She ignores me, opening her book to a dog-eared page. I immediately recognize it as one of Dr. West's.
"Whatchya readin'?"
"None of your business." She sniffs, her eyes never leaving the page.
I can't help myself, I lean over until I'm practically blocking her view of her own book, trying to read the words. I know I'm not really annoying her, because if I was, that knife she just threatened Lars with would be held against me right now.
Should I be worried that it's specifically alphas that she's murdered, and I just so happen to be an alpha?
Eh, probably. But I've always been a "let's just see what happens" kind of guy.
She huffs. "Hayden—"
"Oh hey, I've read this one." I turn my head to look at her, only to realize I'm about three inches away from her face. Her green eyes dance with amusement, even if she's trying not to smile. Suddenly, I want toknow what they would look like, reflecting fire in their depths. Would she become entranced, just like me?
There's a waft of a scent that smells suspiciously like apple pie with a big ol' spoonful of vanilla ice cream on top, and then my eyes are darting down further, where she has the top two buttons of her jumpsuit undone—
A noise that I unfortunately can only describe as a girlish squeal leaves me as a little tiny head pokes its way out of her cleavage, and I scramble backwards, falling flat on my back.
"Jo, you—" I'm about to tell her she has afucking ratin her tits, and the omega startslaughingat me.
She’s laughing so hard that tears stream down her face, and her book lays forgotten on the grass next to her as she clutches her stomach.
I stare, slack-jawed, as the omega laughs at my expense, and the rodent climbs out of her jumpsuit to stand on her leg, propped up on its hind legs. It has a fuckingcollaron.
"Aw, don't be scared, Darlin'," she chuckles, wiping her eyes. "It's just Turnip."
Turnip?
The rat chitters as if in agreement, and I look between the two of them. "How…"
"Oh, damn I needed that," she sighs, wiping the last tear from her eyes. "Turnip isn't some dirty sewer rat. She's a pet or something, and she came to me through the air vent in my room."
I stiffen when Turnip leaves Jo's leg, and comes closer, her whiskers twitching as she sniffs me. I try not to scramble away further as it climbs onto my leg.
"Aw, she likes you," Jo coos, smiling at me as the little vermin climbs onto my shoulder.
Don't freak out.
Don't freak out.
"Great." I give a pained smile as Turnip rubs her furry cheek on mine. It actually feels kind of…nice.
Jo's head tilts. "Huh. Shereallylikes you."
Turnip climbs down my arm, and I summon the courage to hold out my hand to her. She gets on it like we've done this a million times, and I lift it so she's eye level with me.
"Hey there, Turnip." Her whiskers twitch again, and she tilts her head, not unlike Jo did a second ago. Her beady eyes aren'tthatscary, I guess. And sheiskind of cute.
Then I set her down, and she scurries back over to Jo, before disappearing into her pocket.
Even though I'm not afraid of her anymore, my shoulders relax slightly when the rat disappears from view. "Sorry," Jo says with a smile, grabbing her book. "Turnip likes to nap up there when I'm sat down like this."
I frown at her. "I'm the one who came over here, you don't have to apologize for that. Or anything."
"Anything?" She arches a brow at me. "So if you get on my bad side and I stab you, I don't need to apologize?"
"Fireball, if you stab me, I probably deserve it." I cross my legs and lean forward as I wink. "And I'll be doingeverythingI can to stay on your good side."
