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“I mean,” he says, glancing at Lexi with a cocky grin, “that’show you throw a punch.”
“That man is unconscious!”
He shrugs. “Yeah, well, I could have been too after you cold-cocked me. Fair’s fair.”
“You startled me!” Lexi hisses. “You came out of the dark like some kind of sexy, haunted raccoon!”
“I take that as a compliment.”
“Youshouldn’t!”
“You said sexy.”
I genuinely have no clue what's going on anymore. Thiscannotbe real.
How am I actively melting into the floor while the alphas look like they’re about to break into a dominance tango, and Lexi and Kai are debating punch etiquette over a body?!
The Beta groans on the ground, dazed and bleeding from the nose.
“Was gonna call someone to report you,” Kai says, this time softer, his eyes finding mine. “You didn’t want that. I saw it.”
Lucian watches, face unreadable at first - cold and regal - but something ugly stirs beneath the surface.
Ash shifts beside him, fists tight.
The energy spikes.
Because every alpha instinct in them is screamingprotect,and they all knowwhat I know:
One call. One report. One file opened in the OMB system.
And I’m gone.
But Kai Reed - chaotic, stupidly hot Kai Reed - just punched bureaucracy in the face for me.
For a heartbeat, everything holds.
Then Lucian moves.
He stalks a step closer to Kai, voice low andlethal.
“You’re in my way,” he says, the words low and sharpened to a knife’s edge.
Kai doesn’t flinch. Just lifts one lazy brow and flashes a grin that could probably get him arrested for public menace.
“Relax, Vale. I was helping.”
Lucian’s eyes narrow. “You touched my Omega.”
“Okay,wow. Possessive much?" Lexi chirps up from beside me. “Did she sign a lease I didn’t see?”
Kai’s smirk twitches, but only for a second.
Lucian steps forward again, voice dropping like a guillotine.
“You laid a hand on what’s mine,” he repeats, quiet and cold. “You’re lucky I don’t tear your fucking throat out.”
Kai sighs, like he’s deeply inconvenienced by the conversation not being about him anymore.
