Alpha, Your Lock Betrayed Me Chapter 02
Before I could answer, Lysander requested a mind link.
“Morrigan was the one who messed with the lockstone. I told her not to do it again.”
Then he added, “Torvin and the others are getting dinner tonight. Come with me. We’re all friends. You’ll get to know everyone eventually.”
I didn’t want to go. But there were things we needed to clear up.
By the time I stepped into the restaurant’s private room, Morrigan was already sitting at the head of the table.
She patted the chair beside her. “Lysander, sit here.”
I moved to take the chair on Lysander’s right, but one of his friends slid into it first.
“Sorry, I’m sitting next to Lysander tonight. We’ve got some drinking to do.”
Morrigan leaned around him, glanced at me, and smiled.
“Then sit across from him. You’ll have the best view of your boyfriend from there.”
That left me in the seat farthest from Lysander.
Through the steam curling off the sizzling platters, I watched Morrigan lean in to speak to him, her hair nearly brushing his shoulder.
A plate of crab legs arrived.
Morrigan prodded one with her fork and pouted. “Lysander, peel one for me. You know I’m hopeless at this.”
Without a word, Lysander moved one to his plate and began cracking the shell.
The steam flushed his fingertips red, but he didn’t seem to care.
Morrigan speared a piece of crabmeat, took a bite, then held the rest to Lysander’s mouth.
“Try it, Lysander. It’s really fresh.”
He took the bite straight from her fork, his lips touching the same spot hers had.
One of their friends teased, “You two have been like this forever. Aren’t you worried our future Luna might get jealous?”
Morrigan laughed. “Lysander’s been peeling crab for me since we were kids. Our future Luna isn’t that petty, is she?”
She turned to look at me.
Everyone at the table followed her gaze.
I went rigid, then made myself smile. “It’s fine.” The words turned my stomach.
A while later, Morrigan pushed her plate toward Lysander.
“Lysander, this steak is too tough. I can’t chew it.”
He glanced down, transferred the steak to his plate, cut it into bite-size pieces, and slid it back to her.
He did it without a word, with the ease of someone who had done it a thousand times.
One of their friends sighed. “You two are so in sync. Guess that’s what happens when you grow up together.”
Morrigan smiled and turned to Lysander.
“Remember when you came to visit me in college? My roommate thought you were my boyfriend and insisted on taking us to dinner.”
Lysander laughed. “Your roommate was really committed to that idea.”
“She sure was,” Morrigan said. “She kept asking when we were holding our Luna ceremony.”
Her gaze slid toward me, a glint of triumph beneath her smile.
Then she reached over to fix Lysander’s collar.
Her fingertips grazed his collarbone. “Your collar’s crooked.”
No one at the table thought anything of it.
I watched her fingers linger at his collar for two full seconds before she pulled away.
Lysander didn’t pull back. He was too used to her touching him.
Later, Morrigan got up for more wine. As she stood, a glass slipped from her hand and splashed red wine all over my white dress.
Before I could say a word, Lysander had already caught Morrigan’s hand and turned it over to inspect it.
“Did it cut you? Is there broken glass?”
Morrigan shook her head, then turned to me with an apologetic look.
“I’m so sorry. Was the dress expensive? I’ll replace it.”
Red wine streamed down the fabric and dripped onto my shoes.
Lysander never once looked my way.
“I’m going to the restroom,” I said.
Outside the private room, I heard Morrigan lower her voice.
“Lysander, is Willa mad? Did I upset her?”
Lysander replied, “She’s not the type to get upset over something like that. Don’t overthink it.”
Morrigan laughed. “Good. I was afraid you’d stop talking to me because of her.”