Page 47 of Alpha Reid

“So essentially, I’m in a terrible position,” I sigh, grimacing. “Do I trust my friends, who I’ve known for years, or do I choose to trust my mate, who I’ve known for a week? I mean it seems like a no-brainer, right? But I’ve been waiting for Serena all my life, and even though I don’t know her well, I know she’s a good person. I can’t imagine her doing something like this maliciously.”

“So do you think there’s another reason she did it?” Dad asks, arching a brow and taking a sip of his coffee.

I shrug a shoulder. “It’s possible. It’s also possible that she didn’t do it and this is all a huge fucking coincidence.”

He swallows down the coffee, pressing his lips together in a tight line. “I don’t believe in coincidences, you know that.”

I blow out a breath. “I know.”

A pause settles over us as Dad slides his mug on the counter and grabs the pot, topping off his cup again.

“You want my advice?” he asks gruffly, setting the pot back down and lifting both coffee mugs from the counter.

I nod.

“Keep a close eye, but don’t shut her out. If you find out that Serena was responsible for the virus, give her a chance to do the right thing. A fated mate only comes around once in a lifetime.” He glances wistfully toward the doorway to the living room. “They’re special.”

“I know,” I mumble, swallowing hard and staring down at the hardwood floor. “But if she did do this, if she knowingly put the six-pack at risk, how could I accept her as my mate?”

“You’ve believed in fate this long,” he murmurs, and I look up to see him offering a small smile of encouragement. “So you have to believe that fate had a plan in putting you two together. Now I’m not saying that you shouldn’t be cautious or vigilant, but you can be both of those things and still see this through. You’ll know what to do when the time comes. Trust your instincts, they haven’t let you down yet.”

“Yeah,” I rasp, swallowing past a lump in my throat. “You’re right. I appreciate the advice.”

Dad grins. “Always happy to help.” He steps away from the counter, carrying the coffee mugs. “Now c’mon, I’m sure your mom will want to visit with you. You came on a good day, she seems to be doing well this morning.”

I smile back, following him toward the living room though my mind is still racing. I’m distracted as I visit with my mom, my thoughts constantly drifting back to the redhead next door. While it helped to talk to my dad and get some perspective, I still have a lot to figure out with Serena that’s weighing heavily on my mind.

I hope Dad’s right- that fate has a plan. Because right now I sure as hell don’t.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Serena

Did I really think I’d get away with it? Maybe. Admittedly, I didn’t really think things through, I just saw an opportunity and seized it. Of course it isn’t a far stretch for people to assume it was me, and they’re not wrong. I deserve to be yelled at. I deserve to be punished. Not protected.

While Reid’s noble to stand up for me, I don’t deserve an ounce of his kindness, not after what I did last night. I couldn’t sleep afterwards- I snuck back into bed with the girls and spent the whole night agonizing over what I’d done, wondering what consequence my actions would have on these people who have been nothing but nice to me. When Reid said that whatever was on the thumb drive didn’t work, I nearly sobbed in relief. But then I realized that probably means I’ll have to try it again, and I’m not sure if I can.

Even if I wasn’t currently the prime suspect, I almost didn’t go through with it the first time… how am I supposed to just blend in and wait for another opportunity to present itself? How am I supposed to look these people in the eye after I betrayed them? When I sold my soul to the devil, I thought it would be easy to pull this off. I didn’t think I’d form bonds with these people in such a short amount of time, and I definitely didn’t expect to stumble upon my mate, who also happens to be an alpha with a hero complex.

After not getting any sleep last night, I totally crashed out after Reid brought me back here. I slept the whole day away, wandered downstairs for something to eat, then returned to my room and started going stir crazy. Something about being held captive for so long in that cell makes me itchy and anxious when I’m in one place for too long, especially behind a closed door. I’m close to having a full-blown panic attack when I decide I have to get out of here before I lose it.

I know the weather’s crappy- I’ve been lulled to sleep all day by the sound of falling rain. Even so, I need to get outside. The air in the packhouse is suddenly stifling and I’m finding it more and more difficult to breathe by the second. I throw on a sports bra, a long-sleeved tee, and a pair of shorts, grabbing my shoes and socks and dashing out the bedroom door and down the stairs.

When I hit the last step, I sink down onto it to put on my socks and shoes, oblivious to the fact that Reid’s sitting just a few feet away in the living room, watching me.

“Where are you going?” he asks from his position on the couch.

I flinch when I hear his voice, startled as I look up to see him sitting there, kicked back in a t-shirt and sweats. Nobody else is in the room and the TV isn’t on, so what the heck is he doing? Is he on guard duty?

“I don’t know, just out for a run,” I breathe, setting my shoes down on the step beside me and fiddling with the socks.

He arches a brow. “In the rain? And in the dark?”

I shrug. “Sure, why not?”

“Serena…” Reid heaves a sigh, rising to stand. “You know I can’t let you do that.”

I’m about to slide a sock onto my foot but I look up at him and scowl instead, throwing it down on the ground. “Why, am I a prisoner here?”

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