“How many alphas does it take to change a disco ball” sounds like the butt of a bad joke, but the answer is definitely three. After hearing the crashing and cursing when I poked my head out ten minutes ago, it didn’t seem to be going well.
At the sound of the door inching open, I scramble upright, almost spilling crumbs everywhere. “Are you done already?”
“Sorry to disappoint.” Drax’s tone is saturated in bitterness. “I thought everyone was in the nest. I’ll come back later.”
“No! Don’t go!” I can’t keep the desperation out of my voice. He hesitates, one foot already out of the room. “I mean, Delilah made toffee cheesecake, and I can’t eat it all myself.”
Okay, I definitely can, but I still hold out my fork as a peace offering. As his top teeth sink into his bottom lip, I can almost see the cogs in his brain whirring, weighing up his next move.
“I don’t think your new alpha would like that.”
“Who cares what Adler thinks?” I pat the cushion next to me. “I can share my cheesecake with whomever I like.”
A trace of a smile crosses his lips. “I see bonding hasn’t changed your stubbornness.”
“Never,” I vow.
He ogles the delicious slab with toffee sauce and a sprinkling of tiny fudge pieces on top. “I guess one bite wouldn’t hurt.”
I shuffle up to make room for him, instantly comforted by his familiar presence when he takes a seat. Up close, Drax smells… Wow. Last night, I thought he smelled different, but now it hits me in the face, making it impossible to ignore his clean, peachy scent with a hint of sea breeze.
I’m mesmerized as he takes the fork. It looks like a piece of toddler cutlery in his giant hands, but I jerk my focus back to the television. I have an alpha upstairs, I remind myself. An alpha I’m bonded to. I shouldn’t be looking at Drax’s hands and remembering how good they feel on my skin.
“I don’t know what she puts in this that makes it so good…” He groans at the taste, a smear of it covering his upper lip. Before my brain catches up with me, I wipe it off with my thumb. Just grazing his skin causes my body to react involuntarily, the scent of sweet cherries filling the room making my cheeks heat.
Drax’s whole body tenses, as if he can smell it, though he obviously can’t. Betas may be able to catch a hint of a scent, but they can’t smell an omega’s perfume the same way alphas can.
“I should go back to my room,” he says through gritted teeth, yet he doesn’t move.
“No.” I put my hand on his knee, wanting to keep him here, then quickly withdraw it again upon realizing I’ve overstepped. Why am I getting so handsy with him all of a sudden? It’s like I can’t help myself. “I mean, of course you can go. If you want. I just… I could do with some company, that’s all.”
“You have three alphas upstairs who I’m sure would be happy to keep you company.”
“But I don’t know any of them,” I murmur. “Not like I know you. You’re… Well, you feel like home.”
“I guess I can stay a little longer,” he harrumphs. “It’s not like I have any more night shifts.”
“Wait, what?” I frown. “I thought you always did night shifts?”
His forehead wrinkles. “I’ve been suspended.”
“Suspended?” I’m stunned. Drax is someone who always follows the rules. He never even got detention at school, and he has always taken his security job seriously. The whole reason he came to SVU was because the criminal justice program is so entwined with campus security that he’d get practical experience. This is completely out of character.
“What happened?”
“I messed up.” He roughly thrusts the cheesecake plate back into my hands. “I acted on impulse and did something I shouldn’t.”
“It can’t be that bad if Orin is allowing you to stay here,” I point out. “Surely, you can work things out. There’s gotta be some perks of being friends with the boss, right?”
“Orin made the right call.” Despite being the size of a small house, he seems to shrink now as his shoulders drop. “I’m not fit to work right now.”
“What’s going on, Drax?” All I want is for him to open up to me. “And don’t tell me that everything is fine because it definitely isn’t if you’re suspended from work and living with your boss. You didn’t seem like yourself yesterday either.” I cross my arms, ready to stay here all night if necessary. “You can’t hide from me. I know you, remember?”
“It doesn’t matter.” His lips curve downward, gaze flicking over to my neck. “Not anymore anyway.”
“Please, talk to me.” I readjust my hair to make sure it’s covering my bond mark. “Maybe I can help?”
A bitter laugh escapes him. “There’s nothing you can do to help, especially now.”
