An Intangible Pattern - Fate Bound.

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"Sure, but why not try the best of your options. You can always wear a collar on dates until you're certain."

Alex was speechless, she didn't know where to start with that argument, and she didn't want to fight with a friend, but she couldn't help but think:

Wearing a collar won't stop them from brutalizing me during a date. They don't have to bite me to hurt me.

Robert caught her discomfort and interjected, "When is the launch date? It must be coming up soon."

Jess's attention turned to Rob and Alex gave him a grateful look.

He smiled at her, as Jess began to talk excitedly.

"We have an announcement ready to go out on the 18th of January, that's when we launch our advertising campaign. Then I'm off to London for a press conference on the 20th and then we've got some interviews and a couple of TV appearances. I'm absolutely buzzing." she chattered enthusiastically, excitement lighting up her face.

"You're going to be on TV?" exclaimed Rob, raising his eyebrows with surprise.

"I'll be answering questions about the website. Gillian will be talking about the project and Noah will be there to cover the science questions."

Robert's smile became fixed at the mention of Noah's name.

"What? What is it?" Asked Jess, taken aback by his sudden stiffness. Alex gave him a pleading look and subtly shook her head.

"Oh nothing. I'm simply dying with envy. I was supposed to be the famous one." Lied Robert, with theatrical dismay.

Jess beamed at him.

"I'm surprised Noah's going." mused Cat absently, leaning past Alex and Jess, and selecting a packet of cheese and onion crisps from the coffee table.

Jess chuckled, "He had to be dragged kicking and screaming, but Gillian managed to convince him. The press are going to go crazy, I wonder if we can convince him to do some modeling for our ad campaign. Maybe we can get him to take his shirt off, the sign ups will shoot through the roof!"

Alex looked away as the image of Noah, chained to the chair, flashed in her mind's eye. Yes - she thought awkwardly, he did have the kind of body that commanded attention.

Cat snorted into her orange juice, "Good luck with that. Mind you, he does have trouble keeping his shirts on whenever he comes round."

"What do you mean?" asked Robert, his brow dropped under a frown.

"Oh not like that," Cat laughed at his suspicious expression. "He's very accident prone, we've ruined two of his shirts already during family gatherings."

"Right... an accident prone alpha," murmured Robert skeptically and looked questioningly at Alex.

She had avoided the topic of Noah in conversation with Rob, and she guessed Jess had forgotten to mention him after the Halloween gathering. She could sense his confusion and hurt and knew he was picturing all kinds of sinister scenarios. She would need to tell him that she had an arrangement with Noah before he decided to warn Cat.

"Well, to be fair to him..." Said Cat thoughtfully, after swallowing a mouthful of crisps, "...it was more that other people had accidents around him and his shirts have been collateral damage."

"I bet you shrank his shirt on purpose..." snickered Jess, looking up at Alex with a knowing look.

"No, I was just distracted," murmured Alex, smiling weakly.

"Come on, you can't tell me you don't find him attractive?"

Cat looked on attentively, while Jess interrogated Alex, who took a deep breath and answered, "Anyone can see he's attractive."