Page 10 of Bullied Alpha Bride (Wolfshade Brides-for-Hire #2)

Shifting mid-run, I feel a surge of excitement as my paws hit the dirt and my wolf takes over. A sizzling wave of exaltation floods into my skin, accompanying the thick fur covering my body.

Instantly, sound and scent engulf me, refreshing all my senses. The thick pine smell mingles with the damp air, and the soft noises of small animals as they move through the forest make me feel so alive. My emotional turmoil falls away as I immerse myself in my wolf.

I can hear Lexa bounding along behind me, and in this state, divorced from my higher thinking, the sensation of having her with me is pure bliss.

Running with my mate… this is how it should be. How it always should have been.

Echoes of memory shiver in my mind, like reflections rippling on water. I see myself standing over her in the pale morning sun, watching her for a moment before I slipped out of there like a thief and left the love of my life sleeping alone.

I had to! It was all I could do to keep her safe!

But what if I had run… like I am right now.

Joy surges through my wolf’s soul, and it can’t be contained inside my chest. I hurl my head back and howl, a sound of pure happiness. Behind me, Lexa howls, too, and I know the good feeling inside me is being shared by her.

It’s as if both of our wolves know the same truth—that if I had chosen her, in that moment, we would have shifted and run into the forest, never needing to look back.

My wolf mind can’t contemplate the complexities of human situations, and the bubbling press of those thoughts dilutes my focus. I shake my head briefly, letting the unwelcome images fall back into the hidden part of my mind.

I turn my eyes up to the sky, seeing the stars beginning to come out. They flicker like diamonds under white light, reflecting back in the full spectrum of colors. The sight empties my head of thoughts, and I push up towards the ridge, enjoying the way the physical exertion feeds my primal soul.

It takes some time to get up the steep rock walls as we leave the hills, and I look behind often to see how Lexa is coping. Every time I look back, she’s leaping fiercely from rock to rock, bounding up the hill and keeping pace with me.

When she sees me looking back, her ears prick up and her eyes brighten. She bursts out with a happy bark, and I answer her, my tail wagging in wide circles as I turn back around to tackle the hill again.

We’re almost at the ridge when ugly thoughts begin to slither beneath my wolf mind again. Even in my animal shape, I can sense them, and they are so intense, it almost shocks me back to being human.

I have to tell her the truth.

I can’t tell her the truth!

I want to ask her for more details about how and why she left town. It’s something I’ve always wanted to know. But now, it’s absolutely vital.

If she knows her mother was killed by the death squad and that they were coming for her, would she even be here right now… with me?

Iris Porter may have assured her safety or given some other kind of guarantee. Maybe Lexa wants justice—or revenge—for her mother.

If she knows it all, she could be playing me—right now.

The thought is not a comfortable one. The idea that she is gathering information, waiting for an opportunity to use it, and attack other pack members, fills me with fear.

Not just that someone could get hurt, but that she could look right into my eyes and lie to me.

But that’s exactly what I’m doing to her.

A soft growl rumbles through my teeth, and I shake my head back and forth, putting more energy into my run. The sight of Laura’s broken, bloodied body rises in my mind, and I can’t get free of it. I can even hear my own words echoing in my mind as I demand that Grandfather give her a decent burial.

He didn’t confirm or deny that the death squad was responsible!

The realization hits me hard. Now that the conversation has surfaced from the depths of my mind, I can clearly remember that he never took the blame for it.

Maybe he didn’t care, or just assumed his goons did it. He cared more about the fact that I failed to do it.

When we lowered Laura into the earth, only three of us were there. Myself and two of her friends from town, Poppy and Jinette. They had no idea what had become of Lexa, and after I became alpha, they helped me search.

But I lost contact with them… I don’t even know if they’ve heard she’s back. But it’s been almost a full day… surely the gossip has gone the full rounds by now.

When I finally burst through the trees and leap up onto the high ridge, I’m trembling from the exertion of running so fast and hard.

To my surprise, Lexa is right beside me, and she still looks fresh and full of energy.

Her ears are pricked up, and her eyes sweep across the town, reflecting back the myriad of lights laid out before us like crystal shards scattered on black velvet.

She hurls back her head and howls, and the sound comes from so deep inside her, it feels like it echoes through my bones.

My own howl spirals from my chest, my entire body consumed by the sound and the emotion behind it. Our voices mingle together and become one. A new song, one made by both of us.

The forest seems to hold its breath, and a deep silence falls as our howls die down.

The forest—and the entire pack—knows now that we are bound.

Lexa takes a few steps to the edge of the rock, her body trembling as she looks beyond the town to the savage mountains beyond it. She seems distracted now, her eyes searching the darkness as she shivers.

My need to ask her what’s wrong is so strong that my human shape takes over all at once. Suddenly, I’m kneeling on the cold rock, my wolf gone and my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth.

“Are you okay?” I ask, struggling to master myself so soon after the shift.

Lexa looks over her shoulder, tilting her head again. Her human shape comes over her slowly, and a sigh eases through her as the wolf falls away, leaving her sitting on the rock outcrop with one leg dangling casually over the edge.

I can only see her silhouette, traced by faint starlight. She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

“I’m okay,” she answers, still looking into the forest. It’s as if she expects answers to be waiting there, or she’s waiting for something to come out of it.

The pressure to talk about the past looms over me, something with real, tangible weight. I feel like I’m going to be crushed under it, flattened by my lies if I don’t let them out.

But in the end, I’m too much of a coward.

I struggle to find something to say that won’t evoke bad memories, but there’s absolutely nothing—no topic that doesn’t touch the horrors of the past. I ignored her most of the time in school.

We shared an art class together once, which was fun, but any mention of school will inevitably connect her mind to the end-of-school party.

“How did your grandparents die?” Lexa asks, making me jump.

I’m surprised she spoke, but even more shocked by the question itself. She doesn’t look at me, just keeps her eyes on the faraway hills. I can’t discern anything from her manner.

“I saw their graves,” she goes on. “When I was at the cemetery. I was wondering if it happened right after I… left town.”

“Yes, very close to it,” I answer. “They went to the human world on some kind of mission and were killed there. It’s been a mystery as to how it happened. The wolves we sent out didn’t actually find the bodies, but the pack doesn’t know that. We held a full funeral with empty boxes.”

Tension floods across her body, and I know she’s probably thinking about her mother’s grave and how it isn’t empty.

I want to get us off these topics and focus on us.

“I know you weren’t up to it today,” I say, trying to keep my voice even, “but I do need you to attend meetings with me. It’s important to have your input as we move the pack forward in a new direction.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. I’m trying to get the younger people involved and start new traditions that are more inclusive than our old ways.”

“That sounds good.”

“I’m getting some resistance from the older members, but once you’re a part of it as well, we’ll be able to push back. I don’t just want to make our pack conditions more welcoming; I want to make alliances with other packs, too.”

“Like who?” she asks, turning to face me.

“Oh, my friend Galen, for a start. His pack is closest to us, and the situation was a bit frosty when my grandfather was in charge, but now we can come together and support each other. Heal the old wounds.”

“A bit frosty” is a hell of an understatement. Grandfather fought Galen’s grandfather once, and it ended up being a draw. It was the only reason we kept peace between our two packs—because both of them were unbeatable.

“I like the sound of that,” Lexa says, smiling.

I move up to sit next to her, and when I take her hand, she doesn’t move away from me. When I turn to look at her, she still has her face turned towards me, her lips only an inch from mine.

“I need you, Lexa.” My words come out as a hushed whisper. It hurts my chest to let them out, as if my ribs have peeled back to expose my heart.

A flicker of doubt crosses her face, and my heart speeds up a little.

“I mean—the pack needs you,” I say. “All of us need you.”

She gives a small nod, her eyes still fixed on my face. She hasn’t moved away, and when I feel her fingers run up my arm, I almost jump out of my skin.

I stay completely still as she runs her nails gently down my wrist, then slowly wraps her fingers around mine. When she squeezes my hand, I squeeze back, and a smile brightens her face.

I remember that smile.

The night we were together, I saw her truly smile for the first time. I’d like to believe I’m the first person who ever saw that expression of pure, complete joy on her face.

I love you, Lexa. Please believe that.

She tilts her head a little, her lips so close to mine I can feel her breath on my cheek. Memories flood through me from that night, and I can feel my hands slick on her sweat-soaked skin, taste her on my tongue, and feel the unbelievable thrill of moving inside her.

I never knew sex could be like that.

Her hand tightens on mine, and I know she’s remembering, too. Arousal floods through me as I remember how she gave herself to me completely. She opened herself up and let me do anything I wanted, bending to my will and urging me on until I ravished her completely.

There’s no part of her I didn’t touch. She gave it all to me, and I threw it away.

Even though the guilt still weighs heavily on me, all I can think about is having her again. I waited so long, believing I’d never see her again, and now she’s here, right in front of me, naked, with her sweet lips almost right against mine.

I don’t do it—she does. It’s Lexa who leans forward slightly and presses her lips to mine.

The shock floods into me, and shivers run across my skin as I fight to stay still. The urge to grab her and throw her on her back so I can finally spend my pent-up lust is almost overpowering. But somehow, I stay still.

Lexa closes her eyes, leaning forward to put her hands on my shoulders. She kneads her lips against mine, her slick, hot tongue darting out to tease at my own.

My mouth returns the kiss, but I’m afraid to even touch her, so I keep my hands braced on the ground, letting her control everything. She leans in even further, tightening her grip on my shoulders as she deepens the kiss.

I don’t deserve this…

I don’t deserve you.

I wish I were a strong enough man to pull back, but I’m not. When it comes to Lexa, I’m completely lost. Utterly helpless.

I am yours, my love. It doesn’t matter if you claim me or not. My body, heart, and soul are yours, and always will be.