Chapter 92: Alright, I’ll take my leave now

The guys from the team stormed in like a marauding horde. Russo let out a loud, echoing whistle as he looked up at the towering ceilings of the penthouse.

Miller was cheering, throwing a bag of takeout onto the counter, while Peter cooed dramatically at the sight of Reid sitting on the couch. "Seems he’s still alive and kicking," he remarked and they laughed.

But as they crowded into the living room, the Alphas on the team suddenly stopped dead in their tracks. Their noses twitched.

"Whoa," Russo said, his eyes widening as he looked directly at me. "What the hell, Cap? You smell exactly like the rookie now."

My blood ran completely cold. My heart dropped into my stomach. Of course they’d notice.

"Well, thankfully he’s a Beta," Miller laughed, completely oblivious as he slapped Russo’s shoulder. "I’m sure Cap would regret signing up as a nursemaid for the rookie if he found out he had Alpha pheromones all over him. Alphas are territorial as hell."

Gerald, who had been standing right next to me, leaned in. He gave me a sharp nudge with his elbow, a knowing, amused glint in his eye.

"Well," Gerald murmured under his breath so only I could hear a smirk playing on his lips. "Now they’ve told you. How do you feel? Wanna kick the rookies behind now?"

I let out a forced, breathy laugh, desperately trying to keep my posture relaxed as my heart hammered against my ribs.

"Yeah, well, as long as it doesn’t bother me, it’s fine," I lied smoothly, waving a dismissive hand in the air. "All I can smell is the strong fabric softener he uses, anyway. It literally clings to everything."

"Man, if that’s what McCoy’s laundry smells like, I’m changing brands," Russo joked, throwing himself onto the adjacent armchair.

Miller grinned, leaning over the back of the sofa with a playful, teasing glint in his eye. "Hey, Cap, since you’re such an excellent caretaker, will you play nursemaid for us as well if we get hurt on the ice? I wouldn’t mind a penthouse stay and some personal catering."

"Yeah, Cap! My shoulder’s been feeling a little stiff lately," Peter chimed in, cooing dramatically as he leaned his head against Miller’s arm.

I bared my teeth at them in a mock-threatening snarl, crossing my arms over my chest. "You guys better not even try it. If any of you gets a stupid injury because you weren’t paying attention, I won’t nurse you—I’ll break your other leg myself."

The living room erupted into a chorus of boisterous laughter and groans, the guys shoving each other and teasing Miller for being a lightweight. It was the usual, comfortable team banter, the kind of noise that usually kept me completely grounded.

But suddenly, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

"Alright, I’ll take my leave now." Jax said, picking up his medical brief case. "Just make sure the ice stays level on his leg."

"Will do," I said and walked him once.

But just as I closed the door, I felt a gaze. It wasn’t the fleeting, casual glance of the teammates crowded around the kitchen counter to inspect the takeout they brought; it was heavy, burning, and intensely focused.

Slowly, I turned my head toward the couch. Reid’s smoky grey eyes were locked entirely on me. He wasn’t smiling. He was just watching me, his dark brows slightly drawn, his gaze tracing the way I moved in his clothes and the way I had laughed off the smell of his scent on my skin.

The moment our eyes met, my heart skipped a sudden, violent beat.

Panicking, I ripped my eyes away, looking down at my shoes and forcing myself to take a breath. My cheeks felt hot.

Just why in the world was I avoiding eye contact with him? It was so weird. I was the captain. I looked everyone in the eye.

What is wrong with me? I thought, my chest tightening as I gripped the edge of the kitchen counter. Why did a single look from a cocky rookie make me want to hide?

"Hey, McCoy, what’s with the face?" Russo called out, throwing a crumpled napkin at the edge of the couch. "Cap just saved your season, and you’re looking at him like he stole your favorite stick."

Reid didn’t blink. His grey eyes remained locked on me, his jaw shifting slightly.

"Just thinking how quiet it was before you loud bastards broke in," he rumbled, his voice dripping with its usual lazy arrogance. But then his gaze softened into something far more deliberate. "Come here, Cap."

My back stiffened. "I’m fine right here, McCoy."

"I need you to check the ice pack," Reid said, his tone dropping into that commanding, low register that made my inner Omega instantly want to step forward.

He patted the edge of the couch, looking around at the guys with a sharp, possessive tilt of his chin.

"Doc said it needs to stay level, and you’re the only one who doesn’t handle me like a sack of potatoes."

The guys broke out into a mix of chuckles and mock offense. "Wow, look at the rookie demanding personal service," Miller laughed. "Go on, Captain the nursemaid, don’t let the golden boy cry."

Every instinct in my body was screaming at me to run, but with the whole team watching, I had to play it cool so they didn’t suspect anything.

I forced my legs to move, walking back to the couch under Reid’s heavy, unblinking stare. The moment I got close enough, I reached for the ice pack on his ankle, but before I could adjust it, Reid’s hand shot out.

His thick fingers wrapped around my wrist.

He didn’t squeeze hard enough to hurt, but the grip was absolute. He leaned forward slightly, inhaling deeply as if deliberately drinking in the scent of his own frozen pine pheromones swirling all over my skin.

The corner of his mouth twitched into a tiny, knowing smirk—the smirk of a predator who knew exactly what kind of effect he had on me, and exactly what I had done to his lips while he was ’asleep’ each morning I woke up.

My heart did a violent, erratic dance against my ribs. I pulled my wrist back sharply, breaking his grip, and looked around to make sure the guys weren’t watching and thankfully, they were too busy with the food.

"What is wrong with you, McCoy?" I whispered but he didn’t answer. Was he for real? Anyone of them could be seen and... he just didn’t care.

He was acting way too childish.

I cleared my throat, desperately trying to keep the flush from reaching my face.

"It’s fine. It doesn’t need adjusting," I snapped, my voice a little more breathless than I intended.

I backed out of his space immediately, turning toward the guys who were already raiding the snacks in Reid’s fridge.

The walls of the penthouse suddenly felt like they were crashing in on me. I needed to get out. Like, right now.

"Alright, look, since you guys are finally here to keep the invalid company, I’m going to head out for a bit," I announced, grabbing my car keys with a sudden burst of energy.

Gerald looked up from the kitchen island, raising an eyebrow. "Leaving already, Cap?"

"Yeah. I need to grab some clean clothes and a few things from my own apartment," I said smoothly, flashing them a practiced, captain-approved smile. "Since you’re all here, you can handle his lunch. Don’t let him push himself."

"Pff, we got it, Cap. Go get your break," Russo waved off, already opening a gaming app on his phone.