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He stops pacing and turns to face me, his steely blue eyes dark and brooding. "What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean," I say. "You're wound up tighter than a drum. You're not going to be any good to her if you're like this."
He sighs, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I've never had this kind of reaction before. It's like I can't control myself, even though she's on suppressants and I'm confident she has a synthetic claiming mark..."
I nod, understandingly. "It's not just about the suppressants and the mark, Nate. You're an alpha, and she's an omega--that's a powerful combination. And let's not forget the fact that she's drop dead gorgeous."
Nate lets out a frustrated growl and plops down in the armchair across from me. "I know, I know. It just feels so unfair. I'm supposed to protect her, but my instincts are telling me to do something else entirely."
"It's not your fault," I say. "We're wired to respond to certain things, and it's not always easy to fight against those instincts. But you have to. Sloane's life depends on it."
He nods, his brow furrowed in concentration. "I understand. I'll do whatever it takes to protect her."
"I know you will," I say, then pause for a moment before continuing. "But if you need help...if you feel like you need a break, I mean--feel free to tap out and let me and Arjun know."
As if on cue, Arjun comes through the front door. I hear the beep of the security system as he puts in the code for it, then he walks in with his hands in his pockets.
"All clear," he says. "
No sign of anything suspicious."
Nate nods, seeming relieved to have another alpha in the room. "Good. Thanks, man."
Arjun nods back and settles in on the other end of the couch, pulling out his phone and scrolling through it. The room is silent for a few moments before Nate stands up, his eyes meeting mine.
"I'm gonna do another sweep, make the rounds through the neighborhood," he says. "Clear my head."
I nod, understandingly. "Take all the time you need."
He disappears toward the front door, and I hear it click shut behind him. Arjun looks up from his phone, his eyes meeting mine.
"You think he's gonna be okay?" he asks, his voice low.
"I hope so," I say. "But we have to be ready to pick up the slack if he can't handle it."
Arjun nods, seeming to understand. "Got it."
"You've worked with the guy before, right?" I ask. "Have you seen anything like this?"
Arjun shakes his head. "Not even close. He's always been tightly controlled--a real measured person. This isn't normal."
"That's becoming very obvious," I mutter. "Do you think she's his mate?"
Arjun snorts. "Do you really believe in that stuff?"
"The human race went through a virus that altered our biology, and now we rut and pack up like animals," I laugh. "Stranger things have happened."
"True enough," he replies. "In that case...maybe? Nate's always been really chill. This isn't the guy I know."
I let out a low whistle. "So, what do we do?"
Arjun shrugs. "We wait. We keep an eye on him and we make sure Sloane stays safe."
I nod in agreement, then glance over at the DVD collection. "You want to watch something?"
Arjun grins. "Sure. Got any action movies?"
I chuckle and start searching through the titles, trying to find something that will keep us entertained for a little while. But as I flip through the options, I can't help but feel uneasy. There's something off about this situation, something that goes beyond just Nate's strange behavior.
