Page 34 of Alpha Ruined
Bree smiles. “How long have you two been together?” she asks, grateful to change the subject.
Darlene’s face lights up at the question. “Five years,” she smiles, showing off her dimples. “We’ve been mated for four.”
Bree raises her eyebrows. “Oh, wow! That soon after dating?”
She can’t imagine ever finding a mate, much less letting an Alpha sink his teeth into her.
Unbidden, Cole’s handsome face flashes in her mind.
She scowls internally. She blocked his number. He’s out of her life.
“He wanted to do it the day he met me, but I told him to relax,” Darlene laughs. “Still, it was flattering. I’m really lucky.Well,heis, technically.” She grins, and Bree can’t help but smile back.
“As he should be. You make a mean panini.”
“With extra avocado. You know it.”
The couch dips with sudden weight, and the cushion makes apoofsound as an orange blob rests on Bree’s lap.
Oscar, it seems, has decided he wants to be a part of the conversation. Bree reaches out and gingerly pets the cat, her fingers stroking through his soft fur.
“Ooh. He likes you. That’s a good sign.” Darlene watches as Oscar tilts his head to give Bree access to his chin. “Are you a cat person?”
The cat purrs and slowly closes his eyes as Bree rubs his pink nose. “My Dad was allergic,” she murmurs. “We never had one.”
“Shoot. We just rescued him from outside and got him fixed. He was a tomcat prowling around with those big cheeks. Probably the father of at least a million kittens, who knows.”
Oscar flops onto his stomach and across Bree’s lap.
“You’re a natural,” Darlene chuckles. “Maybe you were a cat person in another life.”
Bree snorts. “Maybe.”
A pet was always out of the question, even after her father died. Carol was never a fan of them. Even a goldfish was considered too much.
“So, are you excited for yourdate?” Darlene asks, grinning. “I saw the way he was looking at you. He looked like he wanted to kill Eugene. What was that about, anyway?”
Bree scowls. “He pretended to be my husband,” she admits begrudgingly, fixated on Oscar’s fur. “It was to get Eugene to back off.”
“No fucking way. Are you serious?” Bree chances a glance at Darlene, who looks positivelydelighted.
“Yes. And then he asked me to dinner.”
Darlene claps and squeals. “So, he’s your knight in shining armor, huh? I guess that means you have to stay in Green Woods longer, and suffer with me, Kyle, and Oscar.”
“Absolutely not,” Bree flushes, mortified. “I’m not going to dinner with himandI’m leaving here at the end of the week.”
Darlene scoffs. “Why would you say no to him? He’s clearly enamored with you!”
“For all I know, he’s a serial killer! Weren’t you the one that said this town isn’t what it seems?”
“Sure, theresidents. Not Cole. He’s a good guy, I can sense it. He’s not a killer, but Eugene is,” Darlene says conversationally.
A headache begins to form as Bree puts a hand to her forehead and groans in exasperation. “Back up. First of all, were you going to tell me that Cole has atabopen for me at the café? And second, you can’t just gloss over the fact that my neighbor murdered his wife!”
Darlene shrugs, unphased by her outburst. “I mean, I thought you knew Cole was paying for your food. And now that your Alpha is around, you don’t have to worry about your creepy neighbor anymore.”
Your Alpha.