Page 113 of Break The Ice

Over the years, I’ve asked why. Why me? I’m not an alpha, rare and intimidating. I’m not an omega, sweet and appealing. If I was, it would make more sense. I’m just a beta. I don’t know what at fifteen could have appealed to him so much to devote this much time to me.

It’s not romantic.

It’s terrifying.

It’s not love.

It’s torture.

Real is a hand I can hold, its gentle words and silent support. He isn’t real. He’s a ghost, a demonic entity.

“Let's make a trap,” I suggest to Callan.

“What?”

“Let’s trap him. We can use the house as a trap and get him to come in here, and when he does, block all the exits. Let’s catch this son of a bitch tonight.”

Kit shifts to stand in a swath of moonlight. It illuminates his face. “Yes!”

“We can figure it out today, but let’s do something. Let’s go on the offensive.”

Callan chews his lip and nods his head. “All right, we should talk to the others first. Let’s go downstairs. I’ll make breakfast, and we can think this through.”

They try to talk me and Kit out of it. For hours, we sit in the lounge, ordering food, talking it out. When someone gets too heated, they storm out of the room, and then we all end up right back here, staring at each other while I tell them everything that’s happened and how he’s hunted me.

We take a break for Wren and Raider to go to practice.

It’s like we all perfectly just know what we need. Kit and I curl up on Callan with the TV on and just lay there.

He strokes our backs and stares up at the ceiling. I bet he has lots of deep thoughts. I’m too scared to ask him what they might be.

“Wren’s been getting a lot of phone calls from someone,” Kit murmurs.

I stiffen and turn my head so I can look at Kit. “What do you mean?”

“I haven’t asked him what they are, but he seems upset whenever he gets them.”

“Does he answer them?” I ask.

“No.”

Wren doesn’t have bonds yet. He might still leave, and if it’s his ex like I think it is, maybe he’s tempted to go back and get a slice of normalcy. I wouldn't blame him.

I bite the inside of my cheek and stare at the wall while I think, but then I shake my head, brush the thoughts aside, and remember. We’re in this together. I’m not giving up on him.

He’s my alpha.

I consider that until they get home, exhausted and drop on the couch. Raider puts his head back and closes his eyes.

“I’ve thought about it, and I ran it by Raider at practice,” Wren says. “We should pretend to go to sleep and hide downstairs, in different areas. One of us is bound to catch him. Use the alpha bark, hit him, whatever.”

“That’s elegantly simple,” Callan remarks. “We could set up security, and I can have the laptop ready to turn on all lights at the flick of a button.”

“Ooh, I like that.”

The guys get animated, throwing ideas, and pretty soon, we have a plan my stalker will never see coming.

I lean into Wren’s shoulder, trying not to react when he checks his phone and then tosses it on the coffee table.

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