Alpha Lost

Justify

Malcolm didn't say anything when he crossed over to their table, but after fifteen years of mating, Selah easily recognized his off to the gallows expression. She knew Malcolm thought he was stoic with his poker face easily concealing his feelings, but there was a reason she beat him four out of five hands of poker, and it had nothing to do with luck. He could hide his emotions from others but never from her.

He sat down on the table across from her and wrapped his big hand around the steaming cup of coffee she'd made for him when she heard the shower switch off. He pushed the sandwich she'd made to the side, and his other hand tapped out a pattern on his leg. Oh, her sweet Alpha mate and his tells.

She knew that there had to have a been an overwhelming reason for the obviously faked death, especially for it to have involved his commander and who knows how many others, but that didn't mean she was prepared to just smile and pretend like the last month hadn't happened.

After a few strained minutes where they sipped at their coffee, and Malcolm stole glances at her, she thought maybe they'd spend the rest of the day in silence. They were both masters at using constructive silence to get answers. They both 'interrogated' their clients: Malcolm questioning the bad guys, and Selah using quiet time to let her Omega patrons discover their own answers during their counseling sessions. Who would speak first? She was determined to not break first.

Finally, after he'd reached the bottom of his cup, Malcolm released a tense breath and reached to take her hand, "Sel, you know that I would never have put you through this last month without some extraordinary reason."

She nodded, letting her hand rest in his big palm. He raised it to his lips and lightly pressed a kiss to the tips of her fingers before pressing it to his cheek.

"There is only one thing other than true death that could keep me from you. You know what my priorities are. Your health and happiness. This time I couldn't fulfill one without risking the other. There's only one thing that could make me leave you, Sel. You were in danger,' he paused, "You are still in danger, but Ashlyn passed the word that she'd felt you'd given up. Baby -"

"Ashlyn knew?" she asked flatly.

"No! It'd be more accurate to say that because she was concerned, she talked to Telia about it, and Telia passed it along."

"So Telia knew." This time it wasn't a question.

A deep sigh caused Malcolm's chest to expand and then contract, "All of the Alphas on my team knew." When she looked at him sharply, he rushed to assure her, "None of the Omegas knew. Their care and affection for you this past month was real."

"Your entire team kept this from their mates?" he heard the incredulity in her voice.

"Yes. They're still keeping my return a secret, but it won't stay that way for long. Right now, as far as the rest of the world knows, except for you and the team, I was killed a month ago. If it hadn't been for your heat and mental state, you still wouldn't know. It's safer for you to believe that I'm dead."

"Malcolm." That was it. Just his name in that low-pitched feminine growl that he knew meant his mate was at the very end of her patience.

"Do you remember about a year after we were mated, and we were new to the OSF? I wasn't too far out of training, and you were about halfway through yours? The day that we first met Telia and Ashlyn?"

At her nod, he continued, "We came home, you were mad because of the beacon that I'd put on your phone, and I told you about that asshole attacking OSF Omegas?"

Another nod.

"I was just a junior member of the task force. I'd been added because one of the Omegas who'd been killed was a member of that unit and they had an opening. The task force assembled to capture the bastard was made up of several members from different units trying to eliminate anyone who had a personal connection to the case"