Page 15 of Bullied Alpha Bride (Wolfshade Brides-for-Hire #2)

The kiss really shook me up.

It’s the second time my urges have overpowered me, and I know I’m getting into dangerous territory. I can’t deny the hold Kit has over me, and I know I won’t be able to hold out forever.

I needed to blow off steam in the worst possible way, and even though a cheap night with greasy food and cheap drinks was top of my list, I never expected Kit to agree to it.

Watching him laugh with Bobby, downing shot after shot, I almost don’t recognize him. His dark brown hair is unruly, falling around his face in twisted tendrils. His clothes are smudged with dirt and grease, and his hands are dirty.

Looks like he just did a ten-hour shift in the factory, then six hours of straight drinking.

Kit turns to look at me, his blue eyes burning with excitement. “Thank you for bringing me here,” he says, the cultured tone of his voice clashing violently with his rough look. “I’m having a really good time tonight.”

“I think you’ve had enough of that rotgut,” I reply, putting my hand over the glass so Bobby can’t fill it again.

“Oh, come on,” Kit protests, jiggling the glass. “I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.” I shake my head, grinning. “You’re fucking drunk.”

“Pretty sure you are, too,” he laughs. “And your glass is full.”

I knock it back quickly, then show the empty glass to him. “Now it’s empty.”

“You’re no fun,” Kit groans. “You seriously want to go home?”

Even with my senses blurry and my mind a bit numb, I still don’t want to get stuck sitting in Kit’s living room. Or worse, curled up next to him in bed, trying not to touch him.

“How about darts?” I suggest. “Are you any good?”

“Never played,” he answers. “But I’m willing to try.”

“How about some dark ale?” Bobby asks, putting two big jugs in front of us. “And some mixed nuts and jerky?”

Kit grabs a slice of jerky and bites into it, making noises of approval as he follows it with a handful of nuts and a big swallow of dark ale.

“Oh my God.” He shakes his head, his eyes rolling back in pleasure. “Bobby, this stuff is amazing. I want you involved with the annual event.”

Bobby’s eyes go wide, and she stares at Kit like a rabbit frozen in headlights. “The big shindig? Beggin’ your pardon, Alpha, but I don’t think the likes of me are welcome there.”

“Apparently, we’re having a carnival,” I say. “Not a ball.”

“Even then,” Bobby mutters. “Doesn’t seem right.”

Kit raps the table with his knuckles. “We’re making changes, Bobby. Believe that. Residents of the West End are absolutely welcome on the north side. Just give me and my new council a few months. The elders are offering resistance, but we’re making changes.”

“How about your grandfather’s other… friends?” Bobby asks carefully.

Kit looks at her evenly, his face open and honest. I don’t know if it’s the alcohol or a personal revelation, but he looks like he’s suddenly become enlightened to a great truth.

“Bobby,” he says softly, “there are certain members of grandfather’s staff who are no longer in my employ, or that of the council. When grandfather died, so did that arm of the pack. There will be no more… visits from those three particular wolves. Never again.”

I swallow down a gasp as my heart flutters in my chest. Kit didn’t really reveal much, but it was enough.

He confirmed that the death squad really did work for Leopold, officially on the payroll. Even though most people knew, Leopold kept it as vague as possible so he could maintain his flawless image. Got to make the rich feel safe—but who cares about a couple of worthless peasants here and there?

I look away in a hurry, not wanting Kit to see my emotional struggle. I know richer families were sometimes hit, too, just in a much more discreet way. Leopold ruled by fear, and the kill squad was his weapon.

And Kit… did he approve of it? Was he part of it?

I turn to look back at him, and all I can see in his eyes is need.

He’s trying to change. I’ve got to give him that.

“Well, that’s good to know,” Bobby says. “Drink your ale, you two, and have a good evening.”

“I will. I mean, I am.” Kit smiles. “Here, let me buy a round for the bar.”

He goes through his wallet and pulls out a small stack of bills. He doesn’t even count it, just slams it on the table in front of Bobby.

“That’s far too generous of you—” Bobby begins.

“Take it,” he insists. “Spoil everyone in the joint. My grandfather told me the poor were dishonest, always scheming to get another dollar out of you. I’m pleased to find out that isn’t the case.”

“Get off with you,” Bobby says, waving at us. “I can’t take much more of this civilized conversation.”

“Let’s go,” I say, nudging Kit as I grab the beers. “Darts are over here.”

Kit stumbles a little as we reach the table, but manages to stay on his feet. I’m worried about how we’ll play darts, but after the first round, I can see he has a steady arm, even as drunk as he is.

“You can really play,” I comment as he pulls his darts from the board. “You really never handled darts before?”

“Nope,” he answers. “But I have aimed things at targets.”

He doesn’t elaborate, and I don’t ask. I take my turn with the board, most of my shots going wide.

“Might be time to call it a night,” I say, pulling the darts out of the board. “My arm is done.”

“Yeah,” Kit says. “I’m reluctant to leave, though. This has been so much fun.”

“We’ll come back,” I reply, patting his arm.

While I’m packing away the darts, I see a huge, lumbering shadow lift itself out of a back corner and trudge slowly towards Kit. I rush to get back to him, dropping the darts and cursing as I try to hurry.

“What’re you and yer fancy kind doin’ here?” the voice drawls.

Shit. It’s Johnny Cain.

Johnny Cain was the neighborhood hitman. People used him when they were under threat from anyone else—death squads or otherwise. Johnny was the only one in town to fight the squad and win.

Well, so goes the rumor. But the truth is, they would have faced each other at some point, and Johnny still isn’t dead.

“Excuse me?” Kit asks, his cultured voice no doubt grating on Johnny’s ear.

“I seen ya and yer fancy kind. Drinkin’ in my bar. Whatcha doin’ here?”

Finally, I get the darts back into the box and run across to the table, putting myself between Cain and Kit.

“Johnny!” I say loudly, waving my arms. “It’s me, Lexa!”

“Lexa? Naw. Y’aint. She was skinny with long hair.”

“I grew up a bit, Cain.”

He squints, but I know the light is too dim. And he’s way too drunk to confirm my identity.

“I dunno,” he rumbles. “I still think ya outta git out. Makin’ me uncomfortable. Don’t like your kind.”

“Of course,” I say, stepping back.

“Do you know who I am?” Kit asks suddenly.

I turn around, glaring at him furiously. Did you have to? I mentally tell him.

He shrugs as if to say, What?

“No, I don’t!” Cain yells. “And I don’t much care. Git out!”

“You can’t speak to me like that,” Kit mutters, getting up.

I hurl myself at him, slamming our bodies together so he stumbles back a few steps. I laugh loudly, way over the top, as I catch Kit and start dragging him towards the door.

“Don’t mind us!” I yell back at Cain cheerfully. “Just a bit too drunk. We’re leaving now!”

“Good riddance,” Cain grumbles.

I get Kit outside, and the crisp air hits me in the face, clearing my head. From the way Kit is stumbling, it hasn’t had the same effect on him.

“Hey,” he says. “Where are we? I was gonna—”

“Nothing,” I cut him off. “You’re doing nothing. I’m taking you back to the car, and I’m driving us home.”

“It’s my truck!” he protests.

“I’ll do you a deal. You find the keys, and you can drive.”

Kit starts patting himself down, looking confused. “I know I had them on me.”

He has no idea I slipped them out of his pocket when I jumped between him and Johnny.

“Too bad,” I snap. “You lost. I’m driving.”

We make it back to the truck, and Kit dozes on the way home, snoring softly. I’m worried about getting him inside by myself, but when we pull up in the driveway, Kit opens his eyes, and they look clear and focused.

“Wow,” he mutters. “I was really out of it.”

“There’s no way the alcohol is completely out of your system,” I reply. “You should take it easy.”

“Yeah, I will,” he answers, slowly getting out of the truck. He stumbles a bit, but otherwise seems fine.

“Thanks for driving me,” he says as I unlock the door. “I definitely wouldn’t have made it home.”

“It’s no problem—”

Suddenly, Kit stumbles into me, tripping over the stoop. I hold him up and shove him through the door, slamming it behind us.

“Home,” he says, throwing himself down on the couch. “Thank you, Lexa, for such a great night.”

“You’ve thanked me a lot tonight,” I answer, chuckling.

“Because I mean it. I’ve never let loose like that. It was great.”

“That’s good,” I say. “I’m guessing you didn’t get a lot of time to go out with your pack duties and stuff?”

“You said it,” he mutters, sitting up and running a hand through his thick hair. “I was allowed to go out, though. Just only to certain places.”

“Sounds like a prison,” I say, sitting down next to him.

Kit stares at the wall, his face shrouded in darkness. I only turned on one lamp as we walked in, and the room is full of shadows. I see his eyes shimmer, and I don’t know if it’s the rising of his wolf or unshed tears.

“You have no idea,” he whispers.

There is so much pain in his voice, I feel it in my own body. A sharp ache tightens my chest.

I can’t stand the thought of his suffering. Even when I thought I hated him, I never wished him pain.

“Kit,” I say softly. He turns to look at me, and I’m almost certain the gleam in his eyes is from tears he refuses to shed.

He reaches out, running his fingers down my cheek very gently.

“I’m so sorry, Lexa. The guilt in me, the regret…

sometimes it’s so huge, I can’t even breathe.

It squeezes the joy out of my life until everything is bleak and hopeless.

Finding you again, having this chance… it means more to me than you’d ever know. ”

“I think I do know,” I whisper, brushing his hair back from his forehead. Suddenly, I feel so close to him, and I can’t understand why I’ve resisted him all this time.

That might also be the rotgut talking.

Even though I was able to drive home, it’s only because I have a high tolerance for rough liquor. I’m still hammered enough to have extremely poor judgment.

“Lexa,” Kit whispers, staring into my eyes. “I’ll do anything to make it up to you, I swear. If I could take back those words, I would. I didn’t mean it. Any of it.”

I want to run. Fear sparks deep inside my guts as I remember Kit told me a lot of sweet words once before, but he rescinded them easily enough when it suited him.

But I’m too drunk to remember the details exactly, and the one and only thing I can really feel is the desire sweeping through my body again, even stronger than before.

It’s almost as if I’ve been holding it back since the encounter in the woods, and every second I’ve kept it chained up, it’s gotten stronger.

It’s a torrent now, a rushing flood that I can’t hold back.

I moan softly as I run my hands down Kit’s neck and on his shoulders, enjoying the feel of his hard muscles under the soft shirt.

I keep moving my hands down, teasing him and myself. When I reach the top button, I pause, but only for a second, before I undo it and move to the next one.

“Lexa, what are you doing?”

“Shut up,” I answer, undoing the next button. Kit’s breathing speeds up, but there is no other sound as I finish with the buttons and slowly roll the shirt off his shoulders and down his arms, pinning his hands behind his back.

Doubts flutter through my mind, but they’re far away, completely insignificant against the inferno of desire that’s building in me. Kit watches in stunned silence as I put my hands back on his shoulders and brace myself so I can slide over and straddle his lap.

“Lexa,” he murmurs.

I just shake my head, running my fingers over his smooth chest. I’m completely mesmerized by the sensation, and it intensifies my arousal, making my body throb and ache.

Leaning in, I kiss him gently, keeping him still with my hands and my knees. He gasps, leaning back into the couch as I deepen the kiss. I can feel the muscles in his shoulders straining as he tries to free his arms, but I just pin him even tighter.

I start to rock back and forth a little, teasing myself with pressure and grinding down with my hips. Kit’s breathing gets faster, until he’s taking short, panting breaths. Sweat starts to trickle from his brow, and I wipe it away gently with one hand.

I cling to his shoulders and tilt my head back, rocking away from him and driving my hips down. He moans, much louder than usual, and it sounds like he’s in pain.

Maybe that’s not such a bad thing…

With an evil grin, I lean in again, gently caressing his lips with mine and teasing with my tongue.