"And you're going to see him alone?" Phoenix asks. "Without..."
"Without alphas around," I finish. "Yeah. He insisted, actually. Said he needs to have… non-alpha time. And that Orion doesn't like to go out anyway."
"And what about your stalker?" Raf asks, his dark eyes flicking between Phoenix and me. "Do you mind if we tail you, at least?"
"Not at all," I say, shrugging. I’d kind of figured they would want to, which is why I agreed to going out in the first place. "Just wear disguises so Jamie doesn't catch on. He'd give me a hard time about sneaking you guys in."
Rex has reappeared without any of us noticing. He's looking into the fridge now like it's a portal to the underworld, close enough to hear everything but far enough to maintain plausible deniability about eavesdropping.
"Rex brought me to him," I add a little louder, because if I can agitate him enough, he'll be lured into joining us and maybe I can shove a plate into his hands when he isn't paying attention. "To have the mask made. Isn't that sweet?"
The word "sweet" applied to Rex Steele makes all three alphas react in different ways. Phoenix looks confused. Rafael looks at me like I’m nuts. Rex's shoulders tense like he's about to grab the jar of mayonnaise and fling it at my head.
And I start putting a plate together in preparation, scooping samples from everything on the table.
Phoenix turns to look at Rex. "You took Bells to get a mask?" he asks warily. Not even bothering to hide the fact it's fucking suspicious Rex would do something nice and welcoming like that, which is how I know he’s up to no good.
"Yes," Rex says flatly, like it's the most obvious thing in the world and Phoenix is weird for being surprised.
"A nice one?" Phoenix presses. "Or are you being an asshole?"
Before Rex can respond, I cut in. "I'm sure whatever Rex commissioned will be perfect." I make my voice sweet and innocent, like I genuinely believe Rex would never be petty or mean.
It works.
The sweet-as-honey tone I’m using to defend Rex's intentions must scrape against his last nerve, because he stalks toward us with a water bottle gripped so tight in his hand the plastic crinkles.
"Bells is right," Rex says, his voice flat and dangerous as he stops on the opposite side of the coffee table from where we're sitting. "Itwillbe perfect. Because I told Jamie to make it as simple as possible. No ornamentation. Clean lines. Minimal design."
The bastard.
Of course he did.
I keep my expression neutral even though I want to laugh. The mask will probably look amazing anyway because Jamie's too talented to make something that isn't gorgeous, but Rex doesn't need to know I'm not actually mad about his bullshit.
Rex turns to leave before anyone can say another word, clearly done with this conversation.
I grab the plate I made and push to my feet. "Be right back," I mutter to Phoenix and Raf.
"Bells—" Phoenix starts in a warning tone, like he's about to tell me I'm on a pointless side quest that can only end in disaster, but I'm already moving.
Rex's stride is longer than mine, but I'm faster when I need to be. I catch him in the hallway just as he's about to disappear into Rafael's room, the one he's been occupying since I took over his fortress.
"Rex."
He stops. Doesn't turn around, but he stops.
"You forgot your plate."
His shoulders go rigid. "I said I'm fine."
"Yeah? And I said I'm the Queen of England, remember?" I step closer, close enough to see the tightness in his shoulders. "Take the damn plate."
"I don't want it."
"Bullshit." I skirt around him, blocking the doorway with my body. Not that I could actually stop him, but the point stands. "You're taking this plate and you're eating something before you pass out and end up back in the hospital. You can eat alone. That's fine. But you're going to eat."
"Why do you care?" he practically growls. "We're not friends. We're not anything. I blackmailed you into this arrangement,remember? Or do you already have fucking Stockholm syndrome?"