Page 132 of The Heat of Us

“Remy, is everything ok? I just got out.”

He sounded stressed. “There’s an Alpha Brotherhood protest in the city. They’ve shut down entire blocks. I have to take the long way around to try to get to you along with every other fucker in this peak hour traffic!”

“It’s ok,” I reassured him. “I can wait here for you.”

“Fuck, I’m sorry, Hazel. I’ll be as quick as I can.”

“How is this your fault? I’ll see you soon, ok?” I said, feigning optimism. My face fell when I hung up. I had been Kerry’s last appointment of the day. She and her PA might have some paperwork to do before finishing up but I was sure I was going to be left alone pretty soon.

Fifteen minutes later, Kerry almost fell over my seated form on the front step.

“Hazel! I thought you left ages ago,” she said, readjusting her coat all flustered.

“Remy is stuck in some traffic,” I explained.

We both looked up at the sky, reaching the same conclusion. Night was creeping on fast.

“Are you going to be ok out here by yourself?” Kerry asked me, looking concerned. “I would stay but my husband—”

I held up a hand. “Please, that’s not necessary. I’ll call an omega car service.”

She looked relieved. “Excellent idea. I’ve heard positive things about them. Have a good night, Hazel.”

Before I opened the app I dialled Remy again.

“Baby?”

I could hear aggressive beeping in the background. It didn’t sound like he was having much luck.

“It’s, um, getting kind of dark and the office is closed now.” I kept going before he could interrupt. “I’m going to call the omega car service. I’ve used them a lot and they vet their drivers. You can follow my location, ok?”

Remy sighed heavily. “I think you’re going to have to. I don’t like the idea of you waiting there in the open.”

“Just turn around and meet me back home. I mean, I have to go the long way around myself so it might be a while,” I said, trying to keep my tone light.

“Goddamn knotheads. Alright. I’ll be watching you like a hawk.”

My offhand response was automatic at this point. “Aww, I didn’t know you cared.”

“Hazel,” Remy said, his seriousness dropping his voice deeper. “If you are at all confused about how I feel about you then you have been paying less attention than I thought.”

“Remy…”

“Call the service. I’ll see you soon. Ok, babe?”

I felt a bit gooey once he hung up.

Get yourself home and you can tell them all.

I opened the app, hoping there would be available drivers despite the protest. There was one two minutes away and I breathed a sigh of relief when they accepted my ride straight away. Their smiling profile showed that they were a bonded beta male. That was usually the norm. I would’ve liked a female driver but they were unfortunately rare.

The windows were tinted but I triple checked the licence plate before sliding into the backseat.

The door locked.

The acrid scent of the definitively not beta driver hit me.

And my mother turned to look at me from the passenger seat.

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