Page 19 of Alpha Brock
“She’s good,” he replies simply. Reid turns to me, his eyes sympathetic.
I try not to ask him about Annalise often. It was awkward enough when she joined his pack after she left me for her fated mate- a guy from Stillwater named Wes. I’ve only seen her a few times since then, and each time it has taken me by surprise how much she still affects me; how fucking painful it still is to come face to face with what I lost. You’d think my heart would’ve healed by now, but apparently there’s just a gaping fucking wound where it once was. Because she tore it out and stomped all over it.
“Ah, I should probably get going then,” I grumble.
He gives me a little nod. “Whatever you wanna do. Like I said, I just wanted to give you the heads up.”
“Yeah, I appreciate it.” I blow out a breath, pushing off of the wall.
“Hey,” Reid nudges me. “Didn’t you have something you wanted to discuss?”
Fuck. My text message. Because when Astrid said that Reid was picking her up this morning, I didn’t like it. I needed an excuse to take her here myself and keep an eye on her, so I told Reid that I wanted to talk to him about something. Only I didn’t say what, and now I’ve gotta think fast on my feet.
“Yeah…” I bring an arm up behind my head and rub the back of my neck, contemplating. “I, uh, wanted to ask how you were organizing the pairings between the Denver evacuees and your pack,” I lie. “Thought it’d be helpful to see how it worked out here before it’s my turn.”
Reid shrugs nonchalantly. “I just asked how many each had room to take in and matched them up that way. My beta did some of the legwork on that, you could probably pass it to Jared.”
I nod. “Thanks, I might do that,” I murmur.
Reid arches a brow. “Was that all?”
“Yeah. Think I’m gonna get started on it today.”
He nods. “Sure. Let me know if you have any questions along the way, I’m happy to help out.”
“Will do.” I force a wry smile, clapping Reid on the shoulder. “You wanna let me know when to come back for Astrid, or…”
“Nah, I’ll just give her a lift.”
My wolf claws at the inside of my chest, fighting against me again.
“Ah, are you sure?” I ask, glancing over at Astrid for the hundredth time. This time, though, she flickers her gaze my way and we lock eyes.
“Yeah, of course,” Reid says, and my attention snaps back to him.
“Alright, sure. Yeah. I’ll see ya, then,” I mutter, turning to head for the door. I reach into my pocket and pull out the keys to the Escalade, turning them over in my hand. Fighting the urge to look back.
Part of me is reluctant to leave Astrid here- especially knowing that Reid’s interested- but my sense of self-preservation prevails above all else. The fight with the shadow pack is coming, and already my head isn’t where it should be. Seeing Annalise would make matters worse, and I can’t afford to lose my shit right now.
I’ve gotta walk away. Get my head on straight. And keep it together.
CHAPTER TEN
Astrid
I’m sinking a spoon into a container of yogurt when I feel it- the full-body tingles that have started hitting me more and more frequently when Brock’s around. I’ve never had my intuition be so persistent about a feeling before, like it won’t give up until I’m able to work out what it means. I usually pick up my ‘intuitive’ feelings about people when I touch them or when I’m right in front of them, and they don’t typically repeat whenever I’m in their proximity. With Brock though, it’s like the rules have suddenly changed- I don’t know what to expect from my intuition anymore, and it’s making me wonder whether my gift has gone haywire.
I spin around, peering through the dark toward the staircase. I still have the refrigerator door propped open with my hip, and it’s giving off enough soft light to cut through the darkness and illuminate the outline of a figure at the bottom of the stairs- a tall, broad-shouldered silhouette that I could recognize anywhere.
Brock strides forward, and with every step he comes into clearer view. He’s got a pair of grey sweatpants on over his boxers tonight, riding low on his hips. He’s shirtless, shadows dancing over the dips and curves of his muscular chest and abdomen as he makes his way closer to me. His long hair hangs loose around his face, brushing the tops of his shoulders with each step. And when he’s close enough that I can see his intense green eyes in the refrigerator light-phew, my heart skips a beat.
I bring the spoon I’m holding to my lips, licking strawberry yogurt off of the tip as I sidestep away from the refrigerator and lean back against the counter. “We’ve got to stop meeting this way,” I tease, a smirk tugging at my lips.
“Don’t you ever sleep?” Brock fires back as he rounds the kitchen island, his voice gravelly. His gaze trails over my form, lingering on my bare legs. I probably should’ve thought to throw on a pair or shorts or something- this is the second time he’s caught me in my underwear.
“I was hungry,” I shrug, dipping my spoon into the yogurt and bringing it back to my mouth.
Brock sighs sleepily, leaning a hip against the kitchen island and folding his arms over his chest, watching me. “Is this yourthingor something? Raiding the fridge in the middle of the night?”