Page 31 of Unhinged Alphas

Relief floods through me, a warm, giddy rushI'm not accustomed to. But before I can say anything else, the sound of voices echoes from somewhere down the hall. Servants, from the sound of it.

And if they catch me here, alone with Wraith...

It's clear the others don't want me around him. At least, not unsupervised. And maybe they have reason. But that thought doesn't stop my curiosity.

"Is there somewhere we can go?" I ask, lowering my voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Somewhere more private?"

Another nod, this one more decisive. He turns and strides off down the corridor, his boots barely making a sound against the concrete despite his size. I have to hurry to keep up, my shorter legs no match for his ground-eating strides.

Wraith leads me deeper into the compound, past the barracks and the training rooms and the armory. Finally, we come to a halt outside a plain, unmarked door. Wraith pushes it open and steps inside, gesturing for me to follow.

It's his room, I realize with a start. Spartan and utilitarian, with little in the way of personal touches. Just a narrow bed that seems too small for him, a battered dresser, and a small desk cluttered with bits of metal and wire.

He must not bunk with the others. Is that a matter of choice?

Or… are they afraid of him?

Another thought that should have me turning on my heels and walking back to my room if I had any sense, and yet here I am.

I perch on the edge of the bed, feeling suddenly awkward and unsure. Wraith looms over me, his bulk seeming to fill the entire space. I have to crane my neck just to meet his gaze, and the sheer size of him sends a shiver down my spine.

Not of fear, though. Something else, something I'm not quite ready to put a name to.

"So," I say, forcing a brightness I don't quite feel into my voice. "Why don't we start with hello?"

Wraith nods, his eyes crinkling slightly at the corners—the only indication of a smile behind that vented, muzzle-like mask. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen it. He raises his huge hands, his fingers curling into shapes that seem almost delicate in comparison to the rest of him.

I watch intently as he forms the sign for hello, mimicking the motion with my own slender hands. It's clumsy and unpracticed, but a flicker of warmth blooms in my chest at the sight of hisapproving nod.

We move on to the alphabet, each letter a new challenge. Some come easier than others, my fingers twisting into unfamiliar configurations. Wraith is patient, guiding me through the motions with a gentleness that belies his intimidating exterior.

Time seems to slip away as we sit there, hands dancing in the space between us. The compound fades away, the ever-present threat of the Council receding to a distant hum. In this moment, there is only the two of us, lost in a language all our own.

And slowly, gradually, I start to relax. The tension eases from my shoulders, the knot of anxiety in my chest unraveling bit by bit.

It's a dangerous feeling, I know. A weakness I can't afford, not in a world that would tear me apart at the first sign of vulnerability.

But here, in this moment…

I can't bring myself to care.

Our hands brush as he shows me a particularly tricky sign, and I feel a spark of something strange and electric race up my arm. I glance up at him, my breath catching in my throat, and find him staring down at me with an intensity that steals the air from my lungs.

For a heartbeat, neither of us moves. We'refrozen, suspended in a moment that feels like it could shatter at the slightest provocation.

And then, slowly, tentatively...

Wraith lifts his hand to my face.

His fingers are rough, calloused and scarred from a lifetime of violence and hardship. But his touch is gentle as he brushes a stray lock of hair back from my forehead, his thumb grazing the shell of my ear.

I lean into the contact, my eyes fluttering closed as a shudder runs through me. I'm not even in heat, but his touch… it affects me.

More than I want it to.

But I can't bring myself to pull away.

Wraith makes a sound, a low, rumbling hum that vibrates through his chest and into mine. I open my eyes to find him watching me, his blue gaze heavy-lidded and filled with a heat that has nothing to do with anger.