Page 2 of Nursing the Alpha
FLYNN
T he subway was packed.
Shoulder to shoulder, front to back. That kind of packed.
I barely made it inside before the doors hissed shut behind me.
The floor vibrated beneath my sneakers as the train lurched into motion.
The lights buzzed overhead. Music leaked from earbuds nearby.
Someone smelled strongly of egg salad and regret. Ugh, the scent of the subway.
I hooked a hand around the nearest metal pole and held on.
No seats. Not surprising at this time of day. I adjusted the strap on my bag, making sure it didn’t knock into anyone, and focused on keeping my balance.
I sucked in a breath.
Across the crush of passengers, an alpha leaned casually against the opposite pole, looking entirely too relaxed for rush hour.
Sandy-brown hair, artfully tousled. Deep-set eyes, crooked smile.
He wore a faded denim jacket, the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, revealing muscular forearms prominently veined.
His jeans were dark and lived in. They clung to him in a flattering sort of way.
He caught me staring.
I started to look away, then didn’t. This was a new era. I was putting myself out there.
He smiled.
I smiled back.
It was the easy kind of interest. No pressure. No promises. Just something light sparking in the space between us.
He shifted a little closer as the train jostled.
“Cold day,” he said, voice warm and friendly.
“Yeah.” I hugged the strap of my bag.
“Next time wear a sweater, although it’d hide that figure.” He gave me a look that hovered just shy of smolder. “What’s your name?”
I laughed under my breath. Did I even remember how to flirt? “Flynn.”
He nodded, like he already liked the sound of it. “I’m Aaron.”
Aaron held my gaze. There was nothing urgent in his voice. Just the casual, amused ease of someone who knew how to handle himself in any situation.
“Nice to meet you, Aaron.”
“The pleasure is mine.” His eyes twinkled. “You new around here?”
“Not really. I’ve lived in Sweetin for five years.”
“You take the subway often? It’s tragic we’ve never met before.”
I laughed softly. He was pouring on the charm a little too thick, but this was the first time I’d openly flirted with anyone in a long time.
While carrying a baby during surrogacy, I’d never dated, and the one time I tried after handing over the baby to the parents, I’d leaked all over the table during dinner.
It didn’t go well.
“I take it often enough.”
“So what do you do for fun, Flynn? How about a night on the town?”
“I can be persuaded if it’s the right company.”
He leaned in with a devilish grin. “Personally, I think the wrong company is the best kind of fun.”
“Are you?” I bit my bottom lip. “The wrong company, I mean.”
“It depends. Why don’t you give me a chance and find out?”
A bump of the train jostled me, and I stumbled. My fingers slipped from the pole, and before I could catch myself, I fell.
Right into someone’s lap.
I froze. My whole body went rigid. I’d landed squarely across the thighs of an alpha.
Not just any alpha. This one was huge. Broad-chested, thighs like tree trunks, mutton fists resting calmly on his spread knees.
A black coat strained over his broad shoulders.
He was the kind of alpha I always avoided.
“Oh god, I’m so sorry,” I blurted. Mortified, I scrambled off his lap.
He didn’t move. Didn’t say a word.
But I felt it.
A wave of warmth rolled off him, his scent thick and low and grounding. Cedar, smoke, and something faintly sweet. It hit me like a slap to the stomach. My body clenched.
My womb fluttered.
What the hell?
I stumbled back into the crowd, catching myself on the pole again. My face burned as I looked anywhere but at him. The man I’d been talking to—Aaron—was watching, amused.
“Train’s a beast today,” I muttered, trying to laugh it off. “Can’t believe that happened.”
He chuckled. “At least you had a soft landing. You okay?”
“Yeah. Just startled. My stop’s coming up, so at least I don’t have to bear the shame for long.”
Aaron tilted his head. “Then how about giving me your number? I’ll call you. We can grab a drink sometime.”
I hesitated, surprised, flattered. My lips parted to say sure.
Then his expression changed.
His nose wrinkled. His eyes dropped to my chest. His mouth curled, and not in a smile this time.
“Wait… are you lactating?”
I blinked. “What?”
“That’s…” He stepped back slightly, revulsion crawling across his features. “That’s disgusting.”
My stomach dropped.
I looked down.
Oh no. No, no, no.
For fuck’s sake.
Two pale circles were already blooming on the front of my hoodie. The fabric clung to my chest, warm and damp, giving off a faint sweetness. Embarrassment curled under my skin.
Already? I never produced so quickly after feeding.
Panic swelled up like a wave.
“I—I have to go,” I stammered, stepping past him as the train pulled into the next station.
The doors hissed open. I darted out, holding my book bag up to shield my chest, heart thudding, face burning .
Stupid, stupid body. Why now? Why not five minutes later?
I barely made it two steps before a hand touched my elbow.
I flinched and turned.
It was the man from the seat. The one I’d landed on. The huge alpha.
Up close, he was even more intimidating. Tall and thick-built, towering over me like a wall of calm. His dark hair was buzzed close on the sides, his eyes a deep, unreadable brown. A faint scar curved over the edge of his jaw, and he smelled like the woods at night.
He didn’t leer. Didn’t judge. Just… looked at me.
He shrugged off his coat and held it out.
“Here,” he said, voice low and smooth. “Accidents happen.”
I stared at him.
At the coat.
Back at him.
I reached for it with shaking fingers. “Th-thank you.”
He didn’t say anything else.
Just gave me one last glance and walked away.
I stood there on the platform, his coat wrapped awkwardly around me, my chest damp and aching, and for some reason…
I wanted to cry.