“Not really. No, you said you didn’t want to worry about me. And you didn’t want Nathan to hurt my feelings. That’s not the same as you need me with you.”
He wanted to growl. This infuriating woman was going to make everything complicated. He could already tell, and he really wanted to kiss her for it. “You say that to me while you can’t even look me in the eyes.”
“I know. It’s very bizarre. I’m trying to work on it, believe me. Sometimes I can’t stand the idea of it, like I’m going to be overwhelmed by you if I dare to take a really good glance at your blue eyes.” She shrugged. “It’s got to be a wolf thing, right? I mean animals do this. They have pack relations or whatever. We had three dogs for a while when I was growing up, and they had an order. One of them was in charge. Although come to think of it, they always acted like I was really the one in charge. In this case, it’s you. I’m working on my order. Or maybe I’m really the passive-aggressive one.”
“Betsy.” He sighed loudly. How could he want to snarl at her and bite down to mark her at the same time? By the end of the day, he might very well lose his mind. “You’re my mate. I can guarantee you’re not passive. You’ve said some things to me humans wouldn’t dare utter without even understanding why. You sometimes manage to regard me perfectly well. I’d say that your looking down is something else entirely.”
Her heart rate increased dramatically, enough for him to hear it. His words struck a nerve. “What do you think it is?”
“You want me,” he answered bluntly. It only seemed fair she be as off-center as he. “And if you look at me, you’re afraid both of us are going to know how much you do.”
The elevator stopped at the top floor, and he exited, pulling his mate with him. She’d sucked in her breath with his proclamation, and it had confirmed that his suspicions were right on. Betsy was hardly prepared for that level of intimacy…yet. But, eventually, she’d have to admit to her desires, and then things would change. Then they’d finally make the connection he knew they could have.
Screw insecurity. Things finally made some sense. He smiled at the thought.
Mating matter settled, he only had to deal with Alpha politics and stolen babies. And figure out what to do about Betsy’s family.
Just that…
He walked into his office, and from the scent of discomfort—a pungent smell, like decaying garbage outside a restaurant—he wasn’t a moment too soon. Lake had never liked Alexei. Nothing had changed. Alexei, seemingly oblivious to her feelings—although Cyrus seriously doubted that since Alexei never missed a trick—sprawled on the leather couch across from Cyrus’ desk.
Lake tapped the back of her head against the wall where she leaned. “What took you so long?”
“Betsy and I needed to have a conversation.”
Alexei interrupted. “This must be a new thing between the two of you. Did it only just happen?”
“That’s not your concern. This is Betsy. She’s with me. That’s all you need to know.” The how, the who, and the fact that she’d been a latent who’d only just turned—yeah, none of Alexei’s fucking business.
The Alpha from Boston nodded. “You were such a fun guy when we were younger. Where did the stick that is perpetually up your ass come from?”
“Years of handling problems like you. Be careful. When you get home, your own people might be there waiting to take off your head. I’d hate for you to go through that. Again.”
Alexei growled. “You know that was a rumor.”
“Or you wanted us to think it was.”
“Are you two finished? Do you think you could get to the matter at hand?” Lake cut off their argument, as he’d known she eventually would. It was always a question as to whether or not he was going to claw off the other werewolf’s face. That was why he wanted Lake with him. She tended to force him to keep a cooler head.
Sisters could occasionally be useful.
“We were attacked last week,” Alexei must have agreed because he sobered. “Seemingly out of the blue. It was brutal. We lost a lot of females. I’ve been trying to keep this under wraps. The scene produced no results in terms of scent. Not were ones anyway. Lots of humans but none known to us. This is happening more and more.”
Cyrus nodded. This was always a problem. The human police carried fingerprints, not scent ones. “Did you try their authorities? Maybe there is some kind of forensic evidence.”
Lake raised an eyebrow. “Been watching CSI again?”
“Don’t undermine him. He’s making a good point.” Betsy stepped forward, and his heart stuttered. Had she stood up for him? For a second, he forgot to breathe. When had that ever happened? His father had thought he had to toughen him up practically from birth, his mother never contradicted the man, and he’d always been an Alpha in training. Put up or shut up and don’t whine when you don’t get your way.