Page 16 of Gold Rush
But I can also feel the hum between us, the curiosity and the pull he has for her.
I don’t know why I did it — but the moment the elevator started moving again, I felt like Ihadto protect them both in case something happened. Seth always makes fun of myself, Theo, and Arin for pullingalpha bullshit, but it’s instinctual, primal.
I never expected to see her again. I never thought the elevator was anything more than a fluke, the sweet smell of honey and tea lingering inside it from some omega who’d come and gone.
But I’ve smelled it multiple times here andnow. The strongest was when Seth made June laugh in the back of the car. I had to hold my breath because it coated the inside of my mouth and crawled under my skin, seeping into my bones.
I shouldn’twantsomeone this much. Seth and I have been happy for years, but watching the two of them laugh and talk, like they’re old friends, feelsright. The feeling that this is meant to be, that all roads led to here, hums in my chest, seamlessly filling a spot that I didn’t even know was empty.
Theo’s home, but the fucking asshole hasn’t even been out once since we all walked in. I caught a whiff of his scent near the guest room before I knocked on her door, but I can’t figure out why it was there. Arin’s taken care of too — I left a message for him and he immediately sent a surly text back that he’ll be home from Paris no later than tomorrow night.
June covers her mouth, yawning as she shifts, holding her plate in the air with a tired smile. Seth grabs it, his voice softer. “You’re probably exhausted.”
“M’fine,” she slurs her words, blinking at him slowly, her expression tender.
Whatever it is about Seth — it makes her softer around the edges. I get it. He’s the kind of person who could make friends with a brick wall. He lures you in, offering his heart and soul from the first moment, and hemeansit. There’s no ulterior motives with Seth, he justisand it makes him easy to love.
“I’ll put it up.” I jump, grabbing both of their leftovers.
Seth casts me a look, grinning as June adjusts on the couch. I turn, but it’s not fast enough, and I catch a whiff of her hair, herperfume, clouding the close space and making my brain fog. I can taste the honey on my tongue as I ram my shin into the coffee table and full-on flee to the kitchen.
It barely takes a minute before Seth follows, shaking his head as he wraps his arms around me from the side. I groan softly, turning my head and tilting it down. He’s only an inch or two shorter than my five-ten, and it makes him the perfect height for me to bury my nose in his throat, inhaling deeply just to smell his fudge-coated perfume mixed withhers.
“I’ve never —” I bite out the words, my throat working to verbalize them.
“I know.” Seth kisses my jaw, his hand resting on my breastbone. “She’s tired, I think she’s still trying to adjust tothe fact she can sleep in an actual bed tonight, instead of being shuffled around like fucking cattle.”
Anger radiates from him and I press my lips against his temple in response, my voice soft. “Take care of her.” That surprises us both, and I pull back, looking down at him. “It seems like she trusts you, and I don’t want to overstep…” There’s no telling what other interactions she’s had with alphas through the years. Some of the worst men think being an alpha means they’ve been given a free pass and the power to do whatever they’d like.
Seth cups my face, his voice serious. “You won’t. Arin won’t. Theo… might.” His eyes narrow, but then he shrugs. “But he’s a dick on a good day. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
Oh to be as blasé as Seth about the future.
“Yeah.” I swallow, glancing at the doorway to the living room. “I never expected… I mean it’s the smell and…” My words catch. We’ve been together for almost five years, and before that we knew each other in college. Heknowsme, as much as I know him — but this is such an unknown I feel like I’m reeling to keep my head on my shoulders.
“Are you having a crisis over this?” His eyes twinkle, teasing.
A crisis? No. A realization? Yes.
“No, just realizing some things.”
Seth tilts his head, frowning softly. “About…?”
“Not aboutus.” The growl slips out as I cup the back of his neck, holding him as I force his head up to look at me. “I thought you wereitfor me.” I feel my brows pinch as I try to find the right words. Every prior relationship in my life has been initiated by the other party, from school-age crushes and dates, to Seth — I don’t normally see the signs myself until the other person is too tired of waiting for my oblivious ass to catch up.
But withher—
Seth leans up and brushes his lips against mine. “Oh, babe.” He pulls back. “You and I both know that things can change in an instant.”
They can. They have — like the night we went out for a business dinner and I ended up with a lapful of the beta in front of me, his hands on my head as he kissed me senseless to make sure I knew what I’d been missing.
I exhale softly. “Yeah.”
“Ride the wave.” He pecks me again, then pulls back, untangling himself as he nods toward the doorway. “I’m going to go convince her to take a nap, atleast. I’m worried she’s going to pass out sitting up.” He takes a step back, then flashes me a smile. “One day at a time — one hour, one minute, one second, even.”
My heart tugs, reaching out to his via our bond. The strand between the two of us is as strong as it’s ever been, a hum that echoes with love and understanding. I shake my head. “Go.” After a moment, I hesitate. “If she…”
“If she needs anything, I’ll let you know,alpha.” He grins —tease— and then he’s gone, leaving me reeling while I try to figure out if I can have my cake and eat it too.
