ALEXANDER
âSpill it.â
âW-what?â
Alexander glanced at Maya, his head tilted.
Did she really think he wouldnât notice that she was itching to talk?
He could see it in the way she shifted her weight from her heels to her toes, the way her finger tapped as she read the recipe.
She was holding something back and it was eating her up inside.
She sighed, giving in to his gaze, and let out a breath. âI was thinkingâI was thinking about what Olivia said earlier.â
He had caught part of the conversation, but some of it had slipped past him.
âGo on.â
Maya shrugged. âSheâit sounded so old-fashioned, you know? Iâm not saying Iâd go out of my way to befriend an unknown bitten werewolf but itâs not like Iâd go out of my way to bully one either.
âTo think that weâd hurt someone based on that aloneâ¦â She swallowed, her throat bobbing. âI didnât think packs held on to that mentality.â
âMost of them donât,â he replied quickly. He had more experience with outsiders than she did.
He was well-versed in the ways of his pack, and from what he understood, most packs functioned similarly. âSome are still stuck in the pastâ¦â
âThose same jerks who treat omegas like theyâre property?â
The moment the words slipped out, her cheeks flushed a fiery red to match her hair. âShit! Iâm sorry. I forgot sheâs yourââ
âItâs okay,â he interrupted.
He was aware that Olivia was in the main living room with the kids, but he didnât want that term tossed around. Just in case she overheard.
âDamn. She really doesnât know?â
He shook his head in response.
âDo you think heâs intentionally keeping things from her⦠Do you think heâs lying orâ¦just talking out of his ass?â Mayaâs green eyes blazed with anger; she was always one to speak her mind.
âIâm not sure. She seems to believe he wouldnât lie to her.â Sheâd trusted him enough to sleep with him. Naturally, she couldnât conceive the idea that heâd deceive her.
âYouâve met him?â
âIâve seen him.â
âAnd?â
âI donât trust him.â
He could be mistaken.
There was a chance that whatever nonsense heâd been spouting was the truthâat least his version of it. It seemed unlikely. It was too much. However, it wouldnât do him any good to start badmouthing him.
Heâd tried that approach and it didnât help his case with Olivia.
âThatâs crazy. I havenâtâI havenât met my mate yet, but I know what itâs supposed to feel like, and sheâs met you and sheâs clueless?â She sighed.
âCan I call you a poor sap now?â she joked.
He shot her a brief glare before shaking his head. âThereâs nothing I can do.â
Telling her wouldnât help. He couldnât force it on her. She had to come to the realization on her own.
She was already on the verge of fleeing at the sight of him.
What would she do if he told her they were meant to be together? That would only frighten her away. His fist clenched involuntarily, his knuckles popping under the strain.
âDoes sheâ¦communicate with her wolf? Does she know she has one? Maybe thatâs the issueâ¦â
He found it hard to believe that she wouldnât know about it. Regardless of how much she despised that part of her, it must have surfaced at least once.
Particularly during the full moons or her heats. Instincts took over then. She wouldnât be making all the decisions on her own. Did she comprehend what her wolf symbolized? He doubted it.
âPerhaps not.â
âMaybe we should tell her, maybe we couldââ
âMaya,â he cautioned.
âRight, too soon. Sorry.â She pouted briefly. âIâm just, uh, upset for you, thatâs all. Sheâs yours and you canâtâI was looking forward to meeting her. We havenât had the chance to meet her yetâandâ~sorry~.â
He didnât want to overwhelm her. Wolves were sociable with their own kind. She was a loner and didnât trust them. He didnât want her to feel cornered.
Theyâd all get excited, and it might frighten her. One wrong move and sheâd take off.
He knew his pack wanted to include her, to have her around, but it had to be her choice. If they imposed it on her, it wouldnât mean anything.
He could bring her to the house, he could confine her with them, but he couldnât make her like them. It had to be her decision.
Alexander could lead her to water, but he couldnât make her drink.
And it was driving him mad.
As an alpha, he always had his way. Heâd command, and it would be done. Yes, he protected his own, he cherished his pack, but at the end of the day, if he put his foot down, it was law.
He couldnât do that with her.
Heâd tried. It slipped out more often than not. But he didnât want her here because he had ordered it. He didnât want to misuse that power. She wasnât just anyone. She was meant to be his mate.
He didnât want to force her into a bond. He wanted it to be genuine.
Except, it was becoming more difficult each day. Heâd had a second taste of her today.
How long could he keep his distance?