off him, uneasy.
Bryce wanted to grasp her hand, to pull her in again, to run his fingers through her hair. He wanted to recapture the moment when she’d looked at him, when she’d come closer. He didn’t though. They’d gained some amount of trust between them in that moment, and he wouldn’t risk shattering it.
Instead, he nodded. “Sure. I’ll be right back.”
Claire still wouldn’t look at him, and he could see her walls rebuilding.
Fine. If he could get through them once, even for a moment, they had a chance.
He met Kaidan in the conference room with the mini-fridge, the man pouring over an open file.
“She likes you,” Kaidan said without looking up.
Bryce crouched and picked a water bottle from the small fridge. “I think you’re seeing things.”
Kaidan closed the file to look at Bryce. “She’s avoided men in general and alphas in particular since whatever happened with the last one.”
“Doesn’t surprise me. Skittish doesn’t even start to explain that girl. I’d like to catch whoever the hell turned her into that.”
“It reminds me of a few cases we’ve worked. I keep wanting to tell her not all alphas are the same, that we aren’t all like that, but then I think about all those omegas we’ve helped. I see the ones who made it, the ones who didn’t, and I wonder if she isn’t right. How many of us does it take before it’s all of us? I want to tell her she doesn’t need to be afraid, but doesn’t she?”
Bryce ran his finger over the condensation on the label of the bottle, trying not to see the things Kaidan talked about, the things that kept him up many nights. “You know better than most that we can’t fix everything. All we can do is help those we can. Sometimes it’s putting down a rabid alpha, sometimes it’s rescuing a trapped omega—”
“And sometimes it’s trying to take care of a skittish omega who doesn’t make it very easy?”
“So it seems, but damn if it isn’t shaping up to be the hardest job we’ve taken yet.” Bryce laughed softly and left Kaidan to his work, ready to get back, to see Claire.
Would she be distant again? Would she be spitting fire or fearful or wanting?
He pushed open the door to his office, ready to face whatever mood she was in.
Only, his office sat empty, the chair to his desk knocked back.
Claire had gone through his unlocked computer and run. What a pity for his omega, because he loved a good chase.