Page 7 of Alpha’s Fake Marriage

Lost in my thoughts, I barely noticed the subtle glances exchanged between my pack mates. It was Carolyn who finally broke the silence, her voice gentle yet probing.

“Octavio, you seem a bit preoccupied,” she observed, her gaze fixing on me with an unwavering intensity. “Is everything all right?”

I blinked, torn from my reverie by her words. My pack mates turned their attention to me, their expressions a mix of curiosity and concern. I hesitated, unsure whether to share the truth that tugged at my heart.

“Irina,” I confessed, the name escaping my lips in a whisper. “I can’t seem to stop thinking about her.”

A ripple of excitement coursed through the circle, my pack mates exchanging knowing glances. They were more than just allies; they were my family, bound together by bonds that ran deeper than blood. And in typical fashion, they wasted no time in seizing upon my confession.

“Is this that beautiful new woman working for you?” Mike asked. “I’ve seen her, she is lovely.”

“Ask her out, Octavio!” Carolyn urged, a mischievous glint in her eye. “What are you waiting for? I’ve never known you to really like someone like this before!”

The words hung in the air, charged with anticipation. I felt a flush of warmth creeping up my cheeks, a mixture of embarrassment and nervousness flooding my senses. Carolyn was right; no one had ever affected me like this, which was why I was struggling so hard with it. Short term flings that simply fizzled out were all I’d had before now.

“I don’t know,” I muttered, my gaze dropping to the floor as uncertainty gnawed at my resolve. “What if she doesn’t feel the same way?”

But my pack mates were having none of it, their encouragement unwavering.

“You won’t know unless you try,” Carolyn insisted, her voice gentle yet firm. “And besides, what’s the worst that could happen?”

I sighed, knowing that they were right. Irina was worth the risk, worth the vulnerability of baring my heart to her. With a newfound determination, I squared my shoulders, meeting the expectant gazes of my pack mates with a determined nod.

“All right,” I conceded, a spark of determination igniting within me. “I’ll ask her out. See what she says.”

A chorus of cheers erupted around me, my pack mates enveloping me in a flurry of excited embraces. In that moment, surrounded by the warmth of their support, I felt a surge of courage coursing through my veins.

Irina moved with effortless grace,her movements fluid and precise as she worked. I watched from my spot across the room, unable to tear my gaze away from her. She was captivating, a vision of beauty that left me breathless every time I looked at her.

I couldn’t deny the attraction that pulsed between us, a magnetic force that drew me to her like a moth to a flame. But with each passing moment, the intensity of my desire only served to fuel my nervousness.

It was crazy, really, how much she affected me. Every time she smiled, every time our eyes met across the room, my heart skipped a beat. And yet, the thought of asking her out filled me with a sense of dread unlike anything I had ever known. But then, dating before now had only ever been for fun. This felt far more serious in every single way.

Irina was more than just a coworker; she was a friend, a confidante, a constant presence in my life. The thought of risking our friendship for the sake of something more left me paralyzed with fear.

But as I watched her now, lost in the rhythm of her work, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to take a chance. Life was too short for regrets, too precious to waste onwhat ifsand maybes.

Summoning every ounce of courage I possessed, I made my way across the room, heart pounding in my chest. Irina looked up as I approached, her eyes sparkling with warmth and familiarity.

“Hey, Octavio,” she greeted me, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “What’s up?”

I opened my mouth to speak, but the words caught in my throat. My palms grew clammy, my mind racing with a thousand different scenarios. But before I could second guess myself any further, I blurted out the question that had been weighing on my mind.

“Irina,” I began, my voice coming out in a shaky whisper. “I, uh, I was wondering if maybe you’d like to, um, go out with me sometime?”

The words stumbled out of my mouth in a jumble, my usual smoothness abandoned in the face of overwhelming nerves. I cursed myself inwardly, wishing desperately that I could find the right words to express how I felt.

For a moment, there was silence, the air thick with anticipation. I held my breath, waiting for Irina’s response with a sense of dread and hope warring within me.

Then, to my relief, a smile spread across Irina’s face, her eyes lighting up with amusement.

“I thought you’d never ask,” she replied, her voice teasing yet tender.

A wave of relief washed over me, flooding my senses with a heady rush of exhilaration. In that moment, all the nervousness and doubt melted away, replaced by a sense of joy and anticipation that I could hardly contain.

She wanted to go out with me too!

That was incredible. I couldn’t wait.

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