Page 62 of The Knotty Omega

“Just let HR know about all that.”

With that, Archie and I, having never made it to our desks to begin with this morning, take the elevator down to the lobby and take his car back to the pack house.

CHAPTER THIRTY

My skin has been itchy since Archie sent me that picture of Cady’s desk. What the hell has she gotten herself into? What’s worse is she’s not even here, so I can’t see with my own two eyes that she’s alright. My instincts are raging at me to hunt her down and protect her.

Make sure nothing can get to her.

Rut. Knot. Bite.

Fucking hell.

I’ve always struggled with my alpha instincts more than the others, and ever since I scented her for the first time, nearly two months ago now, it’s like my alpha is waiting just under the surface, feeding his thoughts into my subconscious.

I’ve tried to keep my distance. If I come on too strong, I’ll only push her away, and I’ll ruin everything for everyone. If I keep doing what I'm doing, I push her away, and the result is the same. Visions of my brother, broken and depressed haunt my memory.

I can't do anything right.

I felt like shit yesterday, making her cry. I wasn't trying to. I just...her scent was so damn potent in the dining room, I'm pretty sure Simon had been fingering her against the wall. I'm already walking around half hard all the time with all the sexalwayshappening. Did they really expect me to try to eat brunch with a tent in my jeans?

I’m pacing the living room, waiting for Archie to get home with Cady. I’ve been here since I got the text from Arch saying that they are working from home until after her heat. Thank fuck. I can smell how ripe her scent is getting without any actual arousal and it takes everything in me not to follow her everywhere she goes, growling at anyone who gets too close.

I even liked the guy that came over the other night with her friend, and I nearly ripped his damn head off.

Between her impending heat, the investigation into who broke into her apartment, making her cry, and now the vandalization of her desk, I am on the fucking edge.

Matteo is right. I need to fix it.

I hear her before I see her. The sound of her sweet laughter outside the house has my heart pounding. How do I get her to make that sound? The only sounds I ever seem to get her to make are sounds of anger and annoyance.

The front door opens, and Cady and Archie walk in, laughing about something I don’t care about.

“Cady,” my voice comes out gruff, “do you have a second?”

Her laugh cuts off at the sound of my voice, and she suddenly looks apprehensive. “Um, sure. Yeah.” I hate that I’m the one causing that look on her face. Why do I always make things so difficult?

I lead her to the couch, and she sits down stiffly, putting a good amount of distance between us. “So,” I start, taking a deep breath, “in light of everything that’s happened in the last few weeks, I have a new assignment.”

She looks at me quizzically. “A new assignment?”

“You.” Her brows shoot up at my words and she lets out a nervous laugh.

“That’s not where I thought you were going with that. At all. But…what do you mean?”

“I’m your new bodyguard,” I tell her, “anywhere you go, I go.”

Her mouth opens slightly, and she lets out a scoffing sound. “I don’t need someone shadowing me all the time, Titus. Besides, I’m working from home until my heat hits.” There’s barely restrained anger in her voice.

“What, so you’re just never going to leave the house? You and I both know you’d never go for that.” I raise a brow at her, daring her to contradict me. “I need you to be safe, Cady. This is how we do that.”

She stands abruptly, pacing back and forth as tension radiates off her in waves. “Dammit, Titus. Fine. I’ll take a bodyguard, but get me someone else. Not you.”

It would have hurt less if she stuck a knife straight through my heart. She doesn’t want me to keep her safe? It’s my most basic function as her alpha. Unless…unless she doesn’t want me to be her alpha.

Before I can stop myself, I’m standing in front of her. “Why?”

She throws her hands up in the air, exasperation lining her voice. “Because, Titus! I don’t want the only time you care about me to be when I’m your ‘assignment’! I don’t want a taste of what it feels like to be your priority only to have it ripped away the second the threat is resolved!”

---