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25
THEO
My head is pounding when I squint my eyes open, rolling over in my bed. Judging from the light spilling in through the crack in the curtains, it’s late in the morning- maybe even early afternoon. I throw the sheets off and heave my body upright, twisting to set my feet on the floor. My hand flies to my temple, the pain of my headache searing with every movement.
I push off of the bed, rise to stand. Take a step and fall backwards onto my bed again, startled by the sharp sting of pain radiating from the bottom of my foot.
What the fuck?
I lean forward, peering down at the floor beside my bed. The lamp that was on my nightstand is lying on its side, surrounded by thin shards of glass from the shattered bulb.
I pick up my foot, raising it to my lap and turning it sideways. A piece of glass is sticking out of the bottom, dark red blood pooling around it. I pick it out, stare at my foot as my s
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Alpha Theo 26
BROOKE It feels good to be home. It’s my safe place, my comfort zone. Even though the complex is technically ‘home’ now, it’s not the same as being back here where I grew up. I’ve always loved Summervale. I haven’t left the house since my dad brought me here on Saturday morning. I think my parents can tell that something’s wrong, but thankfully they’ve given me space and haven’t pried. I’ve been trying to stay busy, cooking with Mom and watching baseball on TV with Dad. Anything to get my mind off of Theo. At night, when I’m alone with my thoughts, I’m tortured by my memories. I keep replaying them over and over in my mind- how it felt to lay beside him and listen to music when we were in Denver, to let go and take that ski-lift ride up the mountain, that kiss… I keep trying push out the good memories, to focus on the bad and turn my pain into anger. I have to make myself hate him, because that’s the only way i
Alpha Theo 27
THEO “You look rough,” Gray mutters, pulling open the door of the packhouse. “I feel worse,” I groan. I scrub a hand over my face, looking past him. “Is she here?” Gray nods solemnly. I don’t even know why I asked. I already know she’s here- I can sense her, feel the pull of the mate bond. I reach up, tugging at my hair, shuffling my feet. “Can I come in?” “I don’t know, man,” Gray grumbles, holding his position in the doorway. “Please?” My voice is hoarse, gravelly. Desperate. Gray heaves a sigh, stepping aside to allow me entry. I stride inside, turning to watch Gray close the door behind me. He spins around, his eyes dark, sullen. “Look, Theo… you really fucked up.” “You think I don’t know that?” I snap. I walk over to the nearest couch, sinking down onto it and lowering my head into my hands. Saying that I fucked up is an understatement
Alpha Theo 28
BROOKE “How can I go back there?” I mumble, staring blankly at the floor. “I don’t think I can do it…” “Stop,” Fallon barks, tossing a pair of leggings at me. I look up right as they’re about to hit me in the face, snatching them out of the air. “You’re way stronger than you give yourself credit for. You’ve got this.” Fallon’s pump-ups usually work, but not even she can drown out my nagging doubts this morning. I appreciate that she’s trying to be supportive, but she has no idea what I’m going through- her experience with the mate bond was frickin’ perfect, a total dream! I’m still reeling from my own. I shimmy the sleep shorts that Fallon let me borrow down my hips, kicking them away. “I don’t want anyone to know, not until I figure out what I’m gonna do,” I grumble, shaking out the leggings and pulling them on. I hold my hands in front of me and Fallon tosses me a t-shirt. I shed the one I sle
Alpha Theo 29
THEO “Wanna trade partners?” Fallon asks, panting as she approaches Gray and me. It’s another hot one out on the practice field for morning training, and we’re about to call it and break for lunch when she walks up. “Sure,” I shrug, looking toward Davis. Fallon has been partnered with him most of the morning and she’s been giving him a run for his money- the guy looks whooped. I start to walk toward him when Fallon speaks again. “Nope, Gray gets Davis,” she says, folding her arms and arching her brow. “You’re mine.” Fuck. This girl just wants an opportunity to kick my ass for what I did to her sister. Not that I blame her, but surely Gray won’t agree… I look to him, and he just smiles, shaking his head. “Good luck,” he teases, clapping me on the shoulder and striding away to join Davis. I watch after him for a moment, then turn back to Fallon. She’s already circling me, getting in position to spar, a de
Alpha Theo 30
BROOKE Maybe I’m a fool, but it’s damn near impossible to stay mad at Theo when he flashes that gorgeous smile and turns on the charm. I swore those things would never work on me, but then again, I also swore that there was no way I’d catch feelings for someone like him- and a few kisses later I’m all gooey and swoony. I’m not sure if it’s the mate bond or his display of raw vulnerability that has my walls tumbling down again, but either way, it feels good to be with him, for him to hold my hand, to laugh and joke and for him to call me ‘kid’. There’s a warm familiarity to it all, like we’re falling back into step with one another. He has me forgetting about the pressure of the mate bond, of the ticking clock to seal it- instead, when I’m with him, I’m at ease, like we can just relax and keep getting to know each other. And then there’s those kisses. Holy crap! I’ve never felt my body come alive like that. My
Alpha Theo 31
THEO “Alright, so if you click this button here… then your view changes to all of the feeds at once. See?” Brooke spins around in her chair, peering up at me. Fuck, she smells incredible. It’s taking every bit of willpower I have to not lean down, kiss those pouty lips of hers. Instead, I stand rigidly, positioned behind her desk chair in the hub, blinking at her monitor. “Uhh… sorry, which button?” I ask, scrubbing a hand over my face. It’s hard to focus when she’s sitting in front of me looking like that, smelling like that. Brooke sighs, her brow furrowing in frustration. She spins back around, placing her hand on her mouse, demonstrating. “This one.” My eyes follow the cursor on the screen as she moves it. We’ve got the new border cameras wired, and Brooke has been spending the afternoon getting the feeds connected and the system up and running. I don’t know anything about this tec
Alpha Theo 32
THEO The squad barracks are quiet by the time I leave my room- it’s already late and most everyone is out at the bar tonight. Apparently Brooke found some ‘bug’ in her program and wanted to fix it, so I’ve been bored as hell sitting in my room waiting for her text to tell me she’s ready to leave. As soon as I received her message, I practically ran for the door. I could’ve found Brooke’s room with my eyes closed given how strong the pull of the mate bond is. I can already scent her from the other side of the door when I lift my hand to knock, shoving my hands in the pockets of my gym shorts and stepping back. I hear her footsteps as she approaches the door, my heart rate increasing. Then she pulls it open, greeting me with a bright smile. “That was fast,” she remarks, settling a hand on her hip. “Did you check the weather forecast this time?” Her words don’t even register because I’m too busy chec
Alpha Theo 33
BROOKE “You ready?” Theo asks, twirling the keys to the Jeep around a finger. My eyes trace up his inked arm to his handsome face. “Yeah!” I chirp, leaning down to grab my duffel. Before I can straighten and toss it on my shoulder, Theo’s taking it from my hands, hauling it onto his shoulder instead. “Thanks,” I breathe, a smile creeping across my lips. It’s little gestures like this that have me believing this thing with Theo really could work out- little ways he shows me that he cares; that he’ll take care of me. My instinct is to show my appreciation by planting a kiss on those delicious lips of his- but I quickly remember where we are and think better of it. I step out of my room into the hallway of the squad dorms, pulling the door closed behind me and locking it. I adjust my backpack on my shoulders as I spin back around to Theo and we start down the hall, out of the complex and to Gray’s Jeep par
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