Page 15

The air of the coffee shop was suffocatingly thick with Alpha energy, and while I was used to dealing with Samson, having to split my attention between Scott and Samson, both of whom were determined to start a fight, was driving me crazy.

"Please," I said, my hand pressed against Scott's chest, my voice the only thing holding him back. "Scott, please stop."

Scott's body relaxed slightly under my palm, but his eyes still glinted dangerously, and his gaze never left Jayce. "You need to get the hell out of here."

Jayce smirked, "Yeah, you've mentioned that a few times."

Scott growled, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

I put my other hand on his cheek and forced him to look at me. His eyes were dark with anger, his teeth gritted. "Scott," I said softly. "You're not acting like yourself."

He took a shaky breath, and the tension drained slightly from his body. "He shouldn't be here."

He was freaking me out. I'd never seen Scott act like this, and I'd known him for years.

It was like he had zero self-control, which was so unlike him.

And then I realized what it was. It was the bond.

It was making him insane. I didn't want to be scared of him, but this wasn't the same man that I'd always known.

My eyes shot to Samson, who gave me a slight nod. It was rare for him to be the voice of reason, but he clearly had better control of himself than Scott did. Slowly, I stepped to the side as Samson moved closer, so he could grab Scott if he tried to attack again.

"I don't know why the hell you're here," Samson rumbled, "And I don't care. But I can tell you that fucking with this alliance is a bad idea. Scott, Joe, and I have held this land for a long time, and we aren't interested in another pack moving in."

Jayce frowned, looking between Scott and Samson. "I just wanted to have a discussion, but it looks like your friend here isn't house-trained."

Scott snarled. "Fuck you. I'll kick you out of my territory myself—"

Samson's hand clamped down on Scott's shoulder, stopping him. Scott took a deep breath, and I watched as he finally collected himself again. Then, it was like magic as he and Samson dropped whatever animosity was brewing between them and turned on the stranger in the room. The unknown threat.

"You need to leave," Samson said to Jayce. "Now."

Jayce shook his head. "I came here for a reason. To try and be civilized. But it seems you guys aren't interested in that."

"I don't give a fuck why you came," Scott growled. "Leave now, or I'm going to have to remove you."

Jayce's expression hardened, and his hands clenched into fists.

He was strong; I could feel the power radiating off of him, but everyone in the room knew that he wouldn't have a chance against two other Alphas.

"Fine," Jayce said, through gritted teeth.

"I'll leave. But my pack is settled. We aren't leaving.

You're going to have to talk to me eventually.”

Scott's eyes flashed with anger. "We'll see about that."

Jayce spun on his heel and headed for the door. Once he was gone, I let out a breath of relief. Scott looked back at me, his eyes softening as they roved over my face. He stepped closer and took my hand, intertwining our fingers. He looked devastated. "Fuck, Nayeli. I'm sorry."

"It was the bond, wasn't it?" Samson asked, seemingly accepting that I wasn't bothered by Scott being near me. "The bond was making you lose your mind."

Scott nodded, closing his eyes. "It's so fucking hard to control myself around her, especially now that we're bound."

I knew exactly what he meant, because it was just as difficult for me.

But at least I could hide my feelings for him, while he couldn't. It wasn't fair to him at all.

I wished more than anything that I could find a way to break the bond.

He might annoy the hell out of me, but he was a good leader for his pack, and his alliance with Samson's pack helped keep everyone safe.

Plus, the thought of hurting him made me feel sick.

"So, what now?" I asked, glancing between Samson and Scott. "Are you guys going to fight?"

Samson sighed. "I'm going to let it slide, for now. But I will say that I'm not happy about it. This bond is clearly doing some weird shit to you both."

Scott shrugged. "It's not like I can undo it. You know that."

"I know, I know," Samson grumbled. He looked between us. "What about you, Nayeli? What do you think?"

My brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I know what I saw when I walked in. You know what you're doing, right? The bond isn't causing you to...ah..."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, Samson, I'm clear-headed enough to make my own decisions."

"Are you sure about that?" He asked, crossing his arms. "Because it's not too late for me to end this whole thing."

"Samson, please," I sighed. "I know what I'm doing. I can take care of myself. I know you're worried about me, but please try to have a little faith."

He scowled at me, looking away. "Fine. But if he hurts you, I'm going to kick his ass."

"I'm sure you will."

Samson stalked out of the building, but not before stopping in front of Scott. "You better take good fucking care of her. I have eyes everywhere, Scott. Don't forget it."

Scott looked like he might make a smart quip again, but instead he nodded once. “I will take care of her.”

As soon as he was gone, my body relaxed, and I felt like I could breathe again.

Scott's jaw was still tight, his fists clenching and unclenching as if he was trying to burn off the extra frustration. His back was ramrod straight, and the implications of Samson's last words were still echoing in the coffee shop.

"I meant it," he said finally. "I will take care of you."

My heart beat faster at his words, and I knew that the heat in my cheeks would give me away. "You don't have to say that."

His eyes were intense as they looked down at me. "But I do. I have to protect you. I want you to be happy."

I took a shaky breath, trying to find something to say.

He smiled softly, and my uncomfortableness seemed to be the final thing he needed to let go of his rage. It was almost enough to make me laugh. Of course, he'd take comfort from making me flustered. "You don't have to say anything."

I shook my head. "No, I... I just..." My voice trailed off. "Samson is just looking out for me. You don't have to take him all that seriously. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."

"I know that," he said, surprising me. Scott still ran his pack in the male-dominant fashion that Samson was finally moving on from, and it was unexpected that Scott would admit that he knew I could be perfectly independent without him.

"But it's just instinct. You're an Omega whom I'm around day after day.

I want to care for you, even if you end up wanting to slap me most of the time. "

He was trying. It was easier to argue with him than admit how much I was still drawn to him, and we were so close to crossing a line we couldn't take back right before Samson arrived.

But if Scott was going to try to do right by me, even if I was the one to hit him with that horrible spell, I needed to try, too.

"I... appreciate it, Scott. How about you just let me have this job?" I motioned to the store around us, ignoring the coffee beans still scattered across the floor. "I'm going to stop being Samson's assistant, at least for now, and I need something to keep busy."

"I'm going to be here," he pointed out, "A lot, just to help get the place off the ground. If you're looking for a way to get space from me, this might not be the best choice."

"Well..." I considered it, "That might be a good thing. Maybe it'll help me get used to being around you. Maybe...maybe I can eventually grow immune to the side effects of the bond."

His face fell. "Is that what you want? To be immune to me?"

I winced at his question, feeling the guilt gnaw at my insides. "I just want to be free. Free to make my own decisions and do what I want without worrying about what's going on between us."

He took a deep breath, "I understand that. I'm just trying to make it clear that we'll have to spend a lot of time together if you work here, and we'll have to play the part of mates in front of the rest of the staff. Are you sure you're prepared for that?"

No. No, I wasn't prepared. The last thing I wanted was to be around Scott day in and day out, constantly being reminded of what could have been if he hadn't rejected me all those years ago.

It hurt like hell every time I saw him, and now we would be working together?

I should've known that things wouldn't stay calm for long.

"Yes," I said, knowing that there was no other choice.

I couldn't keep relying on Samson forever, and none of us knew how long I'd be staying with Scott.

This job could be the answer to my problems.

His gaze lingered on my face, searching for any sign of doubt or reluctance, but he must not have found anything because he nodded once.

"Okay. We'll figure out your schedule later.

" He paused, looking away from me, a frown pulling at his mouth.

"Listen, stay away from that Jayce guy, okay? I don't trust him."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Are we back on that subject?"

"I'm serious." He raked a hand through his hair, and I didn't miss how his other hand went to his chest, rubbing it. "I just have this fucking feeling—"

Before he could finish, I approached him and wrapped my arms around his waist. He stopped, shocked, as I hugged him.

I knew exactly how he felt, and if he needed my touch to feel normal again, then so be it.

My heart ached at the thought that I might be able to ease some of the effects of the bond, even if only a little bit.

He pulled me closer, burying his face in my hair. "Thank you," he whispered. "I don't think I can stand being away from you right now."

I only meant to give him some comfort, but having our bodies pressed so closely together, just like we'd been before Samson arrived, had me reacting in ways I didn't intend.

A tingle started from my toes working upward as I was filled with an aching desire, and it quickly became a fight with my need to resist sliding my hands up under his shirt again.

My nipples were hard, and my core throbbed. I felt like I couldn't breathe.

He pulled back just enough to look into my eyes.

His gaze was searching, hungry, and I saw the moment it turned to lust. He leaned down, and his lips met mine.

I wanted more than anything to just give in as I did earlier, but the thought of his rejection still stung in the back of my mind.

Samson interrupting us earlier had been a blessing, and it'd have been stupid of me to waste that opportunity.

It took every bit of willpower I had, but I broke the kiss before it could deepen and stumbled back. "I—I have to go. We can talk about my schedule tonight."

"Nayeli—" He stepped forward.

"I'll see you later," I said quickly, backing away and hurrying out the door.

I rushed out of the shop and around the cafe, where he couldn't see me anymore.

Once I was behind the building, I slumped against the wall and buried my face in my hands.

Why did he have to make it so difficult to resist him?

Why couldn't I just hate him like I'd done for so long?

But as much as I tried, I couldn't.