Page 25 of Alpha’s Conquest

Marshall’s hand suddenly landed on my leg, startling me out of my head. He glanced away from the road for a split second to give me a tired smile. “I’m glad you came with me, Case.”

“Yeah,” I said quietly, attempting a responding grin. All I could think of was Adam’s lips on mine, and the way he sucked my skin as I writhed beneath him. I left scratch marks all over his back. My cock surged to life at the memory, and I quickly looked away, gripping my seatbelt until it dug into my fingers. “Glad we got that out of the way.”

I did it. I had sex with the most tempting Alpha I’d ever met. And now it was over. I would continue my life with Marshall, and that would be that. We’d be happy together, living our little life in the city where he healed people, and I painted murals. A safe, content life. That was all I’d ever wanted, and I would not let a sexy, incredible, mind-blowing Alpha ruin that.

The worst part should’ve been the guilt. It’s not that I didn’t feel bad, no. I felt horrible. I betrayed the man I claimed to love. No, the worst part was that I wanted more. Oh, yes. Not only did I not regret it at all, I wanted Adam even more than I did before. The only thing that brought me solace was knowing that one day this would all be a distant memory. A moment of weakness. Nothing more.

Marshall chatted the entire drive, sharing stories from the hospital group chat and making plans for our week once we got home. I heard every word and retained none of it. The pit in my stomach refused to go away.

We arrived in Hanford, the bustling metropolis we called home. By the time we got to our apartment, my stomach was in knots. Marshall immediately started unpacking our bags. You know who unpacks their suitcase as soon as they get home from a trip? Psychopaths. I was more of the ‘leave it on the floor for a week’ variety of human.

With him preoccupied, I went outside and leaned against the railing on our small balcony. The city buzzed around me. Horns honking. People shouting. The faint sound of music, and a breeze that carried a subtle smell of pheromones. Birds in the trees. A hum coming from the air conditioner. It was so loud compared to Oakridge. I always knew the city was noisy, but I’d never really realized it before. After only a few days away, the familiar sounds of home now seemed overwhelming.

Where was Adam now? I had no right to think that. What we had was over. We both had to move on. Would he find comfort with the omega I smelled on him? Who would sate his next rut? Someone else would feel his cock and take his thick knot inside them. My stomach twisted again, and a bitter taste lingered on my tongue.

The sliding door opened, and Marshall joined me on the balcony. He leaned against the railing beside me. “Ahh, I missed this. The noise. It’s so quiet in Oakridge.”

“I didn’t mind.”

He rubbed against my shoulder, a soft, playful grin on his face. “So, how was it?”

How was what? Did he know???

Trying not to gulp, I played it as cool as possible. “The… trip?”

“Yeah, you know. Meeting my family. Was it as bad as you thought it would be?”

Honestly, despite the whole Adam situation, everything had gone smoothly.

“No. But… I mean, we didn’t tell them about me. They don’t know that I can’t have children.”

“I told my Dad. He didn’t even say anything.”

Oh. That explained why he rode me bareback. It wasn’t even a thought in my head at the time. I was too busy moaning to give a shit about condoms. And Adam… he still wanted me, even after knowing I couldn’t get pregnant. He probably only looked past it because it was one night, though. I’d rarely met an Alpha who wasn’t obsessed with the idea of knocking up their omega. I was beginning to think it wasn’t just a kink, more like a need they all had.

“I see.”

“I knew they’d like you.” Marshall’s smile was so warm, like a contented cat.

Raising an eyebrow, I rested my elbow on the railing beside him. “You’re not meeting my parents.”

“I know, I know. I’m not asking for that. I just… I’m happy you felt welcomed.”

Welcomed. Yes. That was a good way to put it. Welcomed right into your dad’s pants.

I could sense something underneath his relaxed grin, some small amount of tension that had lingered for the past month. Despite my momentary weakness, he still mattered to me, and I was determined to pretend like nothing had happened. “What’s this actually about, Marshall?”

“Nothing. There’s no endgame. No plotting. Just a weekend with you and my family. Honestly, I’d been thinking of going back home for a while now, but I wanted you to come with me.”

It sounded fine. But I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling in the back of my head, one that had nothing to do with what happened last night. Brushing it off, I leaned in when he put his arm around me, catching the faintest whiff of his pheromones. His woodsy scent was pleasant, not at all like his father’s.

I had to put this entire weekend behind me.

FIFTEEN

Casey

Casey