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“So…this has been an interesting day for you, I bet,” she said from outside the stall.
I laughed at her attempt to make a joke, but I was also thinking about what Randy had said back in the conference room. Did Trace actually feel that way about me? I felt my stomach sink at the thought of him being angry like that and thinking so little of me, which was surprising. What was wrong with me? Why did I suddenly care what Trace Everett thought about me?
Because he is our mate and our alpha. We are accountable to him, my wolf reasoned. As serious as her words were, she was also overflowing with excitement with the knowledge that Trace was coming home to us.Do you think he will want to go on a run tonight?Her voice sounded so hopeful.
I shrugged, not wanting to rain on her parade but at the same time guessing that the likelihood of Trace wanting to go on a run was next to zero.
I was washing my hands when Randy walked into the women’s restroom, Gabe in tow rolling his eyes. “See,” he said. “I told you she wasn’t going anywhere.”
“Yeah, yeah. I get it. She’s here.” Randy rolled his shoulders and looked uncomfortable. “Can you give us a minute, Linda?”
The receptionist smiled and gave me a wink before slipping out the door.
“Listen,” Randy started. “The things I said--“
I held up my hand to stop him. “It’s okay, Randy. I know we got off on the wrong foot, and it makes sense for you not to have the best impression of me. For what it’s worth, I didn’t want to hurt your alpha. I just wanted to continue living my life. To me, he was just some random shifter who was weirdly obsessed with me. I know you won’t believe this, but I honestly never wanted to mate with anyone. Ever.”
I took a deep breath, giving him the chance to speak, but he was too busy listening, as was Gabe. “I’m not going to explain my sexual history to you. It’s not any of your business. And if Trace has a problem with my past, he’s probably better suited for someone else anyway.”
I dried my hands on a few paper towels and waited for the men to lead me back to the conference room, but neither of them moved. Instead, Randy began to smile, and he even laughed a little bit.
“Better suited for someone else, huh? No, I’d say you two are just about perfect for each other.”
__________
The energy in the room changed considerably after my little speech. Randy abandoned his post by the door and joined us. We shared a late lunch --or was it dinner?-- of pastries and cold coffee. The beta pulled a flask from his jacket andpoured a little booze into each of our cups. It wasn’t nearly enough to get us drunk, but it almost served as an unspoken warning: we would need the extra ounce of liquid courage when the alpha arrived.
We were chatting, with Randy sharing funny stories about Trace, when Gabe cleared his throat, causing us to shift our attention to him.
“Would our alpha be upset to learn that Ella- er, Mariam- has been staying at my apartment with me?”
The smile dashed off of Randy’s face, and it was replaced with a tired look. He brought his hand to his face and massaged his forehead like he was suddenly suffering from a painful headache. “Yes, Gabe. That’s probably something that would be concerning to him. I had forgotten that those were your living arrangements.”
My cheeks flushed. “Nothing happened,” I rushed to explain. “Gabe has two bedrooms, and I didn’t have a place to stay. That’s the only reason he invited me over.”
“You don’t have to explain things to me, sweetheart. I’m completely rational, and I understand the situation. You might want to ease Trace into that conversation on another day when he has had a chance to sleep. And eat.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, feeling an inexplicable tug of concern.
Randy let out a low whistle. “You really don’t know what you’re in for. Trace has lost at least thirty pounds this month, maybe more, and he only sleeps in half-hour increments, usually in the car. When I tell you he’s on edge, I’m not exaggerating.”
My heart sank to think of him in such a state. I couldn't imagine what his tall frame would look like with thirtypounds missing considering he wasn't overweight to begin with. His body was solid, like a wall, but would he look weaker now? I guess in a few hours, I'd be able to see for myself. Randy scooted his chair back and stood up.
“C’mon. Let’s get your stuff out of Gabe’s place before Trace gets back. We should have enough time to get there and back before he lands.”
We both nodded and followed him out. I pulled my keys from my purse, earning myself a wary look from Randy. “I’m exhausted, Mariam,” he complained. “So help me, if you try to escape in that fucking truck--“
I sighed and tossed the keys to him. “Let’s go,” I answered, taking both his and Gabe’s hand. “I’ll sit in the middle.”
The offer seemed to reassure the beta, and he drove us there in a much better mood. When we entered the apartment, Gabe and I exchanged glances as we walked by the kitchen table. It was hard to believe that only a few hours ago we were sitting there together talking about-
“Hey, do you still have the list of potential mates? You know, the list of single Tumblewild males?” I asked Gabe, full-on deadpan. “You promised we would discuss it tonight.”
Randy blinked, trying to process my words, but Gabe cracked up instantly. He laughed until tears were forming in the corners of his eyes.
“I don’t think I even want to know what you’re talking about, but it’s good that you’re getting this sort of thing out of your system now,” Randy said. “Let’s just get your stuff and get out of here.”
Packing was easy. The only items I had were the thingsfrom Patrick’s house, the Walmart blanket, and the charger for the crappy cellphone I purchased with my first paycheck at the school.The school.Tomorrow was Monday. I was supposed to clock in at the school at seven-thirty sharp. The kindergarteners and teachers were counting on me to be there.
