Page 104 of Roulette Rodeo
The syllables are harsh and soft at once, definitely not English.
"Was that Russian?" I ask, curious despite my melancholy.
There's a pause, like his brain is coming online in stages.
"Hmm?" Another pause, longer. "Oh. Yeah. English. Right."
A giggle bubbles up from somewhere deep in my chest. I put my hand in his messy hair, ruffling it even more.
"Are you a deep sleeper or something?"
He lifts his head to peer at me in the mirror, his green eyes still soft with sleep.
"Get disoriented sometimes. Switch languages here and there without meaning to."
"That's actually pretty cool."
He smirks, but it's self-deprecating.
"Started after a training bomb went off accidentally. Sent me and my team flying into a drainage ditch. Hit my head pretty hard—took some time to recover from." He yawns, jaw cracking. "Now I either sleep like the dead or can't sleep at all. Guess I was tired today, so..." He gestures vaguely. "Deep sleep."
I'm intrigued despite myself, turning in his arms to look up at him properly. He lifts his head back, meeting my gaze with those forest-green eyes that still make my stomach flip.
"I want to learn more about all of you," I admit. "Really learn, not just the surface stuff."
Something shifts in his expression—a flicker of sadness that makes my chest tight.
"You okay?" I ask, reaching up to touch his jaw.
He leans into my touch for a moment before speaking, his voice quiet and serious.
"We're not good people, Red."
I wait for him to continue, but he doesn't. Just looks at me with those sad eyes like he's already mourning something that hasn't happened yet.
I shrug, trying for casual despite the weight of the moment.
"I'm not a good omega. Not perfect, not groomed in some wealthy home, trained to be the ideal mate." I meet his eyes steadily. "That didn't stop you from caring for me the right way. From protecting me when danger was near at the gym. it didn’t stop you from pulling every string to locate me."
He nods slowly, understanding dawning in his expression.
Then he pulls me into a fierce hug, his face buried in my shoulder. When he speaks, his voice is muffled but the emotion in it is clear.
"It scares me."
"What do you mean?" I ask, my arms coming up automatically to hold him back.
"You're so fucking perfect." The words tumble out like a confession. "Understanding, beautiful, accepting. A scent match, which shouldn't even be possible. And it scares me because..." He takes a shaky breath. "We can't protect you in a world as peaceful as this."
I pull back slightly, confused.
"Why would I need protection?"
His jaw tightens.
"We have enemies, Red. Dark pasts that don't just disappear because we're living in this fairytale. Raising animals, growingcrops, pretending we're just ranchers in the middle of nowhere—it's all temporary. Eventually, our past will find us."
He cups my face gently, thumbs brushing over my cheekbones.
