Page 107 of Pack Rivals, Part One

I stand up, a dishcloth in one hand, the brush in the other, and, placing both hands on my hips, glare at him.

"I don't need someone to clean for me."

He sweeps his hand around the apartment. "It's more than a one-man job, Bea."

"Exactly." I toss the dishcloth towards him and he snatches it from the air.

"Omega," he says, prowling towards me.

"What?" I say, raising an eyebrow. "Don't tell me. Alphas don't clean." I roll my eyes hard.

"No," he says, taking the brush from my hand and placing it on the counter. "We clean." I snort. "But you can't clean yet. Not until the cops have been and looked for evidence."

"Oh," I say. "Oh yeah." I lean back against the counter and peer down at my watch. "When will they be here?"

"Some time tomorrow afternoon."

"What?!" I gasp. "They're not coming now?"

"Bea, this is probably one of a dozen breaks-in across the city just tonight. Then there's all the other things they need to respond to and investigate. It's Friday night. They'll be working their asses off."

"Right." I hadn't thought of that. The most that would happen in Naw Creek on a Friday night is a fight at Joe's Bar and those happened once a year on Mick Foot's birthday.

I chew on my lip. I'm out of place once again. A tiny fish swimming in a huge, unfamiliar ocean. Out of place in my glitzy dress, standing in the middle of a trashed kitchen.

Cinderella has left the ball and landed slap bang in reality.

"Where's Courtney?" he asks me.

"On her way home."

"Right, good. I'm taking you both back to my place. You can't stay here tonight. It isn't safe."

"And my bed is trashed," I agree. "But it's fine. We'll go stay in a motel for the night until we can get this place cleared up."

"There aren't any motels in the city, Bea."

"Hotel, then."

"Not safe. You're coming to stay at mine."

"That really isn't necessary."

He stalks closer, bending low to meet my eye. "Omega," he says in that tone which means I won't win this argument. "It's very necessary. Do you think I'm going to sleep one wink if I'm worrying about you? I need to know you are safe."

"You really think they were after me?"

"Bea, you live in a crappy apartment on the wrong side of town. You have no family, no alpha to protect you. You're easy prey."

"Who … who do you think it is? Who do you think broke in?"

He sniffs the air, eyes brushing from side to side as he inhales deeply. Finally, he says, "I don't recognize the scent. It isn't anyone I know. And that makes me more concerned."

"Why?"

"Because I know most of the scumbags in this city, Bea – the alpha ones anyway. This means there is one I don't know out there and that makes them harder to deal with."

"Axel," I say, taking his hand in mine and drawing his attention back to me. I should probably be feeling shaken up and petrified right now. But again the presence of this alpha changes everything. "Tell me the truth, is this another game? Another play?"

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