Alpha Theo by C.J. Primer

CHAPTER     THIRTY-SEVEN

Brooke

“Why are you smiling at your phone like that?”

“Like what?” I tear my eyes from the screen to glance up at my sister, realizing that I’ve got a big, goofy grin still spread across my face.

Fallon sets her hands on her hips, tilting her head. “Spill.”

I laugh, shaking my head. “It’s nothing.”

I re-read Theo’s text messages, the grin returning to my face.

Theo: been thinking about you all day, beautiful

Theo: can’t wait to see you tonight

“Liar,” Fallon smirks, lunging for the phone in my hands.

I giggle, flopping back on her bed and rolling in a ball, protecting my phone close to my chest as she pounces on me, wrestling me for it.

“Let me see!” she laughs. She tickles my ribs and my body jolts, my fingers loosening their grip just enough for Fallon to take my phone from my hands.

“Hey!” I whine. “Give it back!”

My sister pops up on her knees and holds me back with one arm, holding my phone out with the other as I flail to grab it, squinting to read the words on the screen.

“Oooh… he can’t wait to see you tonight,” she teases. “Sexy time!”

I blow a strand of hair out of my face, my cheeks heating in a blush. “Give it back.” I hold out my hand, looking at Fallon sternly.

She laughs, setting my phone on my outstretched palm. “You guys are cute. And seriously, I’m in shock that it’s Theo behind those messages. You tamed the beast, sis.” Fallon waggles her eyebrows teasingly.

“Shut up!” I laugh, giving her a playful shove.

I turn away from her to type a quick text back to Theo.

Brooke: Can’t wait to see you either! Fal and I will meet you guys there around 9.

I fire off the message, locking my phone and tossing it onto the bed beside me.

Since we returned from Denver a few days ago, Theo and I have barely been able to see each other. I’ve been busy with the IT unit, sweeping all of our servers to make sure the hack in Denver didn’t breach anything and shoring up our firewalls to prevent a similar attack. Theo has been busy with the other alphas getting a gameplan together for if and when an attack happens and picking up more night patrols to monitor our borders. Gray gave the go-ahead for expanding the border security system beyond the trial run of the thermal cameras, too, so we’ve been busy procuring more equipment, getting it set up, and linking all of the systems. After such a crazy week, we’ve all earned a Saturday night out at the bar in Goldenleaf, and I can’t wait to let loose- and see my man.

I wonder what it’ll be like when we’re at the bar in front of everyone. Our relationship hasn’t really been tested since we came back from Denver- will he be affectionate like he was while we were there? Will he hold my hand, let everyone know we’re together? Will he ignore the attention he usually receives from other females while he’s there?

Ugh, all of the unknowns are making me so anxious.

“Here,” Fallon clucks, shaking me from my thoughts. She turns from her dresser, tossing something at me.

I catch it before it hits me in the face, untangling the red lace in my hands. “What the heck is this?” I ask, furrowing my brow.

“Lingerie,” she says, chuckling to herself as I keep maneuvering it in my hands, trying to discern the top from the bottom. “It’s a bodysuit.”

I shake my head, crumpling it in my hands and tossing it back to her. “That’s a no.”

“Why?” Fallon laughs, unfurling it in her hands and dangling it by the silk straps. “It’s cute!”

I give another shake of my head. “I’m not wearing anything that complicated. Besides, who says he’s gonna see my underwear?”

My sister and I lock eyes, then burst into a fit of giggles together.

“You’re right, he’s totally gonna see it,” I admit, catching my breath.

That night in Denver with Theo was explosive. I thought my first time would be scary or awkward or painful, but with him, it was perfect. He was so attentive, so focused on my pleasure while taking his own. I have no regrets.

“How about something normal, though? It’d be a total mood killer if neither of us can figure out how to get it off.”

Fallon rolls her eyes, spinning around to rummage through the top drawer of her dresser. “Fine.” She pauses, then turns back to me, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Or you could just skip the bra and panties, guys fucking love that.”

“Gross!” I grab a pillow from beside me on the bed and toss it in Fallon’s direction.

She lets out a laugh, swatting it away. “What? I’m serious, Brookie! It’ll drive him crazy!”

I shake my head, eyes wide. My sister’s crazy! But… maybe she’s onto something. Fallon’s a lot more experienced than I am when it comes to this stuff.

Oh my gosh, am I really considering going commando tonight?! Who have I become?!

“Let’s revisit the underwear situation later,” I sigh, scooting off of the bed and rising to stand. “How about a dress? Do you have one I can borrow?”

“Psh,” Fallon waves a hand. “Of course I do.” Sharing clothes is definitely a perk of being an identical twin. She strides over to her closet, pulling open the double-doors. “Take your pick.”

I cross the room to join her, peering inside her overstuffed closet. Gray has totally spoiled her since she moved in- I’m willing to bet that most of these clothes haven’t even been worn yet. In fact, I know they haven’t, because the tags are still on some of them.

I just stare into the closet blankly, not sure where to start. Fallon must be able to tell that I’m overwhelmed because she starts thumbing through the hangers, picking out a few options and handing them back to me.

“So who all’s going to be there tonight?” I ask, holding the dresses up one at a time to examine them, a little skeptical about her choices. They’re all pretty revealing- but then again, I’ve been becoming more and more comfortable in my own skin thanks to Theo. I bet he’s gonna give me that look no matter what I choose- the look that I swear he reserves just for me.

Fallon shrugs, handing another dress back to me. “Davis and Casey, Boyd, Shay, Judd…” she pauses. “Connor.”

I blow out a breath. Connor. I’ve seen him around the complex a few times, but we haven’t spoken since our disaster date. Well, the date itself wasn’t a disaster, but that kiss… I grimace just thinking about it. Hopefully I can avoid him tonight so things aren’t awkward.

“Is that gonna be weird?” Fallon asks.

“Dunno,” I sigh. “Hope not.”

I choose a dress out of the pile in my arms, handing the others back to her.

“I’m gonna try this one,” I say, holding up a little black bodycon dress with cutouts down the sides.

Fallon arches a brow. “Really?”

“Yeah, why not?” I ask, toeing off my shoes and unbuttoning my jeans.

She shrugs. “Just surprised you’d go for that one. I love it, though! It’ll look hot.” She pauses, her lips curving into a smile. “I like this new Brooke.”

I roll my eyes, wriggling my jeans down my hips and stepping out of them. “Same Brooke. Just… different.”

“Hey, a healthy dose of confidence never hurt anybody,” Fallon murmurs, turning back to her closet and thumbing through the hangers to choose a dress for herself.

I shuck my t-shirt and sports bra, tossing them to the floor and slipping the dress on overhead. It’s stretchy material, so no zipper to contend with. I wiggle into the dress, pulling the hem down. It’s short, but not uncomfortably so- it hits just above mid-thigh.

“Whaddya think?” I ask as I smooth the fabric of the front of the dress.

Fallon whips around, her eyes widening before her lips spread into an approving smile. “Oh hell yeah, Brookie! You’re a knockout! Total sex kitten.”

My cheeks heat in a blush and I tuck my hair behind my ears, striding over to take a peek at myself in the mirror.

Fallon’s totally right- this dress is hot. Now all I’ve gotta do is put on some heels, swap these glasses for contacts, curl my hair…

“So is tonight the night?” Fallon asks, still poking through her closet.

“Whaddya mean?” I ask, turning to look at my dress from another angle in the mirror. The cutouts show a lot more skin than I thought they would- and sideboob. I don’t think a bra is gonna work with this dress after all. Oh well…

“To mark each other, seal the bond.” Fallon says it so casually, like it’s just something you’d do on a typical Saturday rather than a life-altering decision to commit to someone for life.

“What?!” I ask, my voice pinched.

She spins to look at me, arching a brow. “You’re gonna seal the bond, aren’t you? The next full moon’s in a couple weeks! You’re on the clock, sis.”

I blow out a breath, throwing my hands on my hips. “I don’t know. It’s still so soon…”

“Well what are you waiting for?” Fallon laughs. “I thought everything was going great!

“It is,” I sigh. “It’s just… it’s a big decision. I’m not sure if we’re there yet.”

Fallon rolls her eyes, turning back to her closet. “Whatever,” she mumbles, pulling out a red dress and throwing it over her arm.

I don’t respond. My sister and I are so fundamentally different- there’s no way she could understand how much I’m wrestling with this decision. She’s impulsive, reckless- she doesn’t think her decisions through, she just jumps in with both feet. I’m more the type to dip a toe.

That isn’t to say that things with Theo aren’t great, because they are- I just want to make sure they stay that way before I tie myself to him forever. I really hope they do since I’m already so invested in this thing we have together. I’m falling hard, but I’m not scared anymore, because I know he’ll catch me.

Fallon and I get all dolled up before heading out for the night- I curl my hair, let it fall in bouncy waves over my shoulders. Put in my contacts and go full glam with my makeup. Don a pair of stiletto heels that make my legs look like they go on for days. My sister looks amazing, too- she’s rocking a little red strapless dress, red lipstick, and her signature ponytail.

“These boys are gonna eat their hearts out when they see us,” Fallon chuckles, slipping her arm around my shoulders as we stand in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom. “Theo might just throw you over his shoulder, carry you outta there right away.”

I shake my head, rolling my eyes- but why does the thought of that excite me?

I know it’s immature, but the thought of Theo being all growly and dominant, staking his claim over me, has heat curling in my belly.

“Let’s go,” I say, shrugging Fallon’s arm from my shoulders and turning to grab my clutch off of the dresser. I glance at my phone before I slip it inside my clutch- we’ll be a little early, but I don’t want to waste another minute without Theo’s eyes on me, his hands on me, his lips on me…

“Alright, alright,” Fallon laughs, taking one last glance at herself in the mirror and smoothing her ponytail. She strides over to me, looping her arm through mine. “Let’s do this.”