Page 7 of Ashley & the A-Listers

Dylan, frozen to the floor of the gym, watched Ashley—an alpha!—stalk away.

Fuck, her scent was a bolt to the chest, citrus and ginger andalpha.He felt fucking alive as she walked away. She was tall, taller than he remembered, and absolutely not even glancing his way as she disappeared into an office, shutting the door softly.

Dylan blinked after her, reeling.

“I—I don’t even know,” he answered, staring at the closed door as if he could still see her, years of memories overlapping in this present moment. Ashley in his passenger seat,muchshorter, with half her face hidden behind chunky bangs.

Both of them scared of presenting as anything at all. School nights and road trips and crashing at her house more than his own.

Cameron punched his arm lightly to garner his attention, and the memories faded as the omega crossed his arms. “Way to go!” Cameron hissed. “You scared her off. Why?”

Biting the inside of his cheek, Dylan shrugged. “I don’t think that’s important right now. What’s important is…you leftwithout me this morning. You know you’re not supposed to do that.”

Dylan wanted to strangle this little shit. Cam had been slipping through his fingers all fucking week, refusing to text him to let him know when Cam was leaving, making Dylan’s job impossible.

“I managed,” Cameron told him, attention already roaming like it always did when Dylan broached this subject.

Frustration welled up in him, and Dylan grumbled to himself, pushing a hand through his hair. “This is not about whether you are capable; it’s about keeping you safe. Don’t run off again,please. Don’t make my job harder than it has to be.” Dylan wasn’t one to beg, but he was here foronereason: to protect this stubborn, spoiled omega.

Cameron rolled his eyes. “Whatever the alpha says.”

Dylan arched a brow at that. It wasn’t the first time Cameron had thrown his designation in his face. There was a pattern here. “Seemed to be getting on with that alpha pretty well,” he said, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb.

Ashley. Analpha. Still boggled his mind. The last he’d seen her, she’d been… well. Eighteen, on her front step, spotlit by his headlights and waving goodbye as he pulled out of her driveway. Only she hadn’t known it would be for the last time.

“Well, she’s—” Cameron stumbled. “Charming. You’re not. Why’d you run her off? What was that about, anyway?” he asked, deflecting. “You clearly know each other.”

He didn’t ask it like a question.

Dylan sighed. “You’re not wrong.”

“And why does she so visibly hate you?” Cameron asked.

Throwing his hands up, Dylan huffed, “Can I have five minutes to process it myself before rehashing it with myclient?One who doesn’t even like me, mind you.”

Cameron shut his mouth at that, lips thinned. “Maybe therapy is doing you some good after all.”

Releasing a slow breath, Dylan rolled his eyes. “I sure hope so, if I’m going to be putting up with you.”

“Maybe we should get you some anxiety meds. You’re like a great dane,” Cameron drawled.

Dylan’s eye twitched.

Cameron glared at him for a moment. “I already don’t like alphas. I dare you to give me another reason.”

“I’m here to protect you, for god’s sake,” Dylan insisted.

“Then tell me what all that,” he said, wiggling his finger in Ashley’s direction, “was about.”

“Give me one good reason,” Dylan demanded, and then shook his head. “It doesn’t concern you. Besides, isn’t your actual trainer supposed to be here soon? Focus on that!”

With his arms crossed, Cameron narrowed his gaze, lips pursed. “Well, now I’m more curious than ever. Tell you what,” he began, and placed a hand on his own chest. “I’ll make your job a little easier by…” Here, he paused, and Dylan got the impression he had to force the next words out. “By behaving. If! If, you tell me what’s going on.”

Dylan blinked. “You’ll… ‘behave’? In what sense?”

“In whatever sense will get me the most information? I’ll share my location with you, how about that?” Cameron went over to his bag and pulled out his phone, trailing back to Dylan as he tapped at the screen.

Cameron faced the phone toward him. “See? Done.”

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