Page 91 of Tempted By the Alpha Outlaw

But then I step inside.

The door clicks shut behind me, sealing me in with a man who has the power to rip the rest of my life away. Reyes doesn’t sit; he doesn’t tell me to either. He just leans against the desk, arms crossed, his expression neutral. The dim glow of the lantern casts shadows over his face, and for the life of me, I feel like this is judgment day and he’s here to weigh my soul against my sins.

I don’t know where to start.

My throat works around words I haven’t even formed yet, and for a second, I almost laugh—because fuck, how do you even begin a confession like this?Forgive me, Alpha, for I have sinned?

But Reyes just watches me, waiting.

And I force myself to speak.

“I came here to betray you.” The words scrape out of my throat, low and rough. “To betray this den. To take Peaches.”

Reyes doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t look away. Just nods once, like he already knew.

I don’t know what I expected—shock, maybe. Anger. Some kind of outburst. But I should’ve known better. Reyes isn’t the type to lose his temper. He doesn’t react—he absorbs.

And right now, he’s absorbing every fucking thing I’ve just laid at his feet.

The silence stretches between us, heavy and suffocating, until he finally speaks.

“Keep going.”

It’s not a demand. Not an accusation. Just a request.

I swallow hard, my throat raw. “I took the job before I knew what the Gulf Pack really was,” I admit, voice rasping. “I thought they were just another pack looking for a lost omega. I didn’t ask questions. I needed the work.”

Reyes exhales, rubbing a slow hand over his face. He looks exhausted. Like I’ve just added another weight to a pile he was already struggling to carry.

I press on, because stopping now is worse. “The second I got here, I knew,” I admit. “I knew I couldn’t do it. Magnolia—” My breath catches, but I push past it. “She ruined the whole fucking plan. I didn’t mean to stay. I shouldn’t have stayed. But I did.”

His expression doesn’t change, but I can feel something shift in the room. Like he understands that part.

Like he’s seen it before.

I huff out a bitter laugh. “You know, I’ve never stayed anywhere this long,” I say, rubbing a hand over my jaw. “I wasn’t lying when I said I was a drifter. I grew up in packs, but I never belonged to one. Always moving, always looking out for myself.” My lips twitch, but there’s no humor in it. “I steal things.”

Reyes’ brow lifts slightly, but he doesn’t interrupt.

I shrug. “It started when I was a kid. Small shit. A piece of candy, a couple bucks off a table. A habit, I guess.” I drag a hand through my hair. “But I didn’t stop when I got older. I pick pockets. Lift whatever I can carry. I don’t even need half the shit I take, I just—” I shake my head. “I don’t know. Feels like insurance. Like I’m always one step ahead if I’ve got something that isn’t mine.”

Reyes watches me carefully. “Have you stolen from this den?”

I let out a humorless laugh. “Yeah. More than I should’ve.” I don’t look away from him. I owe him that. “A knife, a watch…a ring.” I blow out a slow breath. “Nothing big. Never anything people would miss. But I did it. I still have it all, stashed away in the workshop.”

Reyes doesn’t look surprised. Just tired.

“I didn’t know how to stop,” I admit. “I still don’t.”

He studies me, then leans back slightly, crossing his arms. “But you’re confessing it now.”

I nod. “Because Magnolia changed everything.”

The words come out raw. I shake my head, my throat tight. “I’ve never met anyone like her. Ever. She’s…” I exhale, shaking my head. “She’s real. She’s good, not because she has to be, but because that’s just who she is.” My voice drops lower, reverent. “She’s like an angel.”

I don’t mean it in a religious way, and Reyes knows it.

“She looked at me like I was better than I am,” I whisper, my voice cracking. “Like I could be better.”

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