Page 32 of Moonlit Alexandrite

Stone’s comment brought me back to the present, and I realized I had been so keen to avoid this problem, my mind had focused on another.

“What did it say?”

“I don’t see the value in repeating it. Someone is unhappy with you, and I’m going to suggest your mates stick close to you until we can get a handle on this situation.”

I nodded and followed Stone back to where Ren, Colbie, and salamander Newt stood. Colbie pulled a red sucker from her mouth and dragged me into a hug.

“Where did you get that?” I asked, feeling that sugar could be good at a time like this.

“Ren hooked me up. Didn’t you, Ren?” Colbie fluttered her eyelashes at my mate, clearly playing it up for my amusement. Ren winked at me before pasting an innocent look on his face.

“Can’t even taste the garlic I laced it with, can you?”

Colbie looked at her treat dubiously for a moment before shoving it back in her mouth with a shrug.

“I hate you. You know that, right?”

I huffed a laugh and suggested Astra’s diner for a late snack. It was going to be so great working right next door to a diner, Colbie and I would never have to cook again. Ren would though, because he was a nurturer and nothing showed love like feeding people. At the mention of food, Newt shifted back to boy form, and I slipped his clothes over his head.

“No shirt, no shoes, no service. Ask Uncle Tase,” I said.

Newt giggled and took my hand.

The bell over the diner door jangled as Colbie stepped inside in front of us and Ren followed. I paused as a chill skated across my neck. Craning around, I couldn’t see anyone in the shadows, but I had the oddest feeling I was being watched.

Chapter Twenty

Dion

I could do this. I could do this. I psyched myself up, pacing the length of our apartment, phone in hand. On my screen, taunting me with its perfectly balanced numbering, was Alexandrite’s phone number. Was I using her entire name to depersonalize her and try to make this less intimidating? Yes, so sue me. How the hell does someone’s cell number look sexy? She probably wouldn’t even answer. I could leave a message, and then I wouldn’t have to talk to her at all. But what if she answered? I would be a stuttering mess and could never recover.

I would never admit it to the others, but I’d had this same argument with myself every day since Tase had called me out on my bullshit. I had deep cleaned our apartment and all three bars in Flare, trying to avoid what I knew I needed to do. If Castor hadn’t caught me and threatened to remove me from the roster for a week if I didn’t get the fuck out, I would have moved onto the locker rooms next.

The answer to all this stress was to see her. I had to. The trouble was, I couldn’t stop remembering the pain in her eyes when I panicked and rejected her. Lashed out and ran. It was what I was good at, and she deserved so much better. The ache in my chest worsened with every hour I stayed away, and I had taken a Tums yesterday because I felt so sick with it.

Love-sick.

Disgusting.

With a deep sigh, I threw my cell into the neatly arranged cushions on the sofa and swept my keys up on my way out the door.

I could do this.

I knew, thanks to Tase and his unsolicited daily updates, that Lex would be home at this time of day. I also knew that ‘home’ was on the other side of this very apartment complex. Counting my steps, I carefully avoided the cracks in the pavement as I made my way around the gardens in the center of the block. On a normal day, this space calmed me, and I often walked through here when my anxiety was high. Today was different, though. I stuck to the footpath, measuring the length of each stride and picturing myself marching off to battle. Would she accept me?

There were thirty-six stairs to climb to get to her floor, and once I made it to her door, I froze.

Knock.

Knock, damn it.

Just fucking... I bashed my fist against the wood paneling before I could turn and run. I could still, but I was no adolescent to ding dong dash the cute girl I like in the building. This was my mate.

If I hadn’t already fucked it up.

“I knew you’d come back for it, it’s secretly yours, isn’t it... Oh.” Lex seemed struck dumb by my presence. The giant green dildo she held wobbled obscenely as she let out a kind of squeak sound and slapped a hand to her mouth. Unfortunately, it was the one holding the dildo, and she reeled as the rubber rebounded off her forehead and flopped to the floor.

This was not going as expected.

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