A Rogue For Four Alphas

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Chapter Thirty's Three

"I want to stay." I was having fun, and I'm not going to let my mother or Alpha Damon ruin it. I'm also not going to look at my phone again until after we leave. "Are you ready to go back to the group?"

"In a minute. I do need to run in ..." I tilt my head toward the restroom entrance

"Okay. I'll wait here." Alpha Harry's smile could probably end wars. It could definitely prevent them. And it absolutely makes me feel better.

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After using the facilities, I wash my hands and splash cold water on my cheeks. My face doesn't look too bad considering. Whoever invented the mascara I'm wearing should win some sort of medal.

Alpha Harry's waiting for me outside as promised. "Alpha Damon won't bother you," he says, as we walk back to the others, and he turns out to be right.

There's a hurt puppy look in Alpha Damon's eyes, but it disappears after our next ride. He seems wary of me though, and, for the most part, keeps his distance

With my phone turned off, I return to a genuine good mood after a few more coaster runs. Alpha Harry goes out of his way to lift my spirits, and Alpha Ian quickly joins in, cracking jokes to pass our time in lines.

"Is anyone hungry?" Alpha Harry asks after we come off of one of the extreme thrill rides, which, except for one notable part, didn't turn out to be as scary as it looked.

After Alpha Damon and Alpha Ian say that they are, Alpha Eric asks, "How about the burger place?"

"They have surprisingly good burgers here," Alpha Harry says. "Are you up for that,my rogue girl?"

"Sure," I say with a small shrug. "Anything's fine."

They lead the way to the restaurant, where we wait in another line and then place our orders at a counter. I hold out a twenty for mine, but Alpha Eric insists on paying for everyone. While we're waiting for our food, Alpha Damon pulls me aside.

"Can I talk to you?"

His expression tells me that this won't be a confrontation, so I agree and let him usher me outside of the building and around a corner where the ambient sounds aren't so loud.

"I want to apologize," he says, leaning his shoulder against the side of the building.

"Okay."

"After my outburst earlier, I realized that your eyes had been red. Were you crying?"

I shrug and look into the distance, not wanting him to see my face.

"Alpha Harry didn't make you cry, did he?"

My head jerks back to Alpha Damon and I frown.

"No."

"I knew that," he says quickly, "but I just had to ask, just in case. Since he was the one who was with you ..." "He was comforting me."

His face softens into an expression I've never seen on him. "What happened?"

My shoe kicks at a pebble on the ground. "Just some family stuff. I don't want to talk about it."

"Families can be the worst," he says, frowning.

"Familes. Have the power to tear and rip you apart"

"I'm really sorry to hear that."

"I know this isn't the place, but if you ever want to talk ..." he says, letting the rest of his sentence trail off.

"Or, if you don't, I always find a few rounds with a punching bag to be helpful."

I laugh, not at all surprised about Alpha Damon's method for dealing with stress, but his face remains serious.

"I'm sorry I come off like an asshole sometimes, but you know how I feel about you," he says.

I reach my foot out to the side to take aim at another stone. "No," I say with a small shake of my head, "I really don't."

Alpha Damon steps closer, his eyes fixed on my face.

"I like you, a lot... but your one-night rule pisses me off, because I think we could be really good together. I know we're good together, and you know it too."

"I should've told you upfront that night. That's my fault."

"You shouldn't have such a stupid rule in the first place."

I don't have a response. He continues to look at me and I stare back, noticing the neatly trimmed stubble on his cheek and remembering what it felt like when it brushed against my bare skin.

"I know it's complicated," he says, glancing down before meeting my eyes again, "and I know you like all of us."

I can't deny it, and I don't move a muscle, no idea where he's going with this conversation.

His hand reaches out, and his knuckles stroke gently along the curve of my jaw. "I just want you to be happy," he says, his voice thick

"Meaning?"

"If you want to be with all of us, be with all of us."