Page 85 of The Heat of Us

“The other one?”

“The other alpha.” Goodness I felt like I was on another planet speaking a different language.

“Remy?”

“That’s it. Remy, yes. Have you met him?”

“Yes? He’s, um, a really good guy.”

“Makes sense, she has excellent taste.”

Hazel stamped her foot crossly. “Can you stop talking about me like I’m not here?”

I leaned over and planted a kiss on her cheek. Couldn’t resist a scent mark for good measure. “Sorry, sweetness. I’ll see you tonight?” I gave her my most charming smile to really ensure she would be unable to resist. Her jaw was doing some sort of grinding motion that must have been painful. “No?” I prompted.

“Yes,” she hissed, slapping Aleks’ ID into his hand (it fell to the ground and he scrambled to pick it up) before flouncing back inside.

“Come on, Aleks, want a lift?” I said, turning to leave. My alpha was very pleased things were starting to come together because he really was feeling quite a bit lonely in this new city.

“A lift?”

Why wasn’t he following me? “Yeah. To work,” I said, baffled before walking off again.

Aleks stumbled as he tried to keep up with me. “Why aren’t you more mad at me? I’m living with your scent matched omega and you’re just…you’re just…”

I sighed and stopped. He crashed into me with a yelp. “You know how packs work, right?” I told him.

His eyes were as big as saucers. “You think we’re a pack?” he croaked.

“Well, not right now.” Obviously, since he was still freaking out. “But eventually…sure.”

“Have you always been crazy?”

I didn’t take offence to this. He’ll understand in time, my alpha assured me. He was giddy, so fucking giddy with renewed purpose. “She’s building her pack, Aleks,” I told him seriously. “She might not realise it, or want to admit it. But that’s what she’s doing. Be gentle with her, ok? She’s going to be our world.”

I checked the time. Damn, we were going to be late.

30

ALEKS

I told myself I was only going to stay one night.

Then I had three consecutive night duty shifts coming up and Hazel cleared out her tiny office for me.

“It gets pretty dark in here when you shut all the blinds,” she explained once her desk had been moved to the corner of the living room.

When did she get the air mattress? How did it even get up here?

If the faint aroma of whisky in the room wasn’t indication enough, the entire Chronicles of the Sunken Army box set sitting on the floor was unmistakable.

Goddamn Remy.

Like I didn’t owe the guy enough already.

“Hazel, this is…”

Too much.

---