Page 21 of Alpha’s Conquest

“You can’t talk to me like that.”

“Who says?”

“We can’t.” Those brown eyes flicked down to my lips, a soft moan escaping his throat. “We can’t hurt Marshall.”

He was right, and we both knew it. I just wasn’t sure how much longer I would care.

I released him, slowly taking a few steps back until he was far enough away for my pulse to calm down. “I know. But I can only say no so many times, omega.”

The way he looked at me, desire flushing his cheeks, and his scent so maddeningly thick in the air clouded my judgement and rearranged my brain. I don’t know how I resisted him. Walking away caused me physical pain, and I gripped my fists until it stung my already sore hands.

The temptation hung between us, from his reddened cheeks to my racing pulse. The hazy look of desire in his eyes almost killed me, and I struggled to remember why I had to resist this feeling.

“Casey!” The very reason I had to restrain myself ran into the sunroom, heading straight for my omega. Marshall gently touched Casey’s swollen lip and ran a hand through his hair, almost petting Casey as he checked him.

“I f-fell,” Casey stuttered, his brown eyes darting towards me.

My son’s look of concern made me wonder if I hadn’t taken his fall seriously enough. Casey may have bumped his head. He hit the floor pretty hard. The only thing strong enough to override my desire was fear. What if he was gone before I could even have him?

Feeling bile rise inside my mouth, I stepped forward, hovering beside him as Marshall examined the bump on Casey’s face. That wince wrinkling his delicate features made my stomach twist.

“Woah, that is a wicked busted lip, Casey,” David said from the doorway, balancing a stack of pizza boxes in one hand.

“David, hush,” I told him. Should I say something? Ask questions? They might notice how concerned I was if I did.

Casey all but pushed Marshall away before the exam was over. “I’m fine. I didn’t hit my head.”

“All good,” Marshall pronounced, giving Casey a kiss on the forehead. “Just a bruised lip.”

Thank god.

I melted with relief as Marshall trotted over to help David with the pizza and left me alone with Casey for a few moments. His smile turned into a frown when he looked up at me.

“Stop fussing over me. He’s going to suspect something if you don’t leave me alone.”

“That wasn’t fussing, omega. If you pull this shit again, I’ll show you what fussing looks like.” He rolled his eyes at me. Oh, he deserved to be bent over my knee for that. Just the thought of spanking him almost made me lightheaded. I couldn’t tell if it was his scent, or that sassy attitude of his that made me want him more. “I said I’d say no. I didn’t say I’d leave you alone.”

He actually scowled at me that time and spun to give me a firm retort when my sons returned from the kitchen.

“Alright,” David announced at full volume. “I think it’s time we properly welcomed Casey into the family. I’ve got pizzas, beer, and a table full of board games. Family game night, Pops?”

I knew my son wasn’t trying to ruin my life, but it kind of sounded like he was.

THIRTEEN

Casey

Casey

If this trip had truly been the simple family meeting I’d signed on for, I probably would’ve tried to get out of staying for game night. I had no intention of seeing David or Adam again, so sitting down and playing charades felt like a waste of time.

But this wasn’t the trip I thought it would be. Not even a little. So I didn’t protest when Marshall urged me towards the couches and gently pushed my shoulders to help me sit down. The coffee table already had pizza boxes, paper plates, and a case of beer beside some paper and pencils.

Marshall sat across from me and put two slices of pizza onto a plate, and then he opened a beer before sliding both of them over to me. He really wanted me to like his family. That made everything so much worse. What kind of boyfriend would do this to Marshall? Even if nothing had happened between Adam and me, I wanted it to. He consumed my thoughts, and he wasn’t even in the room.

Adam strolled in, pausing when David took the seat beside Marshall. That left the spot next to me. Those green eyes landed on my face, and his lips pursed in a silent accusation. This wasn’t my idea.

“Teams pick. I got Marshall!” David hooked his arm around his brother’s neck and took a long swig of beer.