Page 28

TWENTY-THREE

I try to relax my hand, transferring the coffee cup back and forth.

The quad is barren this morning, the grass covered in ice. When Stacia finally makes her way into my eyesight, I find myself breathing easier, and march towards her with determined purpose.

Her eyes land on me, and her lips curve in joyful surprise.

“Hey,” she says.

“Hi.” I take her in, noticing her corduroy dungaree and the layers of jackets she has on.

She’s so freaking cute .

She allows me to give her a quick kiss on the cheek just before I hand her the cup.

She quirks her brow at me. “What’s this?”

“Coffee,” I say with a straight face.

She narrows her eyes at me suspiciously. “Let me guess, with extra cream and a pump of hazelnut?”

A guilty smile threatens to escape but I keep it down. “I don’t know what you mean. Also, I have this.” I hand her the little brown paper bag and her eyes widen. She grabs the bag and practically tears it open to get to the prize inside.

She holds the warm breakfast sandwich in her palm, looking at it with elation. “That freaking beta,” she murmurs as she opens up the paper with expert fingers before taking a bite.

Yeah, I might have convinced Ciro to ask her a few standard questions. Favorite coffee order, favorite breakfast food. It was for a good cause, so I don’t feel bad about it.

She gives a hearty moan at the first bite, her head falling back as she savors it. I look around, glad to see that there’s no witnesses to my omega enjoying my courting gift in a way that leaves me a very satisfied alpha.

“You didn’t have to do this, Atlas.”

Considering the absolute euphoria that it gave her, I did. And I’ll be doing it every day until she gets sick of it.

“This is what happens when alphas are courting. You’ll need to get used to it, because none of us plan to stop even after we’ve officially earned the right to call you ours.”

A slight blush falls over her cheeks, her freckles becoming darker on the pigment.

“Can I walk you to class?” She gives a timid nod before we set off towards her building.

I enjoyed Stacia at our previous evening hang out, but I like her just as much right now. Freshly rested and fed, laughing in the morning sun with the cold nipping our fingertips. She’s exuberant in every circumstance, and it excites me. I haven’t been this stimulated by a person in a long time.

We talk about everything. I tell her about my parents, who live a few towns away and are best friends with Kendall’s parents.

She tells me more about her major and what assignment she’s working on.

There’s a few moments where we stumble over our words in our excitement, and it makes the moment that much more endearing.

“Here I am,” she announces as we step upon the science building. I look at my phone and see that I only have a few minutes to get to my own building, but the detour was worth it.

“Have a good day, angel. Please text me if you need anything.”

She gives me a small smile, nodding her head. “I will.”

I watch her enter the building all the way before I turn to head to class. Just as I turn, I run right into someone who’s blocking the path. Someone who isn’t moving a muscle.

“Hey, Captain,” I hear and internally groan. I look up and see the last person I wanted to. Derek has his arms crossed, his expression bitter but masquerading as unimpressed.

“What’s up, Derek?” I say, already not loving this conversation or that I’m now going to be late for my class.

“Saw you with Stacia,” he utters, short and clipped. A dark chuckle falls from my lips.

“You always seem to be around, lurking in the corner when one of us is talking with her. It’s uncanny.”

Derek may think I’m the reasonable one of my pack. I mean, sure, I keep the others out of trouble, but my pack knows the truth. My beast has always been a savage one.

He scowls at me, unsatisfied with my banter. I try to walk around him, but he steps in front of me again.

“I just think it’s really fucked up. I’m your teammate… and your frat brother, but you still went after my girl. What does that say about you?”

I just shrug. “Nothing I can’t live with, now excuse me.” My shoulder bumps into his slightly as I make my way around him—finally—and begin to walk as he calls out from behind me.

“Why would you want my sloppy seconds, Pearson?”

I stop in my tracks, my feet turning back around of their own accord. I can feel the alpha inside spiking, desperate for me to let him unleash his distaste for this man once and for all.

I rein it in, taking a giant breath before I meet his eyes.

“Let’s get one thing straight. She’s nothing of the sort.

You had a gem and you let her slip through your fingers.

That’s not my fault or my pack’s. This conversation will be very different if you ever decide to speak about her like that again and I fucking mean it.

If you think Kendall’s punch hurt, just wait until you feel one from a prime. ”

He tries to hide his wince behind a snarl. I look at his nose. The splint is gone, but the bruise is still present. I need to give Kendall another thanks for such a glorious memory.

I go to walk away but turn back to meet his cowardly eyes once more with a smug grin on my face. “Oh, also… she’s our scent match. So that’s why we want her, and we always will. Have a good day, Derek.”

I don’t bother to watch his face. I already know it’s fuming, because he’s the type of alpha that can’t stand to not have his way. He lost her, and that’s the bottom line. Now that we know her, know what she is to us, he’ll never have another chance to hurt her again.

Not if my beast has anything to say about it.