Page 44 of Alpha Awakened

“Thanks, Iceman.”

Ice tilted his head to the side. “We’re using nicknames now?”

“Yep. I figure after snuggling in a paper supply closet we’re close enough for ‘em.”

Ice snorted a laugh. They hadn’t snuggled. But it was cool of Hazard to make light of what had happened in order to keep it from getting weird. Or maybe he didn’t even realize where Ice’s thoughts had gone. “Then I guess nicknames are fine. Squirt.”

Hazard’s eyes widened. “Absolutely not! Think of something else because I am not going to have people hear you calling meSquirt.”

“Why not? You’re the smallest one on the team.”

Jax grinned. “Look at you two. And to think that you didn’t want a partner, Ice.”

His outrage over the nickname apparently forgotten, Hazard looked up at Ice with a playful pout on his lips and humor gleaming in his eyes. “You didn’t want me, Captain?”

I want you.

The illicit thought sprang into his head. Unbidden but fully formed. He wanted Hazard. Wanted him physically. Wanted to touch and kiss and —.

Damnit.

He was saved from having to answer by the arrival of their transport vehicle.

“Be quiet and get in the truck.” He opened the back passenger side door and gave Hazard a little push to get him moving. He waited until the corporal was settled in his seat before he said, “Squirt.” Ice closed the door before Hazard could respond. He walked away to get in on the other side, chuckling at the outraged expression on the corporal’s face.

Chapter 16

Hazard lay flat on his back in his bed, thinking about that moment in the closet with the captain. Ice had stared at his lips. Usually, someone stared at another person’s lips when they were thinking about kissing them. Which meant Hazard had no choice but to assume that Ice had thought about kissinghim.

A light, shivery sensation danced low in his belly. He tugged his shirt up and put a hand on the spot, lightly trailing his fingers over the warm skin. Ice wanted to kiss him. What was he supposed to do with that information? Especially when he considered that his own attraction to his captain wasn’t fading. It was growing. And now he knew that Ice was attracted to him too.

He raised his hand from his stomach and roughly rubbed it over his face. Damnit, he didn’t need to know that. Handling his attraction to Ice was one thing. But handling it while knowing Ice wanted him in return was another thing entirely. Or maybe Ice didn’t truly want him. Maybe he’d simply been reacting to being enclosed in a tight space with a warm omega body. Hazard frowned. That wasn’t a great thought.

A knock came at his door, interrupting his mental crisis.

He sat up, making sure his shirt had fallen back down before he called out. “Come in.”

The door opened and the major stuck her head in to the room.

“Can I get your assistance this morning? I’m training some new enlistees on hand-to-hand techniques and I could use a partner.”

“Sure thing, ma’am. Let me get my boots on.”

“Great. Thanks, Hazard.” She left, closing the door behind her.

Thankful for the distraction from his thoughts, Hazard grabbed his boots. From long practice, he had them on, laced, and tied in no time. He walked out to the common room where Oritz was waiting for him. They left their barracks together, heading to the main PT building.

When they reached the wide, gray brick building the major was in front, so she pulled open one of the double doors, stepping aside to let him go inside first. They went down the brightly lit hall to the main gym, their boots hitting the floor in perfect synchronization.

As they approached, a multitude of scents hit Hazard’s nose. Nervousness from shifters. Sweat from humans. The rubber and plastic of sporting equipment. They entered a huge room, bigger than the average high school gymnasium. The walls were painted a light gray with a thick green stripe dividing it near the middle all the way around. Bleachers were on either side. They were currently empty. The floor was light brown hardwood, and the standard blue sparring mats took up several sections of it.

In the center of the gym, a group of about twenty-five soldiers milled around in a loose formation, talking while they waited for their instructors to arrive.

“Attention!” Ortiz called out.

The group immediately straightened up their ragged lines, feet snapping together, hands down at their sides and shoulders back to stand at attention.

Ortiz strolled over to stand in front of them. Hazard took up a position behind and to her right.