herself forward out of the elevator. “Couldn't you have waited two seconds until we got out?”
Alyssa laughed light-heartedly. “You’re just mad that I was right. Admit it, Chase.”
“I never said you weren’t. Why do you think I raced off to do your bidding so fast?” Once free of the elevator he took several steps away from the two women and stood watching, his expression even more troubled.
“I guess she doesn’t need to be tested, now you’ve claimed her,” Alyssa said to Chase.
“I activated her, I didn’t claim her. It still might mean she belongs to someone else.”
“I don’t think it works that way.”
“None of us know how it works. I’m the Alpha. I might need to activate every Mate who hasn’t already been claimed. We don’t know.”
Alyssa appeared ready to disagree but then shrugged.
For a long minute the three of them stood in silence. Anna could see that Chase was becoming more and more restless and irritable, as if he wasn’t comfortable in his own skin.
“If that’s what you think then maybe you need to go back to your office or something. I can take Anna from here,” Alyssa said slowly, as if she was speaking to a deranged madman.
Chase jerked his head up to glare into the singer’s eyes. Whatever he saw there made him immediately back down.
“Whatever,” he said on a defeated sigh. “But keep her away from the others for now. You can’t protect her if... No, I’m not leaving. There are too many Sons on-site at the moment. This is not turning into a free-for-all.”
“I just left Caleb in the IT suite. I’ll start with him. Caleb wants a mate.” Alyssa put her arm through Anna’s and began leading her down the surprisingly well-appointed basement corridor.
Anna wasn’t sure what was happening. She had no idea what was making the aloof, very proper, businessman suddenly behave like a wild thing. If he hadn’t calmed down, she felt sure the cat creature inside him would have returned to his eyes. Her own had felt like only seconds away. Sensing this new, feral essence inside her was already becoming second nature, even if she still had no idea how to control that powerful force.
She heard and felt Chase close on their heels. The urge to turn around and check on him was absurd, and she fought it down. Whatever his problem was, it wasn’t something she could solve with a smile or a comforting hand.
As they entered the dark IT lab Anna saw another version of Chase rising from his chair and moving towards her. This one sported a blue Mohawk and intricate patterns cut into the short hair at the side of his head. Though such a look had never appealed to her, on this man it looked good.
The man came slowly forwards, his nostrils flaring.
“Damn, I really wanted to have someone to heal my paper-cuts,” he said with an exaggerated grimace.
Anna was starting to wonder if her grasp of English was lacking. Since coming down to the basement, nothing that was being said made any sense to her.
She felt Chase relax behind her. Something in that strange statement had appeased him.
“One down, shall we see what some of the others think?” Alyssa said with a smug smile.
“What...?” Anna managed to get out. Her mouth was suddenly so dry she could barely form that word, no less finish the question. What was wrong with her?
Alyssa looked at her sympathetically. “Oh, sorry. You must think we’ve all gone crazy. I know how unsettling all this was for me at first, and I had Colt protecting me. And Connor too. We’re just trying to determine whether Chase has done more than just activate you by biting you. For the other three of us, getting bitten on the shoulder meant we were mated, as much as it meant being activated. We’re just trying to work out if it’s the same for you.”
Alyssa was about to ask a question and then thought better of it. Instead, she turned to Caleb. “Take Chase for a walk for a few minutes, will you? Go scope the common room for more
Alyssa laughed light-heartedly. “You’re just mad that I was right. Admit it, Chase.”
“I never said you weren’t. Why do you think I raced off to do your bidding so fast?” Once free of the elevator he took several steps away from the two women and stood watching, his expression even more troubled.
“I guess she doesn’t need to be tested, now you’ve claimed her,” Alyssa said to Chase.
“I activated her, I didn’t claim her. It still might mean she belongs to someone else.”
“I don’t think it works that way.”
“None of us know how it works. I’m the Alpha. I might need to activate every Mate who hasn’t already been claimed. We don’t know.”
Alyssa appeared ready to disagree but then shrugged.
For a long minute the three of them stood in silence. Anna could see that Chase was becoming more and more restless and irritable, as if he wasn’t comfortable in his own skin.
“If that’s what you think then maybe you need to go back to your office or something. I can take Anna from here,” Alyssa said slowly, as if she was speaking to a deranged madman.
Chase jerked his head up to glare into the singer’s eyes. Whatever he saw there made him immediately back down.
“Whatever,” he said on a defeated sigh. “But keep her away from the others for now. You can’t protect her if... No, I’m not leaving. There are too many Sons on-site at the moment. This is not turning into a free-for-all.”
“I just left Caleb in the IT suite. I’ll start with him. Caleb wants a mate.” Alyssa put her arm through Anna’s and began leading her down the surprisingly well-appointed basement corridor.
Anna wasn’t sure what was happening. She had no idea what was making the aloof, very proper, businessman suddenly behave like a wild thing. If he hadn’t calmed down, she felt sure the cat creature inside him would have returned to his eyes. Her own had felt like only seconds away. Sensing this new, feral essence inside her was already becoming second nature, even if she still had no idea how to control that powerful force.
She heard and felt Chase close on their heels. The urge to turn around and check on him was absurd, and she fought it down. Whatever his problem was, it wasn’t something she could solve with a smile or a comforting hand.
As they entered the dark IT lab Anna saw another version of Chase rising from his chair and moving towards her. This one sported a blue Mohawk and intricate patterns cut into the short hair at the side of his head. Though such a look had never appealed to her, on this man it looked good.
The man came slowly forwards, his nostrils flaring.
“Damn, I really wanted to have someone to heal my paper-cuts,” he said with an exaggerated grimace.
Anna was starting to wonder if her grasp of English was lacking. Since coming down to the basement, nothing that was being said made any sense to her.
She felt Chase relax behind her. Something in that strange statement had appeased him.
“One down, shall we see what some of the others think?” Alyssa said with a smug smile.
“What...?” Anna managed to get out. Her mouth was suddenly so dry she could barely form that word, no less finish the question. What was wrong with her?
Alyssa looked at her sympathetically. “Oh, sorry. You must think we’ve all gone crazy. I know how unsettling all this was for me at first, and I had Colt protecting me. And Connor too. We’re just trying to determine whether Chase has done more than just activate you by biting you. For the other three of us, getting bitten on the shoulder meant we were mated, as much as it meant being activated. We’re just trying to work out if it’s the same for you.”
Alyssa was about to ask a question and then thought better of it. Instead, she turned to Caleb. “Take Chase for a walk for a few minutes, will you? Go scope the common room for more
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