Page 31 of The Alpha’s Heir

Those skills made it hard not to take in the curves of her body as she walked down the steps. She was pretty in the dress last night, but this outfit looked more her style. It was simple. Not something you’d see on the ladies around Ethica sporting the latest fashion. The knit leggings and button-down flannel shirt hugged her body just right.

I shouldn’t have been looking at her this way, but I was only human. It’d been a while since I’d had time to date, not that any dates had resulted in anything serious, and I hadn’t realized how lonely I must’ve been. It was past time to stop looking at my friend’s bride.

“Good morning, Roman,” she said.

I’d forgotten how nice her voice sounded, and how much better my name felt coming from her lips.

Focus.

Meg smiled up at me. “Are you coming with us today?”

I ignored the hope I imagined I saw in that look, nodding. “I’ll be your escort. We have some rules to go over on the drive.” I motioned for her to get in the vehicle. “Please take a seat.”

Her face fell as she climbed inside, and I resisted the urge to soften my tone.

“We’re ready,” I told Staff Sgt. Marcus over our headpiece. I crawled in after Meg and closed the door, taking the seat across from the two of them.

Justus was on one end of the bench seat, pushing himself into the door it seemed, while Meg reached for the seatbelt furthest away from him.

The day was already off to a great start.

I cleared my throat. “While I understand the council’s desire to take this courtship public at the direction of the goddess Morrigan and appease the rumor mill of Ethica’s citizens, there is still a faction of humans that believe in purist ideologies.”

Meg looked pointedly at Justus and shrugged. “I honestly thought all you humans felt that way. Why else stay trapped here behind the walls?”

My lip quirked, and I had to hide the smile.

Justus snorted.

“Is something funny?” Meg asked.

“If this is a prison, why’d you volunteer to come?” Justus mocked her tone like a petulant child.

“Is it not?” Meg looked between the two of us. “I can’t see anyone willingly staying here, unless maybe they lived in the government houses.”

We were passing the lower section of high-rise developments again, and my eyes about popped out of my head as she spoke so flippantly about our city’s problems.

Justus was ignorant as always. “I wouldn’t expect a mutant like you to understand the importance of preserving the purist bloodline.”

“You’re right,” she quipped. “I can’t begin to understand why you’d want to continue to remain the inferior species. Also, I’m not a mutant despite what your flawed history books teach. Ask the literal gods who made me.”

Justus’s jaw hung slack. “You know you’re speaking treason, right? Roman can arrest you.”

Her big brown eyes searched mine, seeming to read my soul. “Is that so? Are you going to arrest me?”

“No. I’m not going to arrest you.” I dragged my hands over my face. “We have enough threats to worry about today without the fear of you two tearing each other apart. Now, I’m in charge. We’re sticking to the schedule. No detours or unapproved stops. If something happens to me, Staff Sgt. Marcus or one of the undercover cops assigned to our various locations will step in to get you back to the house. You’re not to engage with anyone not on the approved list. And I reserve the right to cut any activity short if I feel your safety is in danger.”

“You don’t need to worry about me,” Meg said. “I can take care of myself. If needed, I can also take care of you.”

“Are mutants bulletproof now?” Justus laughed.

“No, but I heal fast and it’d take a lot to kill me.” Meg shot him a look. “What about you?”

“Is that a threat?” he shouted.

“Enough,” I told them both.

I couldn’t begin to decipher the look Meg gave me, but her expression seemed to cloud over as she relaxed back in her seat.