Page 80 of Alpha Chase

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Vienna

Thehighsandlowsof this week have given me some serious whiplash. Just days ago, I hit rock bottom, and now? I’m not sure I’ve ever been so happy.

A lot of that has to do with Chase, and while it scares the shit out of me to let my walls down for him, I’m just going with it. I’m sick of holding myself back from the things I really want for fear that they won’t last. I keep silencing my anxiety, telling myself that good things really can happen if I just let go andletthem. And after the hell I went through earlier this week, I deserve a little happy, damnit.

I suppose that being swept away to Chase’s packhouse after the accident garnered a lot of attention, because when Nessa showed up to check on me the following day, all five Lunas stormed the packhouse with her. I’d already healed up except for a few minor aches and pains, but they fussed over me nonetheless- and going from feeling completely alone before the accident to being surrounded by so much support had me shamelessly eating it up. As expected, Fallon and Serena probed me for details on what was going on with Chase, but in the spirit of letting go, I just laughed it off and kept my responses vague. If I let myself overanalyze it, I know I’ll instinctively pull back, and damnit, I don’t want to. I’m going to hold onto this little slice of happiness for as long as I can.

I feel my phone vibrate in my back pocket as I’m filling a beer from the tap, a smile immediately spreading across my face. I’ll bet it’s Chase. I’ve been spending most of my time with him since the accident, and he’s made a habit of texting me whenever we’re apart. Pushing back the tap, I slide the pint glass onto the counter, wiping my hands off on my pants before reaching into my pocket to retrieve my phone.

I was right- the screen is lit up with a notification of a new message from him.

Chase:come outside

I furrow my brow in confusion, wondering what the hell he’s got up his sleeve this time. He just dropped me off here a few hours ago, and I’m working late tonight, so I didn’t expect him to come back so soon. My fingers hover over the keyboard on my phone as I contemplate my response, but ultimately, my curiosity gets the best of me and I shove my phone back into my pocket, looking up at Char as she rounds the bar.

“Hey, can you take this to table four?” I ask, nodding toward the glass on the counter that I just filled. “I’m going to take ten.”

“Sure thing!” Char chirps, holding out her hand for me to pass her the beer. She leans in, waggling her eyebrows. “That guy at table four is hot.”

I chuckle, handing Char the glass and stepping around her to head for the storeroom, passing through to the employee locker room and pushing out the back exit. The cold air hits my face as I step outside and look around, not spotting Chase anywhere. My heart thumps against my ribs, hornets taking flight in my belly as my curiosity and excitement ratchet up a notch and I start down the path alongside the back of the building toward the parking lot.

He'd better not be here for a quickie.

Though if he was, would I turn him down?

I giggle to myself as I round the building, stepping off the curb into the parking lot and freezing in my tracks when I see Chase. He’s roguishly handsome as always, in ripped jeans and a dark hoodie with his hair perfectly disheveled, but that isn’t what gives me pause. He’s standing beside a shiny white Jeep Wrangler, grinning from ear to ear.

“Surprise!” he calls out, tossing the keys in my direction.

I dart a hand out to catch them, my face falling as I stare down at the key fob and the little rose gold ‘V’ keychain attached. My head snaps back up and I gape at Chase, feeling my face pale. “What did you do?”

He chuckles lowly, shaking his head as he steps closer to me and I meet him halfway. “Well that’s a strange way of saying thank you,” he drawls, wrapping his strong arms around me and pulling me in close. I bury my face in his thick hoodie and breathe in deeply through my nose, his musky, masculine scent overwhelming my senses. “I told you I was going to buy you a car.”

“And I told you not to,” I grit out, pressing a palm to his chest and pushing away from him, craning my neck to meet his eyes. I shake my head, curls of dread wrapping around the buzzing hornets in my belly, snuffing them out. “I can’t accept this, Chase.”

His brows draw together in confusion, his grip around me loosening. “Why not?”

I frown as I wriggle away from him, the key fob I’m still clutching onto practically burning a hole in the palm of my hand. “Well for starters, how about the fact that this probably cost more than I make in a year?”

Scratch that- itdefinitelycost more than I make in a year.

“It barely cost me anything,” he quips. I can’t believe he’s being so damn nonchalant about this, as if a purchase of this magnitude is just a drop in the bucket. He shrugs, tossing a thumb over his shoulder. “I traded in my dad’s Lincoln. We needed to get it out of the garage anyway, so two birds, one stone.”

I gape at him, words escaping me as my eyes drift past him to the Jeep. It’s so damn beautiful- all smooth lines, glossy new paint, and crisp chrome accents. It’s nicer than anything I’ve ever owned or could hope to-toonice, which is why there’s no way I can accept it. I sink my teeth into my lower lip as my eyes return to his, shaking my head firmly.

“Why are you upset?” he blurts, lips twisting into a scowl. He folds his arms across his chest, towering over me like the giant he is. “It’s just a car.”

My eyes widen in disbelief. What doesn’t this guy get about this being too damn much? It’s things like this that remind me how fundamentally different the two of us really are- that sow little seeds of doubt as to whether we truly have longevity. “It’s not just a car, it’s too much, Chase,” I breathe, beginning to feel lightheaded from how much my mind is spinning.

“Why?” he demands, his dark eyes boring into mine while his demeanor shifts on a dime. He’s suddenly prickly, agitated, his wolf making an appearance in his irises. “Can’t I do something nice for you?”

“Sure, buy me dinner or something. Not a whole ass car!” I gesture to the beautiful machine wildly, becoming increasingly frustrated by his cavalier attitude.

Chase rolls his eyes, stumbling back and dragging a hand through his hair. “Look, you needed a car, I had an extra one lying around to trade in,” he grumbles. “It’s not a big deal.”

The more he downplays the extravagance of this, the more it irritates me. Every flippant comment crawls beneath my skin to the point where I’m physically itchy. I shake my head, rolling my eyes right back at him. “It’s a huge fucking deal.” I take a step toward him and reach out for his hand, lifting it and pressing the keys into his big palm. I close his fingers over them, shaking my head again resolutely. “I can’t.”

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