that so?"
She nodded again, looking up at Colt as if hoping he'd take up the burden of this interview for her. But he couldn't. She had to do this alone.
"And you have been in Connor's company for an extended period, and yet feel nothing toward him?"
Clearing her throat, she started to speak. "I find him an attractive man but have no special feelings toward him. I'm not drawn to him in any way."
Chase nodded thoughtfully and looked at Connor. "And you?"
"Nothing more than the attraction I feel for any pretty girl."
"Would you mind if the rest of us came closer, to test out our reaction to you, and yours to us?" Chase asked slowly, eyeing Colt as if expecting him to go ballistic.
Colt looked down at the floor and hunched his shoulders. This was going to get hard, really hard. He wasn't sure he could contain his cat if he had to watch a line of guys sniffing at his woman. But this was why they'd brought her here: To find out. So he took deep breaths and tried to talk himself down from his escalating rage.
"Fine. What do you want me to do?"
"Colt, would you step out of the room for a few minutes?" Chase told him.
"Fuck no. I'm going to have a hard enough time watching this. It would be fucking worse if I had to imagine it from outside. Just get it done will you? Shit, this was a bad idea!"
"All right. Connor, be ready to grab him if he loses it. Now, Miss Aimes, if you'd stand in the centre of the space and breathe in a few times when one of us comes in close. Can you do that? None of us will touch you. Colt, did you hear that? None of us will touch her."
"Got it. Just fucking get on with it," he got out between clenched teeth.
Alyssa climbed slowly to her feet and went to the centre of the space. She seemed uncomfortable being the focus of eleven males' attention. Nervously she pulled at an errant curl that had escaped her plait. Her eyes darted from each male back to him, as if he was her anchor, her safe harbour. He forced himself to smile reassuringly at her, even though it was the last thing he was feeling.
One by one, the other versions of Colt went to meet his woman.
Caleb was first, and he prowled up to Alyssa, lowered his head so his nose almost touched her neck, and breathed her in. The bristles of his Mohawk stroked her cheek and she seemed flustered by the butterfly caress.
Colt growled and felt his incisors lowering.
After several seconds that felt more like hours, Caleb stepped back and grinned across at Colt. "You're safe, buddy boy, I'm not going to be fighting you for the little lady." His southern accent was broader than usual, knowing it would drive him nuts.
Instead, Colt breathed a sigh of relief and noticed Connor doing the same. One down. It was a good sign.
Alyssa nodded her agreement. "Love the tribal patterns cut into your hair but I'm not attracted to you."
After that, they all followed Caleb's lead, and each time the answer was the same. Nothing more than mild attraction normally experienced between good-looking members of the opposite sex.
But there was still Chase to go, and this was the true test for Colt. In his opinion, Chase was by far the best man for Alyssa, far superior to himself in every way. Surely the dominant alpha would attract the female? That's how nature worked, wasn't it?
Reluctantly, Chase rose and took his place in front of Alyssa. He didn't lean down or invade her personal space in any other way. After a moment, he drew back, his face stark.
"There's something there. Had I met her first I might have explored it. But it isn't strong enough to challenge your claim, Colt, nor to disrupt our cohesion." He sent a regretful smile in Alyssa's direction.
"I would have called you my type, before I met Colt. But now I only have one type. I feel no strong attraction to you," Alyssa said, and Colt felt his heart break free of his chest and soar. He was her type. She chose the rough diamond over the polished stone. He felt almost dizzy with relief and happiness.
Alyssa
She nodded again, looking up at Colt as if hoping he'd take up the burden of this interview for her. But he couldn't. She had to do this alone.
"And you have been in Connor's company for an extended period, and yet feel nothing toward him?"
Clearing her throat, she started to speak. "I find him an attractive man but have no special feelings toward him. I'm not drawn to him in any way."
Chase nodded thoughtfully and looked at Connor. "And you?"
"Nothing more than the attraction I feel for any pretty girl."
"Would you mind if the rest of us came closer, to test out our reaction to you, and yours to us?" Chase asked slowly, eyeing Colt as if expecting him to go ballistic.
Colt looked down at the floor and hunched his shoulders. This was going to get hard, really hard. He wasn't sure he could contain his cat if he had to watch a line of guys sniffing at his woman. But this was why they'd brought her here: To find out. So he took deep breaths and tried to talk himself down from his escalating rage.
"Fine. What do you want me to do?"
"Colt, would you step out of the room for a few minutes?" Chase told him.
"Fuck no. I'm going to have a hard enough time watching this. It would be fucking worse if I had to imagine it from outside. Just get it done will you? Shit, this was a bad idea!"
"All right. Connor, be ready to grab him if he loses it. Now, Miss Aimes, if you'd stand in the centre of the space and breathe in a few times when one of us comes in close. Can you do that? None of us will touch you. Colt, did you hear that? None of us will touch her."
"Got it. Just fucking get on with it," he got out between clenched teeth.
Alyssa climbed slowly to her feet and went to the centre of the space. She seemed uncomfortable being the focus of eleven males' attention. Nervously she pulled at an errant curl that had escaped her plait. Her eyes darted from each male back to him, as if he was her anchor, her safe harbour. He forced himself to smile reassuringly at her, even though it was the last thing he was feeling.
One by one, the other versions of Colt went to meet his woman.
Caleb was first, and he prowled up to Alyssa, lowered his head so his nose almost touched her neck, and breathed her in. The bristles of his Mohawk stroked her cheek and she seemed flustered by the butterfly caress.
Colt growled and felt his incisors lowering.
After several seconds that felt more like hours, Caleb stepped back and grinned across at Colt. "You're safe, buddy boy, I'm not going to be fighting you for the little lady." His southern accent was broader than usual, knowing it would drive him nuts.
Instead, Colt breathed a sigh of relief and noticed Connor doing the same. One down. It was a good sign.
Alyssa nodded her agreement. "Love the tribal patterns cut into your hair but I'm not attracted to you."
After that, they all followed Caleb's lead, and each time the answer was the same. Nothing more than mild attraction normally experienced between good-looking members of the opposite sex.
But there was still Chase to go, and this was the true test for Colt. In his opinion, Chase was by far the best man for Alyssa, far superior to himself in every way. Surely the dominant alpha would attract the female? That's how nature worked, wasn't it?
Reluctantly, Chase rose and took his place in front of Alyssa. He didn't lean down or invade her personal space in any other way. After a moment, he drew back, his face stark.
"There's something there. Had I met her first I might have explored it. But it isn't strong enough to challenge your claim, Colt, nor to disrupt our cohesion." He sent a regretful smile in Alyssa's direction.
"I would have called you my type, before I met Colt. But now I only have one type. I feel no strong attraction to you," Alyssa said, and Colt felt his heart break free of his chest and soar. He was her type. She chose the rough diamond over the polished stone. He felt almost dizzy with relief and happiness.
Alyssa
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