Page 39 of Escalating Alpha

“Good point. So text to ask if we can—yeah, makes more sense.”

I got another kiss which made me chuckle and take a step away. “You need to talk to me, but I’m also your emotional support squishy. Just tell me.”

“I want you to wear your ring around me for the near future—if we’re alone and especially if we’re intimate,” he said but then hurried on when he saw whatever was on my face. “I’m going to be working on myself and talking a lot about us. There will be aloton my brain, Sera. Random shit and maybe even a little bitterness or confusion.

“I don’t want you to deal with that. I will avoid you if I’m worried right now. Plus, you’re overloaded. Fuck, you’re so validly overloaded. Shut off. Eva talking to me about what you guys see and you’ve seen it since a kid—sirens learn to shut it off, and you only have that ring. And you sensed I was annoyed when you wore it. I didn’t understand and—”

“Breathe,” I cut in, but still took a step back from him.

He did but still wanted to finish his thought. “I didn’t understand, and I don’t know that I ever could. I saw the ring as a shield or wall you put between us. It felt—well, it was personal because I’m a dick.” He scrubbed the back of his neck but then seemed to remember something. “Bubble wrap. My guy said for right now it would be helpful for us to have some bubble wrap.”

“I’d like to run and process all of this,” I told him. “But yes, come home and let’s hang tonight, okay?”

“I’m sorry you’re sad,” he whispered and pulled me back to him. “I don’t want my shit to leak onto you when I should have done better self-reflecting. That’s my main goal.”

I nodded but was glad when he let me go. I really was because I did need to think about what he said. I undressed and raced off, snarling when I felt a dire wolf fall into step with me. I didn’t know what Eugene’s problem was, but it was getting on my nerves. We went from him promising I would be his queen to fucking crickets.

Unless we were in wolf form. Then he was all over me.

Why were these men trying to drive me fucking crazy? Seriously.

Then what Hagan said hit me. He was trying to do the exact opposite. He was warning me what he thought was to come and giving me the out—not from our relationship but for what I needed. The time to handle what he needed to without dragging me into it.

It was honestly really fucking sweet.

And I didn’t get a lot of really sweet. I liked it.

10

Fine, some would get annoyed that he was trying to hide his thoughts from me and almost weaponize his being in therapy against me. But I didn’t see it like that. I said snarky and shitty things about them all of the time to Phobie.

Okay, notallof the time, but I unloaded a lot. It was my safe space—which therapy was supposed to be. I wouldn’t have wanted any of them to see inside of my head when I’d been at my lowest points. After they attacked me on New Year’s Eve? Everything was a mess in my head, and I could have done irreparable damage to any of them with my thoughts.

Hell, I was a ball of anger after everything with Stacey and now Carter. I just couldn’t catch my breath too often, and I wouldn’t want any of them to see that either.

Hagan wasn’t being selfish with me and was trying to be a better partner. That was the only real takeaway and I appreciated it.

Which was why I went over by him while we were still in wolf form and got a bit flirty. I pounced on him and took off, smiling when he tried to tackle me but then flipping the plan. I licked his face and danced like a winning champion. The rest of the run was the two of us playing and pushing our limits.

When we shifted back, both of us were done and done. Like naked and panting on one of our blankets off in the corner and unable to move.

“Dress me,” I groaned.

“The moment I can feel my arms and legs,” he promised.

I turned my head the same time he did to look at me and we burst out laughing.

We got dressed and ate, but it was probably clear to everyone else that we were focused on each other and in our own little world. I checked with Reagan and Simone that they had everything in hand, both of them giving us knowing looks. I didn’t really care as long as I got to leave.

Eva just waved me off when I approached.

Nice.

We kissed and made out a bit on the drive home, my security chuckling here and there with a few comments about the full moon. Yeah, yeah, whatever, I didn’t care.

I just wanted Hagan.

“So your answer is yes, right?” he checked after we got off the elevator to my floor. “I did something right with this too? I’m a stupid man and you have to explain things to me.” He groaned when I jumped for him to catch me, wrapping my body around him.

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