That shuts everyone up. No one seems to want to lose the privilege of watching Oren in his rut.
I swallow hard. When he’s stern, I can almost believe he’s Stesha. They have the same complexion and long, wintry hair. His body is as big as Stesha’s. Almost as alluring as Stesha’s.
Oren turns back to me, and his voice and smile are soft. “I would adore taking you in my arms, shy, beautiful Zenevieve. Am I tempting you, little one?”
I feel hot all over. Gods, I can’t possibly do this. My heart belongs to Stesha. “I’m spoken for,” I say hesitantly.
Oren continues speaking in his soft, deep voice. “You don’t sound sure about that. Are you mated?”
“I…”
Sometimes I think Stesha wants me, and he’s close to admitting it to himself, like just before when he pushed meup against the wall and leaned his whole body blissfully into mine. But most of the time, he treats me like his little sister or his daughter, and I should probably stop hoping I’ll ever be anything else to him.
“I suppose I’m not.” To my dismay, tears suddenly gather on my lashes, and my last words are choked up with emotion.
Oren’s brow creases with concern. “Oh, little one, I can’t bear to see you cry. Would you like some company so you can tell me all about it? Nothing would make me happier than spending the rest of my rut with you in my arms.”
The second most beautiful man I’ve ever seen is offering me everything I’ve ever wanted from Stesha, for a few hours at least.
“Well, I…” I start to say through my tears.
Pull yourself together, Zenevieve.
I wipe the wetness from my cheeks, take a calming breath, and meet Oren’s gaze.
He smiles at me. “Listen. I’ll go through that door behind me, and if you want me to kiss away all your sadness, tell the man outside to bring you to me. I’ve got a very big, soft, private bed, and I know I don’t look like it, but I can be very gentle.”
I nibble on my lower lip, gazing into his warm eyes. I believe him. For all his size and muscle, he’s got a kind, relaxed, unhurried manner about him, and gods, his body is beautiful. Having him kiss away all my tears, and kiss me in other places as well, sounds like a little piece of heaven after a heart-wrenching day.
“How does that sound?” he asks me.
I open my mouth to answer.
A cold, sharp voice behind me cuts through the words I was about to say.
“Zen, what the fuck are you doing here?”
15
Stesha
Icould smell Zenevieve’s scent as soon as she entered the ruthouse. I was angry, believing she’d followed me in here, but now that I’ve found her in the exhibition room locked in conversation with another Alpha, I feel like the ground has been ripped out from beneath my feet.
The Alpha behind the cutouts stands up and meets me eye to eye. I know him by sight; he’s a mid-ranked soldier in the City Guard. He’s a little annoyed to see me, but there’s also curiosity in his gaze, and dawning understanding as he looks from Zenevieve to me.
“Is she yours?” the Alpha asks me. “She’s lovely. Apparently she likes Alphas with white hair.”
It takes all my self-control not to pull Zenevieve into my arms and demand to know what this Alpha said to her. What he offered her. What he was coaxing her to do for him.
Zenevieve gets to her feet of her own accord and faces me. She looks pale and wrung out, but defiant as well. “Oren, this is Stesha.”
“I can see you’re in a rut as well,” Oren says to me. “I don’t mind sharing. Do you think you can manage us both, little one?” Oren reaches through one of the cutouts and runs his knuckles down her bare arm.
I see red. I grasp Zenevieve around the waist, haul her over my shoulder, and stalk out of the room. I walk right out of the ruthouse with her and march up the street. I only let her down because she’s kicking and thrashing about so much that I’m afraid I’m going to drop her.
“What the hell were you doing in there?” I snarl as soon as her boots hit the cobbles.
Zenevieve’s cheeks are bright, angry red, and she pushes her black hair out of her face. “What do you think I was doing? I was watching that Alpha in his rut because Iwantedto.”
