Page 174 of Altius
Glancing around, making sure no one could hear his next words, Reyhan whispered, “No more alpha bullshit.”
A slight laugh escaped. “I couldn’t agree more.”
One of the physical therapists, a pretty redhead who was great at her job, hurried up to Reyhan, asking him to exchange contact information. He looked a bit stunned.
Giving him an encouraging look, I said, “See you at the next basketball game.”
“Yeah, uh—bye, Morgan.”
I slipped through the exit turnstile and headed for the front entrance.
Just as I passed the visitor seating area, a familiar raspy voice called, “Hey, Dr. Van Daal.”
Suppressing a smile, I turned.
Joaquin was reclined on a sofa, hands clasped behind his head, long legs clad in jeans, black boots crossed at the ankle, and smirking up a storm.
Moving closer, I asked in a volume that wouldn’t carry across the expansive lobby, “I thought we were supposed to stop meeting like this.”
“Today’s your last day here, and you still owe us a lunch date.” His smirk only grew wider. “And I have it on very good authority that you’ve got ninety minutes before you need to be anywhere. So, we’re taking you out to celebrate.”
“Arewenow?” I asked, arching a brow.
“Yup.” Joaquin slid off the couch and stepped into my personal space, leaning down to meet my gaze. “So, what do you say, doc—udon for three, or are you going to break my heart again?”
Looking straight into the velvety depths of his brown eyes, I put on my gentlest, most doe-like expression and whispered, “This conversation could have been a text.”
He stifled a laugh. “But where’s the fun in that?”
“We need to work on your definition of fun.”
“Right back at you, doc.” Joaquin glanced at his phone, showing a new text from Alijah. “Udon restaurant in fifteen?”
“Works for me,” I said, already heading for the exit.
Agreeing to start dating Cal had required a monumental shift in my thinking.
The thought of adding a second partner to the mix had felt too daunting until Wyatt took me into his arms on New Year’s Day and kissed his way back into my heart.
Being with Alijah had felt inevitable, somehow, ever since the day of his panic attack at the football stadium, when I couldn’t rest until I knew he was safe.
But Joaquin…
I had to be careful. Getting too close to him risked falling victim to one of his well-greased traps—most of which I was beginning to suspect included a one-way ticket to waking up mated to him and Alijah some random Thursday morning without having the faintest idea how I got there.
***
I sat in the near-empty parking lot of the Rhine Fieldhouse, finger hovering over Wyatt’s name on my contact list, ignoring that my hand was shaking.
After the conversation I’d just had with Chantal, I suddenly understood why Owen liked to dodge his calls.
Forcing myself to hit dial, I put the call on speaker and leaned against the steering wheel, unseeing eyes fixed on the women’s gymnastics building.
He picked up after two rings. “Hey, baby. You done for the day?”
Even my considerable control wasn’t enough for this conversation, my voice trembling from the get-go. “Wyatt, I—I…”
“What’s wrong?” The force of his alpha’s protective nature surged through the phone. “Tell me where you are. I’ll be there in—”
