Chapter 146: Because I have someone I like

I stared at Edward, my brain short-circuiting as the words echoed in the empty space between us.

​What... Did I just hear?

​"Evans, I’ve been watching you for a long time," Edward continued, his tone shifting into something intensely earnest, stripped entirely of his usual playful banter. "I respect your gameplay and your resilience despite all the jabs and all the criticism for not being an Alpha. I respect you. And... I am fond of your face. I thought you were a Beta, and that you probably wouldn’t have any interest in an Alpha, but that all changes if you’re an Omega. So, how about it?"

​He stepped even closer, completely crowding my personal space until his towering frame blocked out the dim light of the alleyway.

​Suddenly, a powerful wave of his Alpha pheromones surged forward. It was clean, incredibly crisp, and distinct—like the sharp scent of morning dew after a long, torrential night of rain.

It washed over my senses, threatening to cut through the defensive mental blocks I had held up all night but it made me sick. Why? Because I had another Alpha and I had his mark.

​Before I could raise my hands to push him away, Edward pressed his body firmly over mine, pinning me back against the cold brick wall.

In one fluid, commanding motion, he wrapped an arm around the back of my neck, tilting his head down until his lips were hovering right against my ear.

​His warm breath fanned across my skin, sending a violent shiver down my spine as he whispered, "I mean it, Evans. Go out with me."

"I can’t," I said, the words cutting through the damp, crisp air between us without a single shred of hesitation.

​Edward didn’t move. His arm remained wrapped around the back of my neck, his morning dew scent still pressing heavily against my senses, but his eyes narrowed with a sharp, calculating focus. "Why not?"

​"Because I already have someone I like," I stated, my voice completely flat, anchoring myself against the cold brick wall behind me. "And he feels the exact same way about me. He also wouldn’t like you crowding my space like this, so move away from me."

​I didn’t push him, and I didn’t hit him. I kept my hands perfectly still inside my jacket pockets, but inside, my pulse was racing for an entirely different reason. I knew it was only a matter of time before everything blew up. I had been out here for a breather for too long, and based on how closely a certain rookie tracked my every move, it was about time he came out to find me.

​Edward let out a quiet, skeptical breath against my ear. "Are you lying to me right now just to reject me? You’re keeping a tight leash on your secret, Evans. Who could possibly know the truth about you and not immediately report it to the league? You know Alphas are selfish. No one keeps a secret like that for free."

​"Well, yes. He is very selfish," I murmured, a sudden, dark trace of amusement flickering in my chest despite the sheer panic of the situation. "And that’s why he gets jealous easily. He doesn’t like others touching his things, you see."

​Edward’s jaw tightened, his brow furrowing as he absorbed my words. "Who is it?"

​Right at that exact second, a low, vicious sound—a literal, animalistic growl—vibrated from the shadows at the mouth of the alley. The air grew instantly, suffocatingly thick as a massive wave of frozen pine exploded forward, heavy with raw contempt and a lethal, territorial bloodlust.

​"You crazy son of a bitch," Reid’s voice bled out of the darkness, rough, gravelly, and shaking with pure fury. "Get away from him before I make you!"

​The sudden, violent spike in pheromones shattered the standoff. Taking advantage of the distraction, I immediately brought my hands up and pushed Edward off me with everything I had. He stepped back, his boots scraping against the damp pavement, his eyes snapping toward the entrance of the alley.

Reid didn’t just stand there. The second the words left his mouth, he was already moving, his heavy combat boots slamming against the damp pavement as he lunged forward into the light.

"You think you can put your hands on what’s mine?" Reid snarled, his voice dropping into a terrifying, unhinged register that made the narrow brick walls echo. He threw his duffel bag to the ground with a loud thud, his chest heaving as he closed the distance between them like a predatory animal. "I should have broken your jaw on the ice, Stein. Get your fucking arm off him before I tear it off myself—"

"Reid, stop!" I panicked, my voice cracking as I realized he was a fraction of a second away from throwing a punch that would tank the entire franchise.

Before he could take that final, lethal step toward the Avalanche captain, I threw myself forward, reaching out and grabbing his massive, clenched hand with both of my own.

I wrapped myself entirely around his right arm, hugging it securely against my chest with everything I had, using my full weight to anchor him back.

Reid stiffened violently, his whole arm vibrating with a dangerous, coiled tension, but the physical sensation of me clinging to him forced his boots to skid to a halt.

I tucked myself close, hiding half of my trembling body behind his broad, protective shoulder, letting the thick, suffocating wave of his frozen pine scent completely douse my senses and chase away the morning dew.

He was still breathing like a wild animal, his grey eyes locked onto Edward with a bloodshot, territorial fury, but he stayed put.

He had always been wary of Edward, even when I assured him nothing was going on and Edward was just being nice. But seeing this, seeing no distance between us, and how Edward had his arm around my neck, he felt like he could no longer stand the face of that gentleman. If he had to be the bad guy then he would be the bad guy.

But I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t let anyone paint Reid as the bad guy. I was the only one allowed to do that and no one else.

I looked past the solid line of Reid’s arm, locking my cold, unyielding gaze back onto Edward’s stunned face.

​"I told you, Edward," I said, my voice ringing out clearly in the quiet alleyway. "My man is very selfish, jealous and doesn’t like others touching his things. Reid McCoy... is my boyfriend."