“I have to do something,” he said finally, low and rough. “For the deal. With your Alphas.”
The way he said ‘your Alphas’ made my stomach twist. That tone — resigned, careful — sounded like a man trying not to step on landmines.
I stared at him, waiting for the rest. The explanation. The reassurance.
It didn’t come.
Rebecca’s frown deepened. “What kind of something?”
But my brain was already spinning.
There were too many possible meanings. Too many ways this could go wrong.
I felt the panic claw its way up before I could stop it.
“Will you be back tomorrow?” I asked, my voice thinner than I liked. “Or when? Or—” I swallowed hard. “Or is this just an excuse to reject us?”
The silence that followed was excruciating.
He froze.
Rebecca’s head snapped toward me, eyes wide like I’d ju
