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I’m a mess.

“Nina?” Cassidy asks, bringing me back into the conversation.

“Yes?” I ask.

“We told you Ellis would keep you safe, right?” she asks, her eyes searching for something.

“You did,” I agree. “He did a great job.”

Maybe too good.

Seventeen

Riley

It seems I’ve hung up my hat as a medical student and begun stalking. Well, that’s not entirely true. I am doing my rotations at a psychiatric hospital in Savannah that doesn’t seem to hold the same views as others. They believe in helping people through the stresses of life.

There’s a very thin line between good mental health for omegas and alphas and the road downhill due to avoiding their natural needs. It’s the reason there’s so much misinformation about it.

It’s exactly what’s happening to the alpha male in front of me.

Glancing at Cooper as he sits across from me at a diner near the hospital, I take in how awful he looks. The bags under his eyes tell me he isn’t sleeping, his regularly clean shaven face is covered in facial hair. His patience is shit as well, which means he’s not here on a social visit.

We all moved here very quietly, and Cooper took a step away from teaching for personal reasons. Ethan is also taking a year off from his studies, stating that he has pack relatedproblems he’s working through. While none of it is a lie, I feel guilty that I didn’t also take a break.

They wouldn’t let me though, stating that my career is important, especially if something happens to Nina.

So much has changed in a few short months, and one of them is that Cooper is now completely feral. The one day he had with Nina solidified everything for him except the bond, and his very soul is screaming for her return.

I’ve never seen anything like this, and I feel for him.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?” I ask, dunking a French fry in ketchup before taking a bite.

Damn, I really love this diner. The fries are thin and perfectly crispy, and the burgers remind me of mine. I haven’t had the time to cook with the whirlwind of clinical rotation. The three of us are living together and even then, Cooper had to track me down to speak with me.

“You can leave the adorable shit for my son,” he growls, making me huff out a laugh.

I’m glad Ethan finally told his dad about us. Nothing sexual has happened between us since the night in my apartment, but he’s no longer worried about openly showing me affection or talking about things with his dad.

Though, it’s difficult to have any kind of relationship when we’re all so busy. I can’t even be upset about it though, because Ethan has his own responsibilities to handle. We’ll have more than enough time to figure it out once we have Nina with us again.

All in good time.

“Fair enough,” I agree.

“As you know, Ethan has been finding reasons to be around Nina. She hasn’t recognized him?—”

“And she won’t,” I retort. “I used my alpha bark when she was under hypnosis. I made sure she even forgot me.”

“You and your fucking secrets,” he sighs. His voice reminds me of crushed gravel, deep and dark. “We’re on thesame goddamned team, but there’s always some other piece that pops up when it becomes relevant for you to talk about.”

“Honestly, I think it’s because I’m so ashamed of myself that I force my mind to bury it,” I admit. “Other times, it’s because I really don’t think it’s relevant. I had a job to do to protect our girl. So I fucking did it.”

Cooper glances around the diner, but there’s no one who will overhear us. It’s the rush hour for lunch, and everyone is focused on scarfing down their food before their break is over.

“I’ve never liked a martyr,” Cooper sighs. “Break down what you did. I also don’t know why or how Ethan is being invited to pack outings despite being an outsider in Savannah. I’ve been stuck in my head, trying to keep myself together. I’m essentially useless here.”

“No you’re not,” I snap, continuing to eat. I’m going to be at the hospital until midnight after this, surviving on protein bars. I’m not letting this food go to waste. “There is going to be a time when Nina needs you to get her to believe that we’re hers. Until then, you need to continue to keep it together and not kill anyone else.”