Three Alphas, Three Mates

Chapter 16 - Carson

"Well?" I ask after a while of neither one of us saying anything.

"Well?" Carson asks.

I nod, not that he'd see it.

He's avoiding my eyes. But he breaks that silent form of protest to look at me incredulously. "You're the one who stopped me. Why are you well-ing me?"

I cross my arms. "You're the one who seems to have a problem, so—"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

I sigh. "I'm not trying to fight with you. I just want to address the obvious problem."

"Which is...?"

I look at him.

He stares at the gym door.

I run my fingers through my hair. "I think it's obvious, like I said."

He sighs and shoves his hands in his pockets. "I have a class to get to and responsibilities, so if you have something you want to say, say it." He stares at me, as cold as Aiden.

I shake my head. This was a mistake. "Nevermind."

"Nevermind?"

"Yeah, nevermind," I walk towards the gym.

"What, that's it? I thought you wanted to talk?" he walks towards me.

I keep walking. "You wanna fight someone? Go try it with someone else. I told you that's not what I was looking for."

He grabs my arm.

I yank against his grip. "Stop it."

"I'm sorry," he says, not letting go.

I try to say something but he cuts me off.

"Please. I'm sorry just... don't leave. I'll talk."

"Well then let go." I look at my arm.

He doesn't budge.

"Carson." It doesn't hurt, but that doesn't mean I want him grabbing me. "Let go."

He lets go, reluctantly.

I take a few steps back. I rub my arm.

He stares at it. "Why do you do that?"

"What?" What could I possibly be doing now?

"You don't want me touching you, at all. You act like I'm burning you or something. I can't even look at you without you yelling at me."

That's not true. "I just want you to respect me," I say.

"No, you want Axel."

Oh my god. Here we go again. "Why are you so stuck on this idea that I have a favorite?"

He gives me a look. "Maybe because I'm actually in touch with reality?"

I cock my head back.

He scoffs. "I'm not blind, Mia. It's clear you have a favorite, and it's clear who that favorite is."

"Well tell me who, because I guess I didn't get the memo."

"Don't play dumb."

"I'm not. I'm worried about my family and myself. The last thing I'm concerned with is—"

Carson stalks towards me, abruptly.

I take a step back, but he corners me up against the wall. He props one of his arms above my head, putting his weight on it and trapping me.