Page 25 of The Bookseller and the Alpha
“I’m Calypso Ferrera. Apartment 303.” I showed him my own ID. “What’s going on, Tom?”
Tom picked up a small tablet, glancing at it briefly. “Ms Ferrera. Building security is being upgraded. A security guard will be in the lobby twenty-four seven.” From a bag beside him, he pulled out a keycard, holding it out to me. “From now on, you’ll need this to enter the building.” He checked his tablet, frowning at what he saw on the screen. “And someone will be at your apartment later to install new locks.”
That was odd. “I didn’t authorise that.” Did I want it? Absolutely. After last night I would take all the security I could get. But I couldn’t afford it. Not this month. Not after whatever damage I had to fix from the intrusion.
“Not my call, ma’am,” he said. “And the bill’s been paid in full upfront.”
I narrowed my eyes at him.
He shrugged. “I’m just doing my job.” He thrust the keycard at me. “You go on upstairs now Ms Ferrera.”
Chapter 31
Luc
I followed Billy to the elevator.YOU FUCKED IT UP! GO BACK. Beast was angry. Monumentally, incandescently angry.
Dude. Could you tone it down before you give me an aneurysm?I kept my inner voice as mild as I could make it.Feels like you’re stabbing an ice pick into my brain.
It’s no more than you deserve.Beast’s voice was a low grumble in my head.Apologise. Grovel if you have to.
Why do I need to apologise? I told you we had to take it slow.Be patient.
And how was our mate feeling when we left?
She was angry.
And hurt.For a moment I wondered if I was going insane. The Beast that I’d kept locked in my brain wasn’t only talking to me. He was giving me advice.
Beast snorted. I am you, you dipshit. My instincts are your instincts. My feelings are your feelings. You’ve just repressed the Shifter parts of you.
I put that thought aside for later. Now I needed to work out what I’d done wrong. How I’d hurt my mate. What had I done? I replayed the scene in my head. My cock jumped at the memory of how magnificent she’d looked in my arms. Her eyesglazed with passion, and the scent of her arousal filling the room as my hands roamed over her breasts. I’d been about to plunge my fingers into the wet depths of her cunt.
Then Billy had knocked on the door and I’d come to my senses. Understood how close I’d been to losing control. I had taken her to the bedroom, detoured to the laundry to grab myself a fresh shirt then opened the door to let Billy in. Finally, I'd dropped the bag of clothing outside the door. Clothing I had ordered for her. Just the first gift of many that I would give her.
And then you left. You gave her no affection. You didn’t tell her she is special.
Fuck. Beast was right. I’d been so focused on keeping control that I’d shut down. And she probably thought it was her fault. I’d been an asshole.
Finally, you get it, Beast said.You’re totally fucked.
Tonight, I would explain. In person, so she couldn’t mistake my intentions. In the meantime, she would already have opened my first gift. The second would arrive in her apartment later today. She would know I was thinking of her.
***
“Boss?” Billy’s voice brought me back to my surroundings. We’d been walking across the parking garage under my building. I could see my car up ahead.
“You just stopped. I nearly walked into you.” He glanced at me quickly before turning to scan the garage for threats. He was worried, assuming that I’d seen something he hadn’t.
I’d stopped because my head was pounding from my inner battle with my Beast and I didn’t want to be here. My chest hurt from the distance I was putting between me and my mate. I wanted to turn around and take the elevator back to my apartment. I fumbled for an excuse, then accepted that there wasno point. It was safest for Billy if he understood what was riling me.
“It’s the mating pull.”
Billy’s eyes were wide as he processed my statement. “Do you need to go back?”
I shook my head. “I need to find the fuckers first.”
Billy nodded in understanding. He knew my protective instincts would be pushing me hard. Demanding I remove the threat to my mate. “Want me to drive?”
