Page 10 of Mating With My Grumpy Alphas
Yeah, that about summed it up.
“She’s been hurt,” I said quietly. “By her previous alpha. Badly enough that she moved halfway across the country to get away from him.”
“How do you know that?” Elias asked.
“The way she reacts to alpha attention. The way she flinches when you get too close too fast. The way she holds herself like she’s expecting to be criticized or controlled.”
Both men nodded in recognition. They’d seen it too.
“So we take it slow,” Wes said. “We let her set the pace. We prove we’re different from whoever hurt her.”
“And if she doesn’t want any of us?”
“Then we respect that too,” Elias said firmly. “Her healing and happiness matter more than what we want.”
I was about to respond when the bar door opened and a familiar figure walked in. Tall, expensive clothes, the kind of confident bearing that came from old money and private schools. Several conversations died as people noticed who’d entered.
Cassian Black. The man everyone in town was treating like an environmental villain, here to destroy their protected woodlands for profit.
The man I’d known as Cass in college. My study partner, my drinking buddy, the guy who’d spent spring break helping build houses for Habitat for Humanity instead of partying in Cancun.
He spotted me almost immediately, his expression shifting from wary to surprised to something that might have been relief. He made his way over to our table, ignoring the hostile looks and whispered comments from other patrons.
“Rhett,” he said, stopping beside our table. “I heard you were still in town.”
“Cass,” I replied, studying his face for traces of the man I’d known fifteen years ago. “Didn’t expect to see you in Hollow Haven.”
“Business,” he said simply, then glanced at Wes and Elias. “Mind if I join you? I’m not exactly welcome at other tables tonight.”
I could feel the tension radiating from my companions. To them, this was the enemy. The corporate shark who wanted to destroy the watershed for a luxury resort. But looking at Cass’s face, I saw something I recognized from our college days. The expression he used to get when his father pushed him to do things that went against his conscience.
“Have a seat,” I said, ignoring Wes’s sharp look.
Cass settled into the remaining chair, and I could practically feel the hostility from nearby tables increasing. Whatever he was doing in Hollow Haven, he wasn’t making friends.
“So,” he said, attempting casual conversation. “What brings three upstanding citizens together on a Thursday night?”
“Community discussion,” Elias said diplomatically.
“About the new omega in town,” Wes added, his tone carrying a subtle warning.
Cass’s eyebrows rose. “The one working at the bookstore? Willa Rowan. She’s quite talented. Photography background, I believe.”
How does he know about her photography?The question must have shown on my face because Cass shrugged.
“I saw some of her work at an environmental summit. Powerful stuff, she has a good eye. I was surprised that she didn’t go further with her work. I heard in town that she’s been having some adjustment difficulties.”
“Adjustment difficulties?” Wes’s voice had gone dangerous.
“New environment, multiple alpha scents, suppressant complications. Common issues for displaced omegas.” Cass’stone was matter-of-fact, almost clinical. “I hope she’s getting proper support.”
The protective anger that flared in all three of us was probably visible from space. Whatever else Cass might be, he was clearly paying attention to Willa’s situation in a way that made my territorial instincts sit up and take notice.
“She’s getting all the support she needs,” I said firmly.
“Good.” Cass smiled, and for a moment I caught a glimpse of the man I’d known in college. “She seems like someone worth protecting.”
He used to be a really good guy,I thought, watching him deflect the hostility of the other bar patrons with practiced ease.I can’t match the man he is now with the one I knew back then.
