Page 22 of Ryder

It soon became apparent that alphas were the dominant species, but they were few in numbers.Those who were not afflicted used deadly force to round them up.Many were killed outright.Finally, a humane approach was decided upon.Cities across the globe cordoned off parts of the city to house them.

The alphas fought back, so they gave them the only thing that would keep the peace.

The omegas.

They were not like us—they craved a bond with a mate.Ryder would want and need things I couldn’t give to him, so it confused me that he was still calling.Why would he?

I could never go back there.

It was better this way, better if I never went there again, because I could see myself falling for him in a way I’d never fallen for anybody else.Jude was right about that.Why did I have to fall for a freaking alpha?I must have a self-destructive complex or something.I had a good life and a sister who needed me.She might be the strong one, but I thought she needed to care for me because it helped her through the darkest times.

We both changed that fateful day, just in entirely different ways.

My phone finally stopped ringing, and I let out a heavy exhale.

I dragged some comfortable sleep shorts and a T-shirt on, then walked through to the lounge.

Jude sat on the couch, his untouched coffee on the table between the two couches, head in his hand.

“Fuck,” he muttered, seeing me.“Why did I turn them down?”

I chuckled, and sitting opposite, dropped my cell on the table beside my waiting coffee.I wanted to keep it close in case Sloane called or messaged me.“I don’t know, Jude.Why did you turn them down?”

“I had a boyfriend with this alpha fetish who started training me to take the knot of this freaking huge dildo.I mean, I put a valiant effort in, but we, you know, never got to the full size.I’m pretty sure no beta man is meant to take an alpha cock.Still, I might have died happy trying.”He grinned.

“Too much information, Jude!”

He shrugged.“It got a bit weird after a while.Much as I fantasized about being an omega, I also like who and what I am.”Picking up his coffee, he took a sip before nodding his head toward the cell phone.“Nothing from Sloane yet?”

I shook my head.“No.”

“Oh, who was that then?”

“It was, um, a guy.”

“Guy?”His eyes suddenly narrowed knowingly before a shit-eating grin splits his face.“Girlfriend, are you holding out on me?Was that the alpha?Did you give him your number?”

I huff out a breath.“Fine.I gave him my number.”

“So.”He makes a little upward motion with his fingers.“Gimme the details.What did he say?”

“I…haven’t answered it.”Yeah, I actually squirmed at Jude’s gasp of shock.

“Why the fuck not?Give me the phone.”He motioned for me to hand it over.

I snatched it up from the table.“No!You’re not having the fucking phone.I know you—you’ll start answering the messages for me!”

“How many boyfriends have I dealt with for you?I excel at situations like this.Ask Derek.Do you want me to get rid of him?I can handle it, no problem.”

“I don’t,” I blurted out.

He grinned.

“You were fishing, weren’t you?”

He shrugged, not even a little guilty.“You really like him?”

“Fine, I like him.”

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