Page 10 of Alpha Wolf’s Arranged Bride (Rose Hollow Wolves #1)

I can’t do this!

The thought rings through my entire body like an alarm, warning me to let go, pull back—just get away!

But I don’t want to.

My mind slips away as the needs of my body overtake my senses in a powerful wave. Letting go of my fears, even for a moment, is just as seductive as Rex’s mouth on mine.

I let my hands slip around his waist and press my body up against his, writhing against him. Turning my head up, I open my mouth, begging him to deepen the kiss.

He groans softly, squeezing me even harder as his tongue flicks against mine. There are no thoughts in my head, no pain, and nothing holding me back. The uncertainty of the last few years melts away as if it never was.

Heat burns through me, warming my thighs and setting off a throbbing ache deep inside me. Every inch of my skin seems to become supercharged, and I brace my hands against Rex’s back so I can rub my body against his.

Rex pulls back a little, looking into my eyes as his hands roam down my back. He smiles, his eyes wide and full of love.

That’s what I thought that night—

I push him off me, staggering backwards so fast, I almost fall down. Rex watches me, reaching out as if he wants to catch me but is afraid to come closer.

I can’t believe I almost—

“Scarlett,” he says gently. “We should talk about this.”

“There is nothing to talk about,” I gasp, my breathing heaving in and out of my chest.

“That was not nothing,” he answers, his voice taking on a hard tone. “You want me. I could feel it.”

“Wow, good for you,” I shoot back. “You can recognize when someone is horny and frustrated. Do you want a medal?”

“It was more than that,” he replies, his face stern. “Don’t lie to me.”

As I pull myself together, I shake my head, scoffing just a little. “You’re really that good, huh? You can read my mind? If that’s true, then why do we need to talk?”

“Scarlett, please. We spent a whole year together, and I—”

“Oh, right!” I bark, feeling my sanity fully return. “Thanks for reminding me. I did fall in love with you—except it wasn’t you. It was James Drent. Tell me, is it the same guy?”

“Look, you know it is,” he says, exasperated.

“I’m afraid I don’t believe that, Rex. James Drent was a drifter looking for a home. His poor, dead mother came from Eccles, and he wanted to see where she grew up. He settled in and stayed. Made friends, fell in love. Then disappeared like a thief in the night!”

“Scarlett—”

“No, I’m not done. Are you even related to Martha Drent?”

“No,” he answers sullenly.

“Well, this just gets better and better!” I say, knowing I’m going too far, but unable to stop the cascade of words. “What in the hell were you doing in Eccles, pretending to be someone else?”

“I want to tell you everything,” he answers. “But I just can’t. It’s for your protection—and Jarrod’s.”

When he says my son’s name, my temper immediately cools. The only reason I’m here with him is because I have to protect Jarrod, and I’d do absolutely anything to keep him safe.

Maybe Rex feels the same way, and he had to do extremely questionable things to protect me. In doing so, he protected Jarrod, too.

I look up at him, and I can see intense emotions shimmering in Rex’s eyes. The problem is, he won’t explain to me exactly how he feels, and that hurts me more than his hidden past.

Shaking my head, I rush past him to the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. For a few minutes, I just try to get myself under control, gasping as tears run down my cheeks.

I have so much to be afraid of. My uncle and his crazy rituals, Rex’s lies… and that he still holds a piece of my heart.

Even though warm tears still run down my cheeks, the strength seems to have gone out of me, and my sobs have settled down. I’m exhausted and almost beyond hope.

Now I have to go and get into bed with him, and I think I’m more afraid of that than anything else.

I take my time freshening up and putting on comfortable clothes, hoping that Rex will be asleep by the time I get out of the bathroom. I hear him moving around in the bedroom, and my anxiety rises again.

If he cared about me, he would answer my questions. He’d be eager to tell me the truth and repair the damage he did to me when he left.

To me, this is just a simple fact. If he ever loved me at all, then his heart would demand he tell me the truth. More than that, if he was serious about the marriage working and the two of us being together for the rest of our lives, then he’d trust me and want me to know everything.

An icy splinter of fear slowly pierces my misery. If my marriage to Rex isn’t permanent, that means we could be vulnerable to my uncle again.

Maybe both packs are playing each other, and Jarrod and I are in the crossfire!

The thought is almost too terrible to contemplate. The only reason I’m trapped here in this hell is to save my son, and now I could be putting him in even more danger.

And it’s not just the pack war we have to worry about. Jarrod loves Rex. I can see it.

A soft moan rises in my throat, and I have to wipe my eyes again. I’ve never seen Jarrod so happy, and even though he has friends, freedom, and opportunities here, I know most of it is because of Rex.

If he betrays us like he did before, it will crush Jarrod. His heart will never survive it.

The idea of my little boy being hurt in this way makes me feel empty and cold.

It’s horrific that having his heart broken by Rex is the lesser evil here.

I wrap my arms around myself, willing my body to stop shivering. It’s even more important now that Rex and Jarrod don’t learn the truth. It would be bad enough for Jarrod to lose a father figure, and so much worse to lose his real dad.

I listen closely for a few minutes. Everything seems quiet in the bedroom. I come out of the bathroom slowly, seeing Rex sitting up in bed. I let my eyes just flick over him as I hurry to the bed and curl up with my back to him.

The tension in the room rises sharply, and I close my eyes, waiting to hear the sound of his voice.

He’s going to demand we talk. I’ll keep wanting answers—while hiding my secrets—and he’ll just dodge me. Neither of us will learn anything, and we’ll just keep fighting.

To my relief, Rex switches off the lamp and settles down, keeping his body away from mine as he pulls up the covers.

I try to clear my mind so I can get some rest, but my head is full of ugly thoughts. Tears continue to trickle down my cheeks, and every moment adds weight to my heart.

I don’t know what to do. I’ve never felt so trapped.

I slip in and out of sleep, troubled by dreams of running endlessly and never reaching safety, even though it always seems to be within my grasp.