Page 16 of Bound to the One-Night Stand

Fear and elation war in my chest as my breath comes out in raspy pants. This Alpha seems so in control, so commanding. The very opposite of Alec in a rut. My ex would run off, keeping himself locked away during those times, presumably to keep me safe.

Am I not safe now?

I glance around the room as best as I can, noting theAlphas with the reflective stripe. Just like he and Kessily told me to do. They would keep me safe. They have to.

“I can smell your unease. Do you wish to call red? Is this too much for you?” His tone is matter of fact, not taunting as I thought it would be. Like he actually cares about my well-being and safety.

It shouldn’t make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. This is a one-time thing. A one-night stand. At least it would be if we were having sex. Somehow, with that off the table, I find I’m able to enjoy our interactions a bit more.

There’s less pressure, less anxiety to perform well. Especially for an Alpha who’s clearly skilled and experienced. But then, if he’s about to rut, does all that go out the window? Will I lose my virginity after all?

“Do we need a monitor over here to make sure you’re okay?”

The Alpha steps back, his brow furrowing enough to move his mask a bit. “Do you feel unsafe with me?”

“Well, no. Not yet anyway.”

“Explain.”

“Your eyes. I- I mean. Aren’t you… you know.”

“Am I what?” His question comes out in a growl, rippling over my skin.

“About to go into a-” I pause and look around before lowering my voice. “A rut?”

His body goes still as he tilts his head. For a moment, he looks like a dog trying to figure out a command. Only, he is far more massive than any dog I’ve been around. With slow, measured steps, he walks back over to me and rests his hands against the X, leaning in until he’s close enough to kiss me.

“What makes you think I’m close to going into a rut?”

“Your eyes. They are, well, theywere, nearly black for a moment there.”

Again, he chuckles, but this time, there’s no humor in it. It washes against my skin, nonetheless, making my body quiver in need.

“No need to worry about that. I was aroused, is all. Haven’t you seen an Alpha aroused before?”

My heart stops for a moment as my brain replays everything between Alec and I in fast, disjointed clips. He got hard. That much I know. I’d given him oral plenty of times. Granted, he never wanted to finish in my mouth.

He had to have been aroused. And yet, his eyes never did that thing. Not unless he was going to rut. But then… is that not what happened? I look back at the stranger before me, searching his gaze as I try to make sense of everything.

They’re no longer dark as pitch black. Now, I can easily tell the difference between the brown of his iris and the black of his pupil. Did I just imagine it?

Irritation floods down my spine as I shake my head, dispelling the painful memories. “Well, of course I have.” How dare this stranger make me question the love Alec and I shared. “His eyes never did that, but I know he was aroused.”

“And how did you know he was aroused?” The conversational tone of his voice turns irritation into aggravation.

“I just know.”

“Please enlighten me. I really want to know how you know.” There’s a hint of a chuckle there, as if he’s making fun of me, but behind the mask, his gaze looks deadly serious.

“He got hard, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear?”

His lips turn down into a frown. “And his eyes never changed color? Are you sure he was an Alpha?”

“I’m not an idiot,” I screech, the pain welling up inside me, slamming into me full force.

“Hey now,” he soothes. “I never said you were. Obviously, you have a lot of experience. I apologize. It’s not as if I’ve fucked any Alphas, but the several I know have the same response to arousal. Perhaps the Alpha you knew was different.”

“Perhaps.” The emotions leech out of me until I sag against the X. “His eyes did change. But he said it was because he was approaching his rut. He’d leave for a few days until it went away. Then he’d come back home. That’s why I was worried.”

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