Page 97 of Psycho Alphas: Part Two

He was seated on the stone of the broad balcony, forearms resting on his knees, head leaning back against the thick railing. His eyes were closed, and I took a long time admiring how pretty he was, all serene like that.

Finally, he sighed, one eye cracking open to peer at me.

“Can’t sleep neither?” I asked, crossing over and kneeling in front of him, the cool stone saturating my skin instantly.

“Youcan’t sleep,” he replied, still not fully opening his eyes.

I frowned, mulling that over.

“I’mkeeping you up?”

Was I that agitated in the bond? I’d tried to close it off, and Rogue had passed out quickly. Maybe Ace was bad at managing it.

Ace just sighed. “Why aren’t you asleep?”

I wrinkled my nose, considering if I wanted to tell him, or if he’d get all high and mighty about it. “Did you see the nest I made here?” I asked instead.

“Yes.”

“And…?” He’d never admit it, but he used to check on my nest. I was always supposed to be there when he came so he could tell if I was lying about what I liked and didn’t like. He’d doanythingso I didn’t want to leave the damn place and bother him more.

It’s probably why I hated it so much no matter what he got for me.

He sighed. “Your Alphas have no idea what they’re doing.”

I let out a shrill sound, but it was muffled as Ace’s hand clamped over my mouth. “I will be sick if I have to listen to you defend them one more time.”

“You uh…” I pried his hand away. “Could come back in with me? Set it all straight.” My Alpha had more instincts scoring his veins than he had blood—and he would never admit it, but that meant hisOmega-tingle, too. He’d sense if there was evenonemisbehaving toy in my nest, and would set them straight. Sometimes I would make it wrong on purpose, desperate to know he cared. He’d get more and more tense, battling down growls, until no plushie in the room had a singletoeout of line. Well. That’s how I remembered it, anyway.

He rolled his eyes. “Why can’t you sleep?”

Fine. If hemustknow. “Cuz one of my Alphas won’t sleep in there.”

I watched the corner of his lip curl slightly and he reached out, his fingers closing around my chin. “I won’t participate in a pack I didn’t choose.”

I scowled.

Rogue and Knox were a million times better than those losers he’d packed up with before. It had been a territory decision for his dumb gang, and nothing to do with the kind of Alphas they were.

He’d already been interested in Rogue, and if I hadn’t picked him first he would have liked Knox. He was just like a summer beach version of Ace, anyway.

Ace was being stupid.

“I participated in your stupid pack even though I didn’t get to choose them.”

The world believed Ace and his pack were all my scent matches. It was a lie that would keep me safe. People couldn’t know we were soul matched—or they couldn’t before.

Now that was all going to change.

But I hated them both. Colt Bishop and Rex Sterling would return for my heat, and I’d tolerated them because Ace had chosen them. Plus, he’d stay and watch at least, even if he refused to participate most of the time.

Until one day, he hadn’t shown up.

I’d grabbed a pen and jammed it into Colt’s arm when he’d tried to touch me. He’d almost lost it, but I think he knew Ace would cut his hand off if he hurt me, so instead, he’d just stormed out.

Rex had never come in after that.

I burned with agony I didn’t have the space to regret. How much time had passed since my heat began?