Cricket dabbed shampoo on her palm and scrubbed her scalp. Wishing she could scrub away thoughts of the arrogant conceited alpha.
A knock on the door made her growl. “What?” She sighed. “Sir?”
“How much longer?” asked Slade.
Cricket rolled her eyes. Alphas had no patience. “I’ll be out soon.” Everyone had agreed Slade should stay with her since her presence, unfortunately for her, kept his inner beast in check.
Ruining my life.
“Very well.”
Cricket stuck her head under the shower faucet and rinsed off the shampoo. She turned the water off and like a wolf, shook her hair then scrunched it. Her natural curls cascaded down her neck. She grabbed her red silk robe and peeked out the door.
His royal ass, perfect muscular ass, sat on her couch. Slade’s bulk made her one bedroom apartment, what she once thought as roomy living quarters, look like a tiny studio. He was having a beer and watching a hockey game on her wall TV. She closed the door and sighed, her heart tap-danced in glee. For a fleeting moment, she imagined him as her mate, resting after hot sex.
Snap out of it, Cricket. Don’t go there. She should go back in and take a cold shower.
Fortunately, he wore clothes. One of the betas had brought Slade his suitcase. Otherwise, she might have gone horny wolf on him. Not a good idea, not while he was back to normal.
She stepped forward. “I’ll dress and then we can go check in with Dr. Warner.”
“He texted to meet him and Rylee for dinner at the LIA dining hall.”
“So he’s not pissed you forced him into the observation cell?”
He laughed. “Nah, he’s a shrink, remember? Goes with the territory.”
Cricket wished she wore a gunnysack instead of the thin red robe, which tickled her nipples into greedy stiffness. His glance honed in on their impish mischief. She folded her arms. “Well, I better hurry, since Dr. Warner plans to fly out today.”
Slade continued to stare at her now hidden nipples. “Unfortunately, due to my temporary setback, he’s staying a few more days.” He smiled at her obvious discomfort. “Dr. Warner hopes to convince Rylee his clinic would better serve me.”
She twisted her mouth. “I agree.” It bothered her Slade might be drugged at the shrink’s clinic. However, it bothered her more to give up one more day of her life for an overbearing pompous royal prick. A drop dead gorgeous royal prick!
Slade scowled. “You would love that wouldn’t you?”
“I’ll be honest. I’m anxious to get back to work. Anyway, morphopsychosis or rather morphogenesis is hardly my specialty. An omega with a background in it would serve you better.”
Slade leaned back, forming his hands into a steeple, and gazed at her with steely green eyes. Her breath quickened. Mesmerizing her into wanting to please him. “I prefer your company, Little Wolf.”
The magic of his alpha possession broke on mention of “Little Wolf,” the name that irked her as much as “runt.” Call me that again, and I’ll quit being your guardian. “Cricket,” she corrected.
Slade scoffed. “Runt or not you deserved a better name.”
She had one, but she’d never tell him. “Why?” Cricket shrugged. “I was supposed to die anyway.”
“But you weren’t born with six legs and wings.”
She chuckled and opened the refrigerator. “Want another beer?”
“No, but you may have one.”
Really? It’s my apartment, my beer. The rule to wait until the alpha permitted one to eat or drink always annoyed the hell out of her. She grabbed a beer, opened it and theatrically bowed. “Thank you, master, sir.”
He laughed rather than scolded her mocking sarcasm.
Cricket drank the entire bottle to the last drop and then covered her mouth as she burped.
“Someone so small should sip slowly.”