Chapter 17: Dilemmas and Desire

ALEXANDER

~What the hell.~

Olivia turned her head to the left, staring at the image that appeared on her phone. Was that…blood? That was a bloody arm! Who on earth sent…

~Alexander.~

What?

Her heart pounded in her chest as she hovered over the chatbox.

What—what was she supposed to do with this?

~Knock. Knock.~

“~Holy shit~!” The curse words slipped out faster than she clapped a hand over her chest. She could feel her heart thumping against her palm as she hissed.

“Livy.”

She jumped to her feet and walked a ~bit too quickly~ to the door. She flung it open, revealing Alexander leaning against the doorframe. Olivia folded her arms across her chest.

“Why bother texting me if you’re just gonna show up without warning?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Her heart did a little flip when she heard the nickname. ~No way~ she thought to herself.

Liv was the nickname that suited her, not Livy.

“Can you help?”

~Someone’s hurt~. Or was he? She moved quickly, taking his arm in her hands, examining the skin.

After she finished with the left arm, she did the same with the right.

~Nothing~.

“Normally, I’d be all for you touching me,” he started, his voice strained but with a hint of flirtation.

“But I don’t have that luxury right now.”

A blush crept up her cheeks as she let go of his arm as if it had scorched her. ~Shit~. She didn’t need to give him more fuel for his fire.

“It’s not me, it’s one of the kids.”

Her heart leapt into her throat at his words.

For a brief moment, she wondered if he was lying but—the picture, the blood…he wouldn’t harm a kid just to get to her, would he?

~Actually~, according to Will, that was exactly what he would do.

But she didn’t believe it. He was ~always~ in control. Every time they interacted, he was the puppet master, and she was just along for the ride. But now?

There was fear in his blue eyes and she knew he was telling the truth.

She’d seen that look countless times before. It was the look parents gave her when they brought their injured child into the ER.

There was no deception, no doubt about it. He was being honest.

“Wait here,” she instructed as she ran off.

Her heart pounded in her ears as she frantically searched for her stolen supplies. She grabbed the black backpack and then dashed to the bathroom. It might not be enough.

She didn’t even know what they needed. She opened her medicine cabinet, her hands trembling as she shoved almost everything into the backpack. No time to organize it. She could sort it out later.

Olivia slammed the mirror door shut and rushed back to the entrance. “Let’s go,” she said, her voice shaky as she walked past him.

She slung the backpack over her shoulder and then held her arm to her chest, her shoulders hunched forward. She knew this only complicated her situation, but really, what else was she supposed to do?

Let a child die? Will said they were monsters who killed humans and their own kind. Yet here he was, asking her to save a child’s life.

Wouldn’t she be the monster she accused him of being if she didn’t help?

It didn’t matter how she rationalized it to herself.

The outcome would be the same; she was going.

***

“If you keep this up, you’re gonna tear the inside of your cheek.”

Alexander’s eyes flicked to the left, looking at his second-in-command beta. Jason stood with his arms crossed over his chest, a smug smile on his face as he stared ahead.

Jason wasn’t short by any means, but next to Alexander’s six-foot-three stature, he seemed it.

His wild, long, curly blond hair covered half of his face, but Alexander didn’t need to see his eyes to know they were sparkling with mischief. He was getting a kick out of this.

Whatever ~this~ was.

He knew what it was, actually.

It was torture.

The entire drive to the pack house had been silent. He’d been worried himself, even though he tried to hide it.

Once they arrived, she’d rushed to the injured child, and he had been quietly watching her ever since.

He’d seen her at the hospital more than once.

She always smiled at her patients, always treated them like they were ~the~ most important part of her day.

She came with him without a second thought. Now here she was, treating a member of his pack.

This was where she belonged. She was ~his~. But she didn’t know that.

He could be more assertive with her.

As an alpha, his words carried a lot of weight—and it was worse in her case since she was an omega. It made it harder for her to say ~no~ to him.

But he didn’t want to do that. It wouldn’t solve anything.

Whatever that asshole had ingrained in her mind, it was there and it was deep. Even if he commanded her to stay, even if he never let her leave, how would that change her mind? It would do the opposite.

It would validate the lies that ~Will~ had spread. He had to nudge her, but he couldn’t force her.

She was like a skittish doe he had to coax into the open. No, that wasn’t right. She wasn’t prey.

He didn’t want her to be prey.

~Damn it~.

He desired her.

He yearned for her to be his partner. That was the truth of it. He could resist it, he could reject it, but it wouldn’t alter the reality.

It could have been anyone—or no one at all.

That would have been simpler, but instead—~it was her~. Initially, he thought he had it easy; an omega. One thoughtless encounter in the hospital room and it would be settled—they’d be bonded.

But the more he discovered about her, the more complex it became.

Life was peculiar. For an omega, she was the ~most~ obstinate woman he had ever encountered. She always ended up complying, but not before putting up a hell of a fight.

“Is she sticking around this time?”

He hoped so. But he knew she’d want to return. To ~him~. He’d detected that damn beta’s scent all over her damn apartment. Yet again. “No.”

“Can we chat with her this time, or?”

It wasn’t that he ~prohibited~ them from speaking to her. The pack could be overwhelming. They grasped what she was: the alpha’s mate. She didn’t comprehend it. She didn’t understand any of it.

He wanted to sidestep the tension, the misinterpretations… Yet, he needed to do ~something~ to help her grasp their connection.

Whatever training she had received, it evidently involved her disregarding all her instincts. He wasn’t fond of it. She was like a young cub that needed to be taught from the beginning.

“Are you planning to hang around and irritate me the entire time?” he inquired, disregarding his previous question.

Jason smirked. “It’s quite entertaining.”

Entertaining wasn’t the term he would use to describe this situation.

“Well, she seems to fit the omega stereotype. A nurse. That’s quite nurturing.”

Omegas were more responsive to the commands of the alphas. They were also more fertile, maternal, and typically more submissive.

Olivia hadn’t received that message.

He wasn’t griping though. He enjoyed the way her eyes sparked with defiance every time he challenged her. He relished watching her fight back.

He just wished she would do it with others and not solely with ~him~.

Alexander was about to pivot and instruct Jason to be anywhere but here when Olivia finally stood up.

He shoved his beta out of his thoughts as he strode forward, observing as Olivia assisted the little girl to her feet. Her arm was bandaged and now rested in a sling.

That had to be a positive sign, right?

They healed quicker, but it didn’t mean they were indestructible.

“Look, Lex! I look like a mummy!” Macy exclaimed, a grin on her face. She still had traces of blood on her forehead from the fall, but she didn’t seem to mind.

He returned her smile. “You’re all set for Halloween.”

“It’s not Halloween yet!”

“Let’s go, Macy, let’s get you cleaned up,” Brie, Macy’s mother, wrapped her arm around her daughter’s shoulder, pulling her close.

“Say thank you to Olivia.”

“Thank you, Olivia!”

Olivia beamed. “You’re welcome, sweetheart.”

Once Brie and Macy were at a distance, he turned to look at Olivia.

Her blue shirt was now stained with blood, and she had a few more spots on her skin. “So, not broken?”

She shrugged. “It’s hard to say without an x-ray. It wasn’t swollen, the bruise isn’t severe, and it didn’t feel misaligned but there’s no way to be certain.”

“Even if it’s broken, she’ll be okay. They heal quickly.”

“Then why bring me here?”

He anticipated that question.

“To ensure it wasn’t more serious than it appeared.” He wasn’t being dishonest. It could have been severe. Her head bled ~a lot~. Healing rapidly didn’t mean it was comfortable when an accident occurred.

Plus, children’s healing could sometimes be erratic.

He also wanted to demonstrate how well she would fit in. They didn’t have unlimited medical resources. She could be their solution.

Alexander noticed a flash of red in her eyes, but it quickly faded as if she had accepted her fate. “She should be okay. I mean, I work with humans. I don’t know much about werewolves.”

“Yeah, I noticed.”

Her gaze hardened. “Alexander…”

“Yes? Is this what you expected? Am I?”

She was within reach, so near. He’d embraced her, released her countless times. His patience was wearing thin. He craved her touch; he yearned for her.

His heart was pleading, urging him to trace his fingers down her arm. He wanted to see her eyes widen, her head tilt back as he traced his tongue down her neck.

He longed to hear her whisper his name, feel her legs entwine with his as he pressed her petite frame against his. At this point, he didn’t even need a commitment. He just wanted to possess her, if only for a moment.

But he couldn’t. Not yet.

Alexander bridged the gap between them, his larger form cornering her between him and the tree. “Well, am I?”

He observed her eyes flicker, her breath hasten, and her pupils expand. He raised a hand and swept his thumb across her forehead.

Wrinkles appeared on her forehead as he withdrew his hand and showed her the blood on his thumb. “You need to clean up.”

For a moment, he imagined himself bathing her, cleansing her. Gliding his hands over every inch of her silky skin, feeling the goosebumps that would trail his touch.

His inner wolf was whining within him, scratching at his chest, pleading to claim the one that was theirs.

It was exhausting to constantly restrain him, but it was necessary.

“It’s okay, I can—I can clean up at home.”

He didn’t want her to depart. He didn’t want her to leave just yet.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to take you back all bloody. Your apartment would reek of blood. You would reek of blood.”

He didn’t want to utter that scum’s name, so he didn’t.

Besides, he didn’t need to; she comprehended his words perfectly. Her lips parted, forming an o. Yes.

“I work in a hospital—”

“Werewolf blood has a distinct smell. You might not recognize it, but I’m sure he does.”

A desperate attempt to keep her with the pack a bit longer.

He didn’t know what the fuck that jerk knew.

He wasn’t knowledgeable about werewolves, otherwise he wouldn’t have spouted all that nonsense about alphas and packs.

“Right.” She cleared her throat. “O-okay. I suppose.”

His chest filled with pride, and he cradled her cheek in his hand.

“Don’t worry, Livy.” He leaned down, his lips grazing her ear.

He wanted to nibble at her earlobe, but he settled for a deep breath of her scent. “I’ll let you shower alone.” Another breath.

“Unless you want me to join you?”

Her body tensed against his, and he felt her body temperature rise.

A laugh escaped his lips as he stepped back before she could retort. “Follow me.”

Olivia. Bare.

In his shower.

He was about to test the fucking limits of his self-restraint.