Page 67 of Puck & Her Blades

Asher’s gaze darts between us both, before his smile widens. “Awesome. Count me in on this rebellion. Yet don’t expect me to stop protecting you. So, keep it secret because it’d kill me, if anything happened to your cute behinds. Seriously cute behinds. Cyg, put on some clothes.”

Cygnus defiantly snatches up his long coat and slides it on.

Then he puts his hands on his tiny hips.

Shit, how can he look even hotter wearing only a coat than when he’s naked?

Asher doesn’t look annoyed, instead he appears delighted. “You’re going to give Jackson ideas. He’ll insist on always keeping you like that. But I’m serious on the security side. You know that there are stalker and mad fan threats, and this stupid Omega selection thing has made it worse. I need to keep you safe.”

My blood runs cold. “Is Cygnus in danger?”

“You are too, babe. Seriously, do you know how many freaks have mascot fetishes?”

“Hey,” I protest, “are you saying that you’re not one of them?”

I meet his gaze daringly.

He doesn’t look fazed. “Who said that I wasn’t a freak?”

Would he stop saying things like that?

Asher slips the puck back into his pocket and crosses his arms. “You’re my pack now. Family. You’re mine to obsess over and protect. You’ll just have to accept it. But there are some advantages. If you want to get back into training, I’m your man. Do you want me to come over at dawn and…?”

“There’s no way you can finish that sentence that I’ll say yes.”

“Hey, my dawn fitness routines are legendary, and I know that there are plenty of ways I could have finished that sentence, which would have tempted you to say yes.” He points at Cygnus. “I don’t know why you’re looking so smug. This Beta always has room for one more Omega.”

Cygnus pales. “The doctors say no exercise before midday.”

I smother my laugh. “The doctors say, huh?”

Cygnus nods. “They also say that I need daily chocolate. It has great health benefits.”

“Get dressed, brat. Properly this time.” Asher’s eyes are soft with tenderness, however, when he turns to stride into the circular, spaceship like locker room.

He presses a switch on the wall, and finally, the sensual music clicks off.

I miss it.

I rush after him.

This is my chance.

I need to find out the answers about Asher. By talking to him, I can do it without invading his privacy, and I don’t know when I’ll have another chance.

Roarke could be on his way right now. I may only have a couple of minutes left.

I don’t know what Roarke will do to me, if he finds me in here.

It won’t be good.

At the same time, I’m uncomfortable about the implications of Roarke deliberately setting it up to see Asher by himself in this room, separated from the rest of the pack.

What’s he going to do to him?

Asher only wants to protect us, but I feel the same way about him.

Asher crosses the high tech room, where the fans are churning overhead. He skirts around the double bench in the center to his personal changing stall, where his equipment is hanging up.

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