Page 34 of Trust No Alpha

“But—something happened.” He was a stranger. I couldn’t trust him. Could I?

“What happened to you, Kris?”

“I’m not going to that school. Or anywhere. That much has happened.”

“You’re an Alpha. You have the right to do whatever you want.”

“Not anymore.”

Thorne frowned. His eyebrows were sleek and dark, like Mathias’s only softer, not as arched. Not as hard. He had a kinder air about him, at least for now. But when he found out about me, what then? He would see me as only an object to be owned, to be controlled, to be bred even if I was infertile. He would turn me in. It was law.

“My father locked me in that room.”

Thorne tilted his head as if trying to read my mind.

“You think I’m some criminal now,” I said

“No.” Thorne kept his voice calm.

“I’m not an Omega so you can’t tell me what to do.” I hadn’t meant for that to come out so strong.

“I never said you were an Omega and I’m not telling you to do anything,” he replied.

“But I need to hide. I need to stay away from my family.”

Very slowly, Thorne stood, his body unfolding like a graceful panther, and took his plate to the sink. I heard the water come on and the brush scrape against his plate.

I stayed seated, my hands fists on top of the table, my head bowed. It was taking all my energy to keep myself together, to keep myself from breaking down right here and now.

“Kris,” Thorne said from behind me. “Do you want more? I have more eggs. And help yourself to the toast. There’s jam.”

I turned and glanced over my shoulder. “I’m fine.”

After Thorne was done doing whatever he was doing in the kitchen, he came back to the dining table with fresh coffee and topped mine off. Then he sat, mug in hand, the light through the glass falling over him like a white aura. Part of the reason I kept looking away from him was because I didn’t want stare. He was magnificent and my cheeks heated at his good looks. Never in my life had I looked at Alphas the way I was looking at him right now. My tutors were old. All the mansion servants seemed cool and unfriendly.

“It would be pretty stupid of you to spend your money on a motel room when I have a perfectly good guest room not in use, don’t you think?”

I jerked my head up to see if he was joking. He didn’t even know me and he was offering me a room?

I shook my head. “No. It’s too close to home.”

“We’re back from the road. No one can see me from the road even when I’m outside working in my garden.”

“But you don’t know me.”

“I know you’re a Vandergale,” he offered.

“Why would you do this?” I didn’t know what to think.

“I may live alone. I may not interact much with others. But I am still a good judge of character. Vandergale or not, there must be a very good reason for what you’re doing.”

Did he have ulterior motives? Was he going to attack me when my back was turned like my own kin? I might have found him attractive, but that didn’t mean I wanted anything to do with him. Or so I told myself.

“But it’s not your problem. Why should you care?”

Thorne leaned back. His hair reflected blue in the winter-light. “Because of the boy in the window.”

“That—that doesn’t make any sense.” But when he spoke, his eyes sparked beautifully.