Page 32 of Ready or Not

I lick my lips as I watch her like a total creep, but I can’t seem to help myself. She truly is beautiful. It doesn’t help that my body fails to understand that everything has changed between us since I saw her last. My chest gets tight as I fight the urge to pull her into me.

I want to help carry all the stress she’s walking around with.

To shoulder her worries for her.

To show her that I’m not who she thinks I am, but I also know my actions so far have shown the exact opposite.

The sporadic thumping that bounces against my palm startles me out of my distracted thoughts. Even through the material, I can feel that it’s coming from under her skin.

“Wow.” I bite my lip, shaking my head. My eyes ache as my chest gets even tighter.

Mercy was right.

I could have missed out on so much more.

“She’s getting stronger all the time.” Vale laughs. “I’m excited but insanely nervous. I keep having dreams where I wake up afraid that I forgot to feed or change her. Make that make sense. She’s not even here yet, and I’m already dreaming that I’m messing up.” Her strawberry and cream scent smells different with Holt and Bishop mixed in, but it still makes my nostrils flare.

“You’ll have help every step of the way if you’ll let me.” I nuzzle my cheek to hers from behind as I follow the baby’s kicks around her stomach.

It makes my chest feel oddly tingly as I breathe in her scent.

Is that some biological response?

Maybe it’s part of evolution to ensure alphas stick around to protect their omega during their most vulnerable time?

A way to bond alphas and omegas, outside of a claiming bite?

“I should try on the other stuff,” Vale says, carefully stepping out of my hold. “Wait, can you unzip me?” I nod, stepping forward to handle that. “Thanks.”

My stomach drops as she closes the door in my face.

I spin around, exhaling heavily.

Mercy grabs me by the throat with his thumb jabbing into my carotid artery.

That motherfucker loves pressure points.

“I don’t know what game you’re playing, but you’ll not push her to accept you simply because she’s pregnant.” He applies firmer pressure until my vision goes spotty.

“Fuck you,” I growl, jabbing my fist into his solar plexus.

He releases a satisfying oomph but doesn’t release the blood flow to my head. Those secret service agencies, like MI5 and the CIA, love to teach pressure points as quiet and obscure ways to take down an enemy.

I bring my forearm up, knocking his hand away. I almost wish I didn’t when he slams his left fist into my jaw while kneeing me in the balls.

Motherfucker.

How do I always forget he’s ambidextrous?

“Cooper?” Vale’s voice calls out as the door opens. She steps over toward us as Mercy glares.

My body doesn’t know whether to cradle my aching balls or my jaw, so I end up bent over with my hands on my knees as I heave in deep lungfuls of air.

Newsflash—it doesn’t help.

“Are you okay?” Vale asks with wide eyes as she steps around Mercy.

“Oh yeah,” I choke out, nodding. “Just elbowed the wall. Hit my funny bone, which was, in fact, not funny at all.”

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