Page 5 of My Brutal Alpha

“Zoe…” he murmured, absently rubbing at his scruff as if he were only speaking to me out of obligation. His dumb cut-off compression shirt was clinging to his stupid muscles, and his dark mid-length hair was pulled back in a bun with a few loose strands that framed his frustratingly stoic face.

Everything about him—from how he acted so aloof to how he seemed to tower over everyone around him and how thosememories came back to me just from looking at him—made me more irritated the longer I had to be around him.

I considered ignoring him but knew I couldn’t because it was opening day. Even then, I didn’t have it in me to extend that kindness to him—not after everything. Besides, it was no secret that the two of us didn’t get along—except nobody knew why but us.

Without ever speaking about it, we kept what happened under a tight seal. One, because neither of us wanted Sebastian to know and lose his mind, and two, because it was heartbreaking—for me, at least.

It happened when I was eighteen, before Lydia and I made amends. I had known Ezra already through Sebastian, back before they were as close, and the two of us got along well. We clicked right away, and eventually, we hooked up. It was everything I wanted it to be, and even then, I could’ve sworn I felt the mate bond fit into place.

I assumed we would be a couple moving forward—mates. I figured that was where things were heading, but right after, he let me down far harsher than I ever expected. After that, he iced me out and pushed me away, and ever since then, I found it impossible to be around him.

He rejected me without a second thought, and I didn’t have anyone to lean on. I didn’t have Lydia yet, and I couldn’t tell Sebastian, so I dealt with that heartbreak in solitude and did my best to pick up the pieces after the fact.

That began our strained history, and even if my brother and their other friends saw our disdain for each other, it seemed none of them suspected anything, at least.

Shrugging him off, I turned away and did my best to shake away that irritation.

I didn’t want him to ruin my day. Not when I had been looking forward to it for so long. I was glad that Sebastian brought his friends, yet a part of me wished Ezra had just stayed home and kept his miserable ass there.

Even as I walked away, I caught his quiet scoff but didn’t bother looking back. As much as I wanted to snap at him, I contained that urge for the sake of my new facility and prospective patrons.

Shutting him out, I continued with the event, thanking others for coming while avoiding him as much as I could, regardless of catching his eye every now and then.

I was annoyed he was there but could do nothing about it.

When my back was turned as I did a once over of the refreshment table I had set up, I heard someone clear their throat behind me. Turning, I found an older man there and smiled.

“I'm so sorry to bother you, Zoe. I just wanted to let you know I’m looking forward to coming here,” he said, his smile lingering as his eyes swept over my face and body.

Shocked initially, it took me a moment before the realization set in, and I did my best to hide my immediate discomfort.

While I didn’t know the man, who had to be in his late fifties, I’d seen him around before, and he was never too shy to hit on me regardless of where we were.

Reminding myself of the event and everything that was riding on it, I forced myself to smile. “I’m glad to hear it. It’ll be a pleasure to see you around.”

“Of course, some of these machines are a lot moreinvolvedthan what I’m used to. I might need a fewdemonstrations to make sure I’m using them correctly,” he said, eyes doing another sweep of me. “If you wouldn’t mind me bothering you with that sort of thing.”

Unfortunately, his hidden meaning didn’t get past me, and it took all my willpower not to show my disgust outwardly.

Regardless of how pressed it was, I tried too hard to maintain my smile. “That wouldn’t be a problem at all…I’m always here to help.”

His eyes glimmered with interest, and more than anything, I just wanted to get away. He made my skin crawl, but given his body language and the keenness in his gaze, I could tell he intended to keep me locked in that conversation for as long as physically possible.

Given his previous attempts to flirt with me, even looking at him made my skin crawl.

“I’m sure you give exceptional service…and I’d love to hear more about this place.”

I groaned internally, wishing I could just get him off my back. Silently, I hoped someone would ask for my help or give me an excuse to leave the conversation as swiftly as possible.

But I knew it was just my luck.

Chapter 3 - Ezra

It was no surprise that Zoe gave me the cold shoulder the entire time, but I couldn’t believe she never even spoke to me. Not even a greeting.

She had no problem chumming it up with the others, but of course, when it came to me, that was impossible. Instead, she ignored me like the plague while she kept a wide berth around me and made sure she saw everyone else.

As much as I wanted to be annoyed with her iciness, I wasn’t clueless. I knew why well enough.

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