Page 75 of Anarchy Chained: Alpha Thomas

She shrugs, still very nervous about being overheard. “I don’t know yet. But I’d like someone who didn’t grow up with me on the team, if you know what I mean? An objective opinion, if you will. But I have to warn you, Sullivan. They see you as evil incarnate. The Alphas are the most feared project to ever come out of Prodigy school. I’m second-guessing myself a little too. But whatever you are, whoever you are… it’s not what they think. So I’m gonna give us a chance.”

Us. I like the way she just phrased that.

“We could be a great team, remember? Oh, that was Thomas. But it still applies to you and me, right?”

I nod, looking at her face. She’s not pale anymore. Her skin is a soft light brown. Like she comes from a part of the world that has a blue-green ocean and a white-sand beach. I can practically picture her on that beach. Yellow bikini. Her hair all streaked with gold and red from the sun. Laughing. I have no idea what she looks like completely happy. I’d like to see her happy.

“But don’t fuck me over. Please. If you’re here to fuck me over, put me out of my misery first. Do it without me knowing.”

I take her hand, ball it up into a fist, and bump it to mine. “Wondertwins?”

She laughs. “Yeah, sure. But that’s a stupid name. We’ll have to come up with something way cooler.”

I appreciate her for a few moments. Enjoy her. Then whisper, “I’d really like to kiss you right now. And not just because you showed up when it mattered.”

She holds her breath, then glances over her shoulder.

“But I’ll wait,” I say softly. “Just don’t make me wait too long.”

She blushes. Which almost makes up for the predicament I find myself in. “I need to get downstairs,” she says. “Cyan is not happy with me for insisting they get you out of that cell. None of them are. You can rest. Or take a shower. I put clothes in your bathroom. Or come downstairs for dinner, if you feel like it.”

“Sure,” I say, letting go of her hand. “I’m up for all of that.”

I watch her walk away filled with… longing.

A strange feeling, I realize. I’ve never had that before. Not even when I was desperate to be the one in control instead of Thomas. This is something new.

I like it.

Where did you go?