Page 148 of Roulette Rodeo
"Fine," he grits out, then practically throws the phone back at me.
I catch it, bringing it back to my ear as Shiloh's voice comes through. "Rafe has generously offered to take you to book club."
I smirk, looking at Rafe who's glowering at the wall like it personally offended him. "Oh, has he? How generous of him."
"Play nice, little cherry," Shiloh says, and I can hear the smile in his voice despite the stress. "Text us when you get there. And be careful, the rain's getting worse."
"You be careful too," I tell him. "All of you. That omega needs you more than I need book club."
"We've got it handled. Have fun tonight."
After we hang up, I look at Rafe who's still practicing his statue impression.
"If it's going to be a hassle, I really don't have to go. I know you're busy with your work."
He stares at me for a long moment, those ice-gray eyes unreadable. Then, unexpectedly, he asks, "Do you actually like it?"
"What?"
"The book club. Do you actually enjoy going, or are you just going to keep yourself busy?"
The question is so unexpectedly perceptive that I'm caught off guard. I think about lying, giving him the easy answer that would let us both off the hook. But something about the wayhe's looking at me—like he genuinely wants to know—makes me honest.
"I don't know yet," I admit, moving back to the window seat to put my book away. "I've never been part of anything like it before. Wasn't in school long enough to do clubs or after-school activities. And I know if I seclude myself here, I can't learn. Can't grow."
I pause, organizing my thoughts the way this conversation deserves.
"I like going with Poppy because she's very open-minded and a lot more sophisticated than people give her credit for. She sees through the performance of it all, you know? The way those omegas pretend to be delicate flowers while secretly competing over whose alpha provides better, whose nest is more elaborate, whose life is more perfect."
"Then it doesn't make sense for you to go if you're clearly smarter than them," Rafe says, and there's something in his tone that might almost be... protective?
"Maybe," I agree, picking at a loose thread on my shirt. "But I like to observe people."
His frown deepens in confusion. "Observe?"
"When you watch people's actions from afar, you can learn their true intentions." I think about how to explain years of survival tactics to someone who's probably never had to read a room to avoid being cornered. "Those omegas? They don't really care about the books. Half of them don't even finish them. They go because realistically, it's one of the only places omegas can go where we're not expected to do much."
Rafe's expression shifts as he processes this. "There really aren't many places for you to go, are there?"
"Not really," I confirm. "I mean, I want to check out the gym, see what they'd need if I want to set up that kickboxing class for omegas. But beyond that? There's the coffee shop, the bakery,the book club, and... that's about it. Everything else is either alpha-dominated or couple-focused."
I stand, walking over to the shelf to properly put my book away.
"Staying home all the time is isolating. And I want to prove I can be independent. Not one hundred percent reliant on the pack because, at the end of the day, you all have lives. Jobs. Responsibilities. I can't expect you to entertain me constantly. That's not realistic. Or fair."
He's quiet for a long moment, and when I turn back, he's watching me with an expression I can't quite read.
"I understand," he says finally. "Go change. I'll wait."
I start toward the door, then pause when he speaks again.
"For an omega, you really aren't burdensome."
The words are so unexpected, so at odds with his usual cold demeanor, that I'm struck speechless. It's not exactly a compliment—the qualifying "for an omega" makes sure of that—but from Rafe? This might as well be a declaration of affection.
Before I can formulate a response, he's walking away, already pulling out his phone to probably rearrange whatever meeting he's missing to drive me to discuss a book about an omega who couldn't choose between alphas.
The irony isn't lost on me.
