Deniz bites his lower lip, trying to hold back a laugh. I pout dramatically. "Are you laughing at me?"
Finally, he releases it—a soft, uncontrollable laugh that fills the space around us. For a moment, the funfair seems to fade away. It's just him… and his laugh.
I stare at Deniz without blinking.
Beautiful —
His smile fades—slowly, like it realizes it stayed too long. He looks down, fingers tightening at his side.
"I'm sorry," he murmurs. "I was just…"
I smile before he can finish.
"You look good when you smile."
His cheeks flush instantly, red spreading all the way to his ears. He turns away too fast.
"Let's go."
As we walk, I throw one last glare at the shopkeeper.
"I'm an alpha," I repeat stubbornly.
She hesitates, then nods with an awkward smile.
Deniz stops in front of a ride.
"Do you want to try this?"
I stare at it—cotton candy halfway to my mouth—eyes following the roller coaster as it screams along the tracks. Fast. High. Dangerous.
…Huge.
