He could only grunt in reply. "It's time to go."
It was just his luck that his omega was one of those people who blossomed in the company of others. The kind who thrived on the sort of human connection that made him miserable.
But he could endure another minute or two, so Hope could say goodbye to her new friends. He watched as the women smiled and hugged each other like they were sisters and not strangers who had only met half an hour ago.
By the time Hope finally broke away and followed him back to the truck, the change in her mood was astonishing. Her scent, her expression, her voice—everything about her had lightened. It was as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
This time when she settled into the passenger seat, she sighed with contentment rather than worry.
"I'm glad to see you got along so well with Mia and Cassidy," Maddox said, surprising himself with the sentiment.
Maddox knew the more friendships Hope made, the more he'd have to drive her around, and the more he'd have to socialize himself. The local omegas had a standing Tuesday afternoon tea party or some such shit. He knew without being told that Hope would want to go.
That meant driving out to Randall's every week. Enduring the older alpha's death stares, and the other alphas' inane chatter.
But it would all be worth it if Hope smiled and smelled like this when she returned to him.
He'd thought she was pretty before. Hell, she was beautiful by any measure. But this happy glow she wore now made her downright irresistible.
Maddox didn't know if he would be able to make it all the way home before he succumbed to the urge to reach out and touch her. Fuck, he was just hoping he could make it to his property line.
It didn't help that about a mile down the Central Road, Hope shifted toward him in her seat and turned the full force of that brilliant smile on him.
"Can I ask you a question?" she said. "It's kind of personal."
"I'm your alpha. You can ask me anything."
She reached over and rested her hand on his arm. "Why did you risk your life to save me?"
Maddox frowned. "I didn't. I thought you'd realize by now that those betas who shot you were no threat to me."
Hope shook her head. "I'm not talking about them. I'm asking why you risked your life to bring me to Gail."
Shit. Maddox should have known better than to let his omega gossip with other women.
"It wasn't a big deal," he said dismissively.
Hope wasn't buying it. The corners of her mouth pulled down as she scooted even closer to him on the seat.
"Mia said Randall could have killed you for trespassing on his land."
Would have. Not could have.
If it wasn't for Gail's intercession, Maddox would be nothing but a pile of bones right now…but he wasn't about to tell her that.
"Mia can be overly dramatic," he said. "The simple fact is you're an omega. I'm an alpha. I did what my instincts told me, and we both survived. That's all the answer either of us needs."
Apparently, Hope thought differently. Her grip tightened on his bicep, and she pressed even closer, molding herself against his side.
Damn, but the heat of her body made it hard to think.
"But I wasn't an omega when I was first shot," she said. "At least, I hadn't become one yet. But you still came back, letting an intruder go free so you could save the life of a trespassing beta."
Yeah, that.
Maddox had been doing his best not to dwell on that little problem. He tried to pretend there was some unknown instinct that had kicked in. One that had alerted him to Hope's true nature before his touch had awakened her.
But no matter how hard he tried, Maddox couldn't make himself believe it. Deep down, he knew it wasn't true.
When Hope had come crashing down that hill, begging for her life in the seconds before she was shot, all Maddox had sensed was her fear.
That's what had enraged him. That someone would dare try to snuff out such a bright and vibrant life. And on his land.
But even greater than his rage was the inexplicable need to save her. That was what Hope was talking about, and Maddox had no answer.
Hope had him in a corner. That wasn't a place he ever wanted to be.
"Mia really needs to learn to mind her own business," he ground out.
"Mia's not the one asking you for answers right now," Hope reminded him gently. "I am. And I'd really like to know why you were willing to trade your life for mine that day."
Maddox could feel the truth inside him, pushing up to the surface. No matter how hard to fought to keep it down, it fought back. His fingers tightened around the steering wheel as the pressure inside him grew unbearable.
He tried to turn the uncomfortable sensation into something familiar—anger, rage, even simple irritation. But it didn't work.
This was something else. It felt like a lifetime ago—before his alpha nature had revealed itself—when he'd first found the courage to stand up to his stepfather and brothers. When he told them to go to hell, not knowing how badly they'd beat him for his insolence.
That time, the satisfaction of taking a stand had been worth his injuries.
All he do now was pray was that the relief of finally telling the truth would be worth the risk.
Though he already knew that Hope was worth any risk.
"I may not have known you were an omega yet," he said, grinding out the words. "But I knew you were telling the truth. You hadn't trespassed on purpose. You didn't know where you were. You were innocent. And innocents don't deserve to die."
He swallowed
