“He doesn’t want me for himself, though. So why do all this?”
“Because, whether you believe it or not, you do matter to him. Not in the way you matter to me, no. But you’re … significant to him in some sense. He believes he has a rightful place in your life. He doesn’t want to take it, but he doesn’t want anyone else to take it, because then they’d be replacing him. It’s all about how he feels and what he wants.”
Alex gently tugged her hand, pulling her onto her knees. “Come here.” Gripping her hips, he slid her toward him and curled his arms around her. His beast would have rubbed up against her, hoping to soothe her, if he wasn’t too exponentially pissed to do anything but snarl and lash out with his claws. “This shook you up, didn’t it?”
She rested her forehead against his. “I’m not shocked that he’s alive. I just … It was nice to have room for doubts; to be able to tell myself that he could be dead. I can’t do that anymore. And I’m scared of what he’ll do to you.”
Alex rubbed her back. “Don’t let him rattle you. He wants you to be afraid, because he thinks it will make it easier for him to manipulate and control you.”
Bree lifted her head and rubbed her chest to ease the ache there. “I know. And I know you’re stronger and bigger than him. Just like I know you could take down a pallas cat easy. But he won’t come at you fairly, Alex. He’s a guy who’ll come at you from behind or—”
“Hear me, Bree, he’s not going to kill me. He won’t come at me straight away. He’ll want you to be the one to get rid of me; he’ll want that control over you. It won’t be until he realizes you’re not going to dance to his tune that he acts. I don’t care that he’s gunning for me. I want him to come at me. I want to get my hands on the little shit. When I do, I’ll rip him apart limb from fucking limb. He’ll be gone from your life, and you’ll know for sure he’s dead. You’ll never have to worry about him ever again. Doesn’t that sound good?”
“Aside for the part where he comes at you, yeah, it sounds good.” No one would be going after Alex at all if she wasn’t part of his life. Guilt pricked at her and her cat. Neither of them wanted him to have to deal with this crap—he should be able to leave his apartment without worrying about watching his back.
“I hate that I’ve brought this mess to your life,” she said. “I hate that you were pumped with six bullets. Hate that you had to deal with Bernadette, Ruben, and Moira causing a scene in Pot of Gold. Hate that you’ll have to watch your back because some twisted asshole thinks he can fuck with our lives. Sometimes, I wonder if you’ll decide I’m not worth all this drama and just walk away. I know how much you loathe drama.”
He frowned. “Why would I walk away from something I need? Seriously, you worry about the stupidest shit.” He caught her face with his hands. “None of what is happening is on you. None of it. You didn’t fire that gun. You didn’t ask the Cages to cause that scene. You didn’t sic Paxton on me. Do I loathe drama? Yeah. In a big way. But when a man finds a woman who means everything to him, he’ll wade through any amount of shit for her. Got it?”
It killed Bree when he said stuff like that. He always spoke so matter-of-factly. Like he hadn’t just squeezed her heart with his words. She swallowed. “Got it.”
“Good. Now stop being dumb—it’s pissing me off.”
She could only snort.
He grabbed her hand, stood upright, and then pulled her to her feet. “Come on, we need to update Vinnie.”
He kept possession of her hand as they left his complex and walked down the street to the antique store. She’d bet that anyone who saw the spectacle would be surprised. Alex wasn’t exactly a “let’s hold hands” guy.
After saying a quick hello to Ingrid—well, Bree said hello; Alex just gave his grandmother an awkward hug—they headed to the upstairs apartment. Sitting opposite their Alpha at the kitchen table, they brought him and his eldest sons up to speed.
Luke cursed and dumped his empty coffee mug in the sink. “I wanted so badly for the piece of shit to be dead. I guess there’s no such luck.”
Vinnie sank deeper into his chair. “If what he said is true, he’s never really left your life, Bree. He hasn’t made himself a part of it, true, but he’s certainly hung on the periphery of it.”
“I don’t think he’d have surfaced at all if you hadn’t renounced your claim on him,” Tate said, leaning against the doorjamb. “And I strongly doubt he’d have called you if you weren’t partially imprinted on Alex.”
“It wouldn’t have mattered who you imprinted on,” said Vinnie. “Paxton would have insisted on you getting rid of them. He probably intends to drop off the radar after he has what he wants. Of course, we know he won’t get what he wants—there’s no way you’d leave Alex. But Paxton doesn’t know that yet. He’ll think he can scare you into doing his bidding.”
“Well, he’s wrong,” said Bree.
Luke scraped his hand over his jaw. “For him to know so much about what’s going on in our pride, he’s definitely watching you very closely, Bree.”
“From a goddamn tree.” She fisted her hands. “And that’s just creepy.”
Vinnie’s gaze sliced to Alex. “He’ll try to get to you for sure. Be careful.”
Alex raised his chin slightly. “I’ll be ready. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“It would be a mistake to underestimate him,” the Alpha warned.
“I won’t,” said Alex. “But he’ll overestimate himself. Paxton always thought he was so much stronger, tougher, and smarter than he was. It won’t occur to him that he might fail to kill me. I’m counting on that. Because I intend to give him the beating of his fucking life.”
“And then you’ll kill him?” asked Vinnie.
“Then I’ll kill him. And I’ll damn well enjoy it.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Having read the text message on the screen, Bree let out a quiet groan and then tossed the cell on the kitchen table.
“Problem?” asked Alex, eating a second stack of Pop Tarts—food she hadn’t even known he stocked until now, despite rummaging through the “breakfast cupboard” many times. James was right; wolverines could pluck stuff out of the kitchen like magic.
“I’ve got a meeting with the other omegas after work.” Sighing, she picked up her half-full cup of coffee. “Such fun.”
“I’ll walk you to the daycare center and hang outside until you’re done.”
Bree’s insides rolled at the thought of him standing out in the open like that, exposed and vulnerable to attack. Her stomach had been in knots since she heard Paxton’s voice two days ago, and it didn’t show any signs of unknotting. The entire pride was on the lookout for him, conscious that he could be disguising his looks somehow. But knowing everyone was on the ball didn’t ease her anxiety. Each time she and Alex left the apartment building, her heartbeat kicked up and her breathing accelerated.