Chapter 6
JESS
We’ve been driving for thirty minutes.
Thirty. Entire. Minutes.
Gray hasn’t said a single word about where we’re going, which, to be fair, isn’t exactly shocking. He’s not the talkative type -at least, not with me. With me, it’s always clipped commands, sharp glances, and long silences thick enough to suffocate someone less stubborn.
Unfortunately for him, I’m not exactly known for my survival instincts.
I’ve come to terms with the fact that, in Gray’s perfect little Alpha–brain, I’m just another bratty omega who needs to fall in line. The thought alone almost makes me snort. Me? Fall in line? Over my dead body.
I cross my arms, making sure to shift just enough to make it obvious I’m annoyed. Childish? Probably. Satisfying? Absolutely.
“Where are we going, Alpha?” I ask. The word still feels wrong on my tongue – like I’m tasting something bitter – but whether I like it or not, Gray is the next Alpha of this pack. Might as well get used to it.
He barely spared me a glance, but he reached out and adjusted the aircon, angling it directly at me. Well, he always does that. I just noticed now because what the hell? Did Pierce tell him about how I always get car sick?
1 chew on the inside of my cheek, deciding to just be quiet. The road looks familiar. Maybe he’s just going to dump me at his father’s office, deliver the brat personally, like some kind of package marked fragile but annoying.
Fine. Whatever. I can survive that.
“Are you seeing Logan?”
My head snaps toward him.
“What?”
Gray’s jaw flexes. “You didn’t answer the question.”
I blink. Because huh. That’s… new. I force a laugh. Fake as hell. “Didn’t realize you cared about my dating life.”
“I don’t.”
Liar.
“Do you ask all your packmates who they’re screwing, or am I just special?” The second it’s out, I realize my mistake. My breath catches–just for a second–before I force myself to look away, quickly, tou quickly. My hand twitches against my leg before I shove it under my thigh, pinning it down.
“I mean—obviously I meant dating. You know. Like… relationships. Normal, appropriate–”
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Chapter 6
“It was a simple question, Jess.”
Yeah, sure.
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And I’m a simple girl who makes simple choices and doesn’t have the overwhelming urge to start shit just to see what
happens.
I press my nails into my thigh, dragging my fingers slow, feeling the heat prick at my skin. I’ve been asked this question before. Plenty of times. Hell, too many times. I don’t even know why Gray is asking now.
tilt my head, letting the words roll off my tongue, lazy and just a little cruel.
“Logan’s cute.”
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Gray’s hands flex on the wheel. Did I say something wrong? I glance at him, trying to read the sharp cut of his expression, but he doesn’t look at me. He just stares ahead, all tense shoulders and locked jaw, like he’s grinding his teeth into dust.
I frown.
After a few minutes, he licks his lips, slow, like he’s forcing himself to stay in control. And then, finally, he looks at me.
“You like him?”
I do. When I was ten. But I won’t tell him that. Instead, I laugh, quick and sharp, shaking my head. “What, are you jealous?”
It’s a joke but when Gray snorts, it was ugly, mean and dismissive like having that idea is the dumbest thing he’s ever heard in his life.
Ouch.
I huff, crossing my arms, leaning back. “Why are you asking, anyway?”
Gray simply shrugged.” Just curious. You both look so stupid together.”
“What do you mean by that?”
However, he’s back to being mean again and just focus on the road. Sometimes, I wonder what goes inside the head of Alpha Gray Westwood?
It must be dark in there. Pure of evil things.
I scoff, turning toward the window, biting down hard on the inside of my cheek. My reflection stares back at me, narrowed eyes and tight lips, the neon signs from passing buildings flashing across my face.
“You could do better.”
I blink. “Sorry, what?”
Gray just keeps driving, like the conversation is beneath him.
“Logan.” He says it like it’s enough. Like the name itself is the insult. “You could do better.”
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Chapter 6
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My fingers hook around the frayed edge of my sleeve, pulling harder than I mean to, threads catching under my nails. If he weren’t my Alpha, I’d put my fist through that smug face without hesitation. But I can’t. So, I count in my head.
One. Two. Three.
It barely helps.
I open my mouth – ready to spit something back
“I’m going to train you.”
Train me.
–
Gray’s grip on the wheel tightens. “You heard me.”
but he beats me to it.
“No, I wish I didn’t. What the hell does that even mean?”
He exhales through his nose, like this–me, my entire existence–is a problem he has to deal with. His knuckles flex against the wheel, and his jaw–oh my god, his jaw–locks tighter than a damn vault.
“Training. You need it.”
I blink. Then laugh, because what the actual fuck? “Gray, I know you have a superiority complex the size of the entire goddamn pack, but excuse me?”
“You have no control.” His voice is flat, unbothered. “You run your mouth. You act on impulse. You make reckless, stupid choices.”
“Wow.”
I can’t believe he just said that! It’s infuriating.
“I’m serious,” he says, because of course he is. “You’re the weakest among your age.”
I hate him.
“I’ll make you stronger.”
I bark out a laugh. “I’m already strong.”
His fingers drum against the wheel. “Not strong enough.”
“Okay,” I sigh, shutting my eyes for a second because this conversation is starting to piss me off.” Where are you getting at? Why do you hate me that much?”
Very much, actually.
It’s like I piss on his coffee every morning. Well, I might start considering doing that.
“You frustrate me.”
I freeze mid–rant, blink at him. “What?”
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12:39 Wed, 30 Jul Gt.
Chapter 6
Gray exhales through his nose, jaw flexing. “You frustrate me,” he repeats, like he hates admitting it as much as I hate hearing it too.
I frustrate him?
Me? Frustrate Alpha Gray Westwood?
“Uh.” I wet my lips. “uhmm…”
He drums his fingers against the wheel, quick and impatient. “You’re reckless.”
I roll my eyes so hard it almost hurts. “I’m not reckless. You’re reckless.”
Gray lets out a sharp, humorless breath. “I’m controlled.”
I gape at him, so violently offended that I nearly choke on air. “You threw a guy through a fucking wall last week.”
His fingers twitch. “He had it coming.”
“You shattered his ribcage.”
“He got up, didn’t he?”
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Why are we even having this conversation? I still hated Gray but for the record, if he’s serious about he’s offer that might be my chance to have advantage on my training so as much as I hate it, I ask him again.
You’re serious about training me, Alpha?”
“You just call me alpha when you want something from me.”
Oh, come on.
I rolled my eyes. “You’re serious or you’re not?”
Gray shrugged, giving me one quick glance before I saw him almost, almost smiling to himself. “I’m serious, Jess. I’ll train you. I’ll make you strong. I want you to be..” There’s a small silence before he proceed. “I need you to be strong.”
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AD
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