Page 114 of Sweetheart: Part One

“So the world never learns,” Rook said with a hint of melodrama.

“Learns what?”

“His amygdala is not up to size standards.”

It was Ebony’s turn to snort.

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“Oh come on, like you haven’t noticed,” Rook scoffed.

“Rook.” Ebony’s voice was low and melodic. “Go fuck yourself.”

“Why?” Rook asked. “You’re worried what she’ll think? You really shouldn’t be. Maybe she’ll be more likely to fuck you if she knows it’s not actually your fault.”

I glanced between them, confused. “What isn’t your fault?”

“That he’s a raging dick?” Rook supplied. “Because he’s just not got the capacity like the rest of us.”

“For what?”

“Sweetness,” Rook said. “He’s like a big empty metal tin can—”

“Hey!”I cut him off, something defensive rising inside of me that I couldn’t quite place.

Rook looked at me curiously. “He tried to strangle you the first time he met you. Has he ever shown the first ounce of remorse for that?”

I looked back to Ebony, but was caught off guard by the intensity of his gaze. He was watching me with a strange curiosity, eyes darting between mine like he wasn’t sure what he was seeing.

Finally, he shrugged. “For once in his life, Rook’s not wrong. Unless he thinks I’m ashamed of it.”

“What does that mean?”

“He’s a psychopath, Vex. Keep up.”

That drew me up as I pieced that all together.

Nothing about itdidn’tmake sense, which is why it took me out for a moment.

But… he was mymate…?

What did that mean for—Ebony shifted me away, getting to his feet, something strangely passive in his expression.

“You know,” Rook said. “I’ve done a lot of research on this shit—”

“Of course you have,” Ebony snorted.

“There’s a serious question of conflict between the brain of a psychopath and the brain of an alpha.”

At that, even Ebony paused. “What do you mean?”

I glanced between them, noting the smug glint in Rook’s eyes as he looked up at Ebony. “Psychopaths are clinical, right? Cost and reward analysis is limited strictly to what affects them.” He looked at me. “Why do you think Ebony only plays villains? Because people out for themselves are the only people he can actually relate to. But add in pack dynamics, alpha instincts, things get a bit murky.”

“You getting to a point anytime soon?” Ebony asked, looking bored.

“If you were a beta, it’d be simple. You wouldn’t need anyone but yourself,” Rook said, looking smug. “But you aren’t. You’re an alpha. We’re fucking dependent, aren’t we? Drawn to packs—to omegas? It’s instinct. A psychopathic alpha might be just as protective over his own pack as he would himself, because biology’ll tell him it’s the same damn thing.”

Ebony’s head was cocked as he watched Rook, and I couldn’t tell if he was thinking of pouncing or not.

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