Page 74 of Psycho Alphas: Part Two

I lifted my knuckles to her cheek, trying to settle the fury still stirring. She didn’t let me brush her skin, though, catching my finger in her teeth, violet eyes glittering as she looked up at me.

“I leave ononecondition,” she said as she drew back.

It was like she knew she had me in a vice. That she could ask for anything right now and my first instinct would be to say yes.

That was a challenge I wouldn’t lose, though.

It was becoming increasingly obvious that the only thing that stood between Thistle and absolute queen-ship over this pack was self-confidence. I should probably go easy on letting her know that I needed a level head to have any chance of fixing the disaster we were in.

“What’s that?” I asked.

She leaned close, her whisper just for me. “Rogue’s night, your night, now you let me have Bunny.”

I refrained from looking over at him.

A whole fucking night?

But Thistle leaned back with a pout. “That’s fair.”

I scowled. I was running out of ways to stop her, barring chaining her up. Which… would be hot. But possibly counter-productive right now. Plus, if I kept giving her orders I knew she’d break, I would run thin on any real leverage. “Maybe.”

The smile that lit up her face told me how fast her brat filter had translated that word.

She leaned up and pressed her lips to mine before crossing to Rogue and planting a kiss on his cheek, then she squeezed her stuffed bunny tight and hurried out.

I turned back to the other two, trying to contain my flare of annoyance as I saw Ace’s stupid face again.

“She’s fragile,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Is she?” Ace asked. “My weaker half. Always so ready to snap?—”

“Shut your mouth,” I snarled, leaning forward. “You don’t get to break her, then complain she needs fixing.”

She was stronger than Ace had ever needed to be.

She was hurt, not weak.

“Maybe she shouldn’t have been so easy to break,” Ace mused.

I couldn’t help but look at Rogue. He hadn’t said enough. Hadn’t defended her enough.

He was tense, but not as much as me, and he was watching Ace with a more curious gaze than an angry one.

“How about this,” Ace said. “You stop trying to micromanage how I protect my mate, and then maybe you’ll find I won’t wind her up so much.”

I took a breath, jaw still clenched, mind racing. Thistle had a habit of scrambling things up.

I needed to start treating him like I did the Ring.

“Your mansion. If you go, we go with you,” Rogue said. I frowned, sparing a glare for him, but he shrugged. “What’s the worst that happens? We leave Thistle with the Misfits, if he tries to pull anything they can keep her out of the way until he undoes it.”

“Great,” Ace said. “It’s sorted. Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?” I asked.

“If you want me to bail your sorry ass out, Knox,” he said, getting to his feet, “we’ve got to getmoving.”

“What’s your plan?”