Page 42 of Alpha’s Conquest

Maybe I want you to.

Casey

Are you free this afternoon?

Adam

I have nothing but time for you.

I saw a plant nursery on my way home from work. I thought you might want to see it.

I am so excited right now, I think I might die.

Please don’t.

I’m coming to get you.

Casey

I miss you so much.

Adam

We’ll see each other tonight.

It’s not soon enough.

I need you.

I want you.

I’m right here.

TWENTY-THREE

Casey

Casey

My phone buzzed on the table at breakfast. Marshall was too engrossed in an article on his tablet to notice.

I should end things with him. It crossed my mind every day. Marshall deserved better. He was kind and handsome. The kind of Alpha you built a life with. Adam was like… touching fire. It was a craving we couldn’t seem to sate even after weeks of being together. But even with the guilt and shame over my own actions, I knew ruining Marshall’s life over something like this would be wrong.

I stared at my bowl of cereal, pushing the colored loops around in the milk. A sour taste lingered on my tongue, and I wasn’t sure if it was the food. This was about Marshall… right?

“You good?”

I glanced at Marshall for a second, my eyes lingering on his blue scrubs. “I’m fine.”

“You’re tense. You’ve been that way since last night.” Right. Last night when he tried to have sex with me and I just… couldn’t do it. I already felt horrible for rejecting him, and now he had to bring it up again.

“Miranda’s been up my ass about this mural. We’re a week behind schedule.” It wasn’t a complete lie. We were behind schedule, and Miranda had been pushy about it.

Marshall looked away, accepting my answer as he checked his phone. “Damn. My dad is asking about our schedule. I thought he’d be back home by now, but he’s still here. He’s never taken a vacation in his life and now he’s suddenly staying in the city for weeks.”

My blood ran cold, and I almost didn’t say anything for fear of revealing everything. “Maybe he just wants a change of pace.”

Snorting, Marshall gathered his dishes. “I doubt it. I have a surgery at nine. Text me if you need anything, okay?”