Page 17 of Bullied Alpha Bride (Wolfshade Brides-for-Hire #2)

I have never felt so powerful.

While I make coffee and try to ignore Kit looking absolutely delicious as he stands naked in the kitchen, I try to pretend last night’s events were just a very vivid dream.

A bit difficult to do that while he’s standing there with everything on display.

Seeing him naked was enough of a tease before this happened. Now that I’ve had more direct experience with his body, my hunger has intensified. And being more mature, I have an appetite my younger self couldn’t have even imagined.

Even though I see Kit’s face crumple at my words, I turn away as if I didn’t notice—or just don’t care. I don’t want to explain myself to him, and in a way, I don’t even think I should have to.

I sit down at the table to scroll through my phone while he goes to get dressed. I can’t focus on anything. My mind is spinning relentlessly between, I shouldn’t have done that and Fuck, I want to do it again!

It’s dangerous and self-destructive, but I let my mind drift back to last night. We had such a good night together, and seeing him loosen up and enjoy himself on the rough side of West End deepened my attraction to him.

There’s nothing hotter than a good boy getting dirty.

“Oh,” a gasp slips from my lips, forced through my chest by a wave of heat that rushes through my belly, making my pussy throb so hard, I have to press my thighs together.

The feeling of having him pinned under me and being in complete, total control, owning him, taking him the same way he took me…

I drop my phone and put my head in my hands, rubbing my temples. I didn’t even know myself last night, and that was the only way I was able to let go the way I did.

I wasn’t thinking about the future, or what any of it would mean in the light of day. I was so hot for him, so desperate to feel good, then I got a taste of being on top for once… and for the first time in my life, I was in complete and total control.

And I fucking loved it.

I hear Kit’s step in the hall and quickly pick up my phone to hide the fact that I’m having a severe freakout. I even manage to look relaxed as he strolls into the kitchen and picks up the coffee I made for him.

“It’ll be cold by now,” I say, amazed by how smooth my voice is.

“I don’t mind,” he answers gruffly, sitting down across from me.

When I glance up over the edge of my phone, he’s looking at me, but the second my eyes meet his, he directs his gaze straight to the table. I try to think of something to say, but nothing comes to me, so I just look at my phone again.

Then the damn thing buzzes in my hand, and I jump so high I almost drop it. The banner flickers across the top of the screen, and I tap it to take me to my texts.

“Who is it?” Kit asks.

“It’s Cass,” I reply, staring at the screen. “She says they’re doing some planning today, and I should go in to help.”

“You should. It will be good for the pack—and for you.”

I look over the edge of my phone, a hard look in my eye. “Don’t tell me what’s good for me, Kit.”

“I’m sorry,” he says. “I wasn’t trying to tell you what to do, but it is important for you to be involved in the pack business.”

I hold in an exasperated sigh and close my eyes for a second to give myself strength. “You’re right,” I agree. “Should we head to town?”

“Yes, let’s go,” he answers, getting up a bit too fast. “I’ll have council duties, too.”

Standing up, I slip my phone into my pocket and head outside. I can hear Kit’s footsteps behind me, and I have to force myself to keep walking and not look back.

I am not going to spend the day sneaking glances like an infatuated schoolgirl! Been there, done that.

When we pause by the truck, Kit looks towards me, and I manage a casual smile. He takes a breath, and an expectant silence hangs in the air for a second, but then he just unlocks the truck and gets in, shaking his head a little.

Please don’t say anything…

While we drive to the hall, his scent slowly drifts over to me, and I have to fight the urge to throw myself into his lap.

By the time we reach the hall, my muscles are locked up with the effort of sitting still. As we get out of the truck, Kit reaches out as if to take my hand, then quickly steps back and tries to hide the gesture.

“I’m going to the rec hall,” he says. “Cade’s over there. I’m assuming the girls are out the back of the church in the study. Do you know where it is?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” I answer, not actually having a clue. “Thanks.”

Kit waves and walks off around the front of the church to head to the hall, and I follow the little path around the edge of the building to the garden out back.

Attached to the main church is a small house made of very old stone. I shove the wooden door, and immediately, I hear cheerful laughter from down the hall. I follow the sound.

Warm air and the scents of sugar and butter drift towards me as I approach the end of the hall. The sound of laughter gets louder, and when I knock hesitantly on the door and stick my head inside, I’m desperately hoping I’m in the right place.

Surely an official meeting wouldn’t be so informal?

“Lexa!” An excited shriek tears through the laughter, and an incomprehensible blur streaks right at me, throwing me against the wall. The second I put my arms around her, I know who it is, and my eyes sting with tears.

“Kate,” I whisper, hugging her so tight, I feel like I might crush her. My old friend is giving as hard as she gets, though. It feels like my ribs are about to break.

“Where the hell did you go?” she practically screams, pulling back to grip my upper arms and shake me. Her expression is a mess of confusion, relief, joy, confusion… and fear.

“I… uh, had to leave,” I say, knowing my words are woefully inadequate. “I will explain everything, I promise. I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you I was leaving.”

Kate’s eyes glimmer a little, and I see her lip tremble.

“I thought you were dead,” she whispers.

I wrap my arms around her, whispering very softly in her ear. “I nearly was.”

When I pull back, her eyes are wide as if her dozens of questions are going to leap out of her right here and now. I shake my head slightly, and she nods, the small gesture letting me know she expects a full explanation at some point.

“Leave some for the rest of us,” I hear another voice say behind me.

“Misha?” I gasp.

My other high school friend pushes her way past Kate to hug me, and I feel tears threatening me again.

“It’s good to see you,” Misha says, and I know I’ll have to explain everything to her as well.

Where do I even start? I was kidnapped by my father, whom I barely knew, and traumatized by my mother’s mutilated corpse, and then forced into slavery.

“C’mon in,” Cass says, gesturing me towards her. “We’re just going over the planning for the event. Kate and Misha are often involved in the pack business, and there was no way they’d miss today.”

“I’m glad they didn’t,” I say, giving Kate’s hand a squeeze. Misha puts her arm around me from the other side, and I lean into her.

“Get some cake,” Mabel says. “And some coffee or tea, then get comfy.”

“There are no rules in here,” Xavier says, raising his teacup. He’s sitting on the floor, his back propped against the couch so he can rest his head against Cass, who is stretched out from one end of the sofa to the other like a big cat.

Mabel has claimed the biggest armchair and is sitting cross-legged right in the center of it with stacks of cookies and slices of cake perched on the long arms as if she’s stocked up for a weeklong sit-in. I take an extra hard look around the room just to confirm Loretta isn’t here.

Kate and Misha go to the big couch at the end of the room while I grab some tea and cake. I wiggle into the seat between them and take a huge bite of vanilla sponge and raspberry frosting.

While I chew, the room goes very quiet. I start to look around uncomfortably as the others look my way.

“We need you to officially start the meeting,” Mable whispers.

“Oh, fuck,” I mumble through a huge mouthful of cake.

The silence only holds a second longer before everyone bursts out laughing.

“Just kidding,” Cass giggles. “We’re completely lawless in here. Now! Let’s get together some ideas. You all know I’ve got the cotton candy sorted. What else do we need?”

“Fried food,” Mabel says, her eyes closed as she chews on a cookie. “Fried chicken. Fried butter. Fries.”

“Right!” Xavier says, looking down and furiously air-writing with an imaginary pen. “One heart attack, coming right up.”

“You shut your mouth,” Mabel snaps. “Or I’ll shove a cookie in it.”

A mischievous grin flashes across Xavier’s face. His cheeks color a little, as if getting pinned down by cute, chubby Mabel isn’t a threat of punishment in the slightest.

“Seriously, though,” Cass says. “Are we going to hire games and rides, or run it with people from town?”

“I think we should hire some of it,” I answer. “That way, everyone can just have fun. If people want to run stalls, then that’s up to them. Can we put up a community group or something online to chat about it?”

“Great idea!” Mabel says, grabbing her phone and typing furiously. “I’ll get on that right now.”

“You’re going to get grease all over your phone,” Xavier says, raising an eyebrow.

“Not your business,” she growls. “These sticky fingers will be all over you if you don’t shut it.”

Again, Xavier blushes a bit, but Mabel doesn’t even notice. I wonder if the two of them might need a nudge, and what it would take to get them together.

I’m heading up one meeting, and I’m already matchmaking.

“There’s a company in one of the towns at the far edge of the Pass, towards the human world,” Cass says. “They can get us what we need, but it’s a bit pricy. They have to bring the equipment a pretty long way.”

“What’s our budget?” I ask.

Cass reaches for a stack of paper on the table beside her, holding it out to me. “It’s significant,” she says in a low tone.

When my eyes scan the text, I have to read it three times.

“Half a million?” I whisper. “What the fuck? Do we even use that much money on this thing?”

“It has been known to go over,” Mabel says. “Depending on what the elders want to do, and who they want to impress. Sometimes, they bring alphas and top families from other packs to rub their noses in it.”

“Jesus, fuck,” I mutter. “There are people in the West End who don’t have enough to eat!”

“I’m aware,” Cass says ruefully. “A lot of us are. The elders have a lot to answer for. We’re glad to have you here, Lexa.”

When I look over at her, Cass is holding me in her steady gaze and gives me a little nod. Her confidence in me gives me strength, and I feel a true sense of responsibility to the pack for the first time.

Things need to change, and I’m going to see that it happens.

We spend the next half an hour deciding what games and rides to have at the carnival and taking expressions of interest for stalls. I want to get into the topic of charity and improving conditions for the West End, but I decide to put it aside for now.

I’m going to make damn sure every single pack member gets to enjoy this party, though. No one will be turned away from the gates.

As the meeting wraps up, Kit messages me, giving me his financial details so I can do some shopping while he concludes his meeting. Everyone has places to be, so we go our separate ways after I make sure they all have my number so we can catch up.

“You still owe me a big chat,” Kate says, pointing her finger at me.

I nod and smile as if my hidden secrets don’t weigh me down like the chains of hell. “Will do. It’s so great to see you again, Katie.”

“You too, hun. Catch up soon!”

The church isn’t far from the main street of town, and it only takes a few minutes to reach the shops. At first, I head straight towards the budget stores, then I realize what I’m doing.

I wonder how long I’ll have to live with a poor-person brain. I don’t have to “make do” anymore… I can actually buy things I like!

I feel like a complete impostor going into the fancier shops, but the second I walk in, the attendants recognize me and make me feel welcome. I don’t know if they’re just nice or if it’s because I’m the luna, but at the moment, I don’t even care.

The stores offer to deliver my things so I don’t have to carry bags, and I happily agree. I wonder briefly about the charges to Kit’s card, but then I don’t worry about it at all.

He said to get whatever I want. A girl never knows when she’s going to need a full-length red dress in finely spun alpaca wool… with a long shawl to match.

After I’ve had my fill of shopping, I look for a place to get a decent coffee. The one I liked as a teenager has closed, and I find myself in a very quiet side street far off the main drag, not knowing which direction I want to go.

While I’m scrolling maps and “coffee shops near you,” I start to get a creepy, prickly feeling down my back. I look up so quickly, I almost drop my phone, but the street is still empty.

Get out of here, Lexa!

Now!

My instincts have never failed me, and years of abuse only honed them to a keener edge. I turn and jog towards the nearest corner, taking the street even though I’m not sure where it goes. I immediately join a small crowd, and to my relief, there’s a big café just a few blocks away.

As I walk towards it, I wait for the creepy feeling to fade, but it doesn’t. I have to keep scanning the crowd, looking for faces that might be familiar.

Could my father be here? Or Vince?

A shudder runs through me, and my throat closes in terror. Even though it’s only been a couple of days, the memories of abuse are fading swiftly. I want— need —to believe the world can be a safe place.

Still, the feeling of being watched doesn’t leave me. While I sit at the café, I keep scanning the crowd, telling myself over and over again that nothing is there and that I’m safe.

But I don’t believe it.