Page 25 of Psycho Alphas: Part One

He was a few years older than me, early thirties now, though I didn’t keep track. He had messy white hair that contrasted with his sandstone skin, and he kept it short enough that it didn’t get in the way of his piercing teal eyes.

“Take the week off,” I told him.

He paused for only a second, then nodded and returned to placing a t-shirt down in a neat pile.

It would be an impressive display of apathy in the face of his mate being claimed, all but for his scent, which gave away how tense he was almost as much as hers did.

“I’ll keep you updated on how she settles in.”

“I don’t care,” he grunted.

I ignored that. “She loved your scent, practically panting over me until she figured it out.”

I finally saw a trace of what I’d come for—the faintest flicker of a reaction as his eyes flashed, his grip on the clothes tightening.

Perfect.

“Come here,” I said, folding my arms and leaning against the door frame.

There was a long pause, and I could see him warring with the desire to argue. He rarely did anymore, so that told me exactly how on edge he was. The further he was from rational, the more his instincts would demand he fight my control.

Finally, he stood and crossed toward me, a tight set to his jaw as he reached the door and glared down.

“I’ll let her meet you if she does well enough keeping me happy.”

“Don’t bother. I’m fine.”

I grinned. “You know, I don’t have high hopes for any Omega scent matched toyou—but then, she was Ace’s too—so I think she’s worth a taste.”

Rogue remained as he was, his scent giving away nothing but the tense violence it had when I’d first arrived.

“Ace kept her so touch starved I think I can have her begging for me on night one,” I added. “Even if she does think she’s yours.”

“She’s not mine.”

I cocked an eyebrow, lips twitching up. “No. She’s not. She’ll be attending the party tomorrow so the rest of the world knows exactly who she belongs to.”

It was a busy week. The auction tonight had drawn unexpected attention with Thistle as a last-minute addition, but tomorrow evening I’d committed to hosting a party. I hated letting vermin into my home, but what the job called for, I did—and I had to look like one of them.

Rogue had gone still at those words, and his jaw ticked. Was thatfearpoorly hidden in his eyes? He wasn’t such a good actor that I believed he didn’t care about Thistle, but the question was, how much?

His self-control may be obscene for an Alpha so close to feral, but the mention of my intent to parade his scent match like a trophy in front of some of the most dangerous people in the country clearly struck a nerve.

It didn’t matter, not from the moment I’d bid on her. To not take her would be to make a statement as much as taking her would—and if danger was a concern, flippancy over my purchase, enough to warrant me showing her off like I would, served to reduce her mystery and value.Hidingher would draw obscene scrutiny, especially with how intertwined I was with these circles.

Finally, I saw Rogue force his muscles to relax. “Do you have the key?” he asked, tapping the muzzle with his knuckle. “I’m sick of brushing my teeth through this thing.”

My lip curled as I stared up at him. “How about a game?”

He rolled his eyes, nostrils flaring.

“How about I tell her she can win your freedom if she chokes on my cock—” I cut off, enjoying the way his whole body flinched toward me and unhinged fury curdled with honied bourbon.

Perfect.

This was what I’d come for. It was a cold injection of sanity every time I saw him suffer the way he deserved.

“If she swallows every last drop like a good little slut, you’ll get your freedom. I’ll even send you a picture as an extra prize.”

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