Page 3 of Bullied Alpha Bride (Wolfshade Brides-for-Hire #2)

The harsh glint of the sun hurts my eyes, even through my dark-tinted glasses. I turn my eyes downward and try not to wince.

Anxiety piled on top of a hangover on the eve of a blind date. How could this get any worse?

“Are you alright, dear? Can I get you something?” Iris asks brightly.

“No, thank you,” I mutter, taking a sip of incredibly strong coffee. When I arrived at the park, she was sitting at a picnic table waiting for me with a tall cup of straight black, super strong, sweet coffee.

Did she somehow know I take my coffee black and bitter as hell, or did she instinctively provide a tried-and-true hangover remedy?

Either way, it’s a bit creepy.

Watching Iris shuffle papers in front of me while she swipes on a small tablet, I have to admit she doesn’t look creepy.

She looks sweet, elegant, and extremely trustworthy.

Her shimmering white suit flickers with hints of pastel pink and blue, subtly announcing that it’s made of extremely expensive silk.

The cut is stylish and unique, fitted to her tall, curvy shape.

With her long blond hair pulled up into a complicated knot and her light, perfectly applied makeup, she’s the absolute picture of professionalism. Not a single detail is out of place.

Maybe that’s what’s giving me the vibe. She’s just too perfect to be real.

Iris looks up from her paperwork and smiles warmly at me. “Are you sure you’re okay? I can find you some aspirin or—”

“No, thank you, it’s fine,” I mutter. “I just want to get this meeting over and done with. How much longer?”

“He’s on his way, dear. Should be any minute now.”

“And I can still change my mind, right? If I don’t like the vibes, I can opt out?”

“Of course!” Iris smiles again. “There’s no pressure at all, and you can keep your initial payment even if you don’t go ahead with the contract. I just think that you should give serious thought to moving forward, considering your circumstances.”

I glare at her, aware that she probably can’t see my eyes through the dark glasses, but unable to stop myself.

“What do you mean by circumstances?” I mutter, taking another sip of coffee. I never mentioned I was on the run from my demonic father and his psychotic second.

“Just that you are low on money, with no place to stay,” Iris chirps. “This could be your last chance to turn things around.”

When she looks up at me, her face is serious, and her eyes are a little hard. She seems to gaze right through my dark glasses, fixing me with an intense glare.

“What do you mean?” I whisper.

“True love doesn’t come along every day,” she answers, her voice soft. “Sometimes, it needs a little push.”

“What?”

“I think he’s arrived,” Iris says, her chirpy, professional manner returning in a flash. “Head over to the fountain to meet with him, and I’ll send the digital contracts to you. If you decide to go ahead, use a digital signature and flick it back to me. Or, delete the file and the app to decline.”

“Okay,” I answer, standing up slowly. “See you in a bit.”

As I turn away from the table, I realize I don’t want to leave the relative safety of the picnic area. Iris is weird, and she seems to know way too much about me for someone I’ve only just met. But her presence is certainly preferable to that of a random guy I’m supposed to immediately marry.

What if he’s a fucking jerk? Really, what am I going to do then? Am I going to run into the wilderness alone?

Vivid thoughts of furious blizzards, icy winds, and cutting shards of frost flood my mind. I don’t have much chance of surviving out there, even as a wolf.

I have to do this. If he’s better than Vince, even slightly, then I’ve got to say yes.

I stop by the fountain, sitting on the little stone wall around the edge.

The central statue depicts a school of fish leaping upward with water spraying from their mouths and cascading back down into the pond.

The tricking water soothes me, and as I take a deep breath and let it out, I feel a flicker of hope deep inside.

Maybe he’s amazing. The man of my dreams. You never know!

Suddenly, a painful prickling races up my spine, sending chills of goosebumps across my skin. It’s like getting a nasty electric shock, and I jump so high I nearly fall off the bench. I look around desperately, trying to figure out what affected me so badly.

Lucky that I finished the coffee and threw away the cup already—otherwise, I’d be wearing it right now!

I glance down at my tattered T-shirt and jeans with some amusement. These were the most decent clothes I could find. They’re so old and worn, coffee stains could be an improvement.

I hold in a giggle when I think of how desperate this bachelor must be to be showing up like this to claim a bride he’s never even met.

He’ll probably change his mind the second he sees me, and all this anxiety will be for nothing.

The prickly feeling of being watched is getting stronger, and my instincts are screaming at me. I look around furtively, wondering if it’s Father or Vince.

I have to be ready to run, just in case.

Then I see a tall, broad-shouldered man emerge from the trees at the edge of the park. The shape is familiar to me, and my heart speeds up, hammering into my throat and making me light-headed.

It’s not… it can’t be!

But it is!

He’s walking purposefully towards me, his bright blue eyes locked onto me like lasers. With every step, he increases his pace, as if he’s afraid I’m going to run away.

I am…

I can’t take this—not this!

“Lexa?” The word emerges from his lips, soft and questioning.

I don’t blame him for not recognizing me. I look very different than the last time he saw me.

But he hasn’t changed at all…

“Kit,” I answer, hardly able to force the word through my throat.

I stand up, glaring at him as he stops in front of me. I try to focus on his eyes and not get distracted by the rest of him, but I can’t stop my gaze from sliding down as I devour the details I cemented in my memory so many years ago.

Broad, muscular shoulders, bulging arms, beautiful, long-fingered hands. Thick thighs and tight butt. And his face… oh my God, his face. Eyes like tropical pools, sculpted lips, and cheekbones that could cut diamonds.

“Lexa,” he says again, shaking his head a little. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here for a matchmaking thing,” I answer tersely. “It’s none of your business, really. What are you doing here?”

“Porter’s?” he asks. “Porter’s brides for hire?”

A sick feeling that has nothing to do with my hangover rises in my guts. I almost take a step back, but then I remember the fountain just in time.

Almost ended up on my ass in the fucking pond. Like I need this shit to get any worse!

“There has to be a mistake,” I say firmly. “Did you see Iris?”

“Yeah,” Kit replies. “She was at a picnic table, over there. She told me to go to the fountain to meet my match.”

“Surely, she didn’t mean me,” I answer, looking around in desperation. To my dismay, the area is empty except for a couple of kids.

“There has to be a mistake,” I murmur.

“Come on, Lexa. How many people do you think booked with the agency for today? It has to be us.”

“I’m not standing for this!” I state. “I’m talking to Iris about this right now!”

I set off towards the trees, with Kit close behind. When I get to the tables, they’re all empty. Iris is nowhere to be seen.

“Fuck!” I cry, stomping my foot with frustration. “She told me she’d stick around so we could talk about it.”

“She told me the same thing,” Kit mutters. “Hold up.”

He pulls his phone out of his pocket and flicks it open.

“She texted me the contract,” he says. “It’s waiting for a digital signature.”

“What?” I almost scream. “How can she do this?”

Kit shrugs. “It’s been filled out with our names. It’s not a mistake, Lexa.”

“But—” Protests rise in my chest, getting caught in my throat. I want to scream at him, hammer my fists against his wide, strong chest. But I also want to throw my arms around him, stretch up on my tiptoes, and touch those gorgeous lips with mine.

I thought I’d never see him again.

“So, shall we sign?” he asks me with a cheeky grin.

How I used to love that grin.

It crinkles his eyes a little and turns up the edges of his mouth, making him look even cuter than usual. He’s practically glowing with amusement, and the urge to give in to it and laugh with him is almost overpowering.

No, Lexa! Remember what that humor is like when it’s turned on you.

I fold my arms across my chest and take a few steps back. He watches me, his cheeky smile still on his face, but the humor drains out of his gaze.

He’s not sure. Good. He damn well shouldn’t be!

“I don’t see how this can work,” I say. “You know exactly how things are between us. We can’t sign the contract.”

“I don’t think there’s another match for either of us,” Kit says with some concern. “Forgive me for saying so, Lexa, but you look a little rough. I’m more than happy to help. Why don’t we just sign on now, and if it doesn’t work out, we can get a divorce later.”

A harsh laugh croaks out of me. “That sounds like a complicated solution to a problem that doesn’t even need to happen.”

Kit shrugs. “And how does it compare to the problems that brought you here?”

My mouth snaps shut as I glare at him again.

I hate this, I hate this!

But… I really have no choice.

Painful memories grip my heart, choking the life out of me. My mother’s death, my father kidnapping me to haul me back to Grace’s Fall… and Kit dumping me.

Dumping me right after we made love. After he said I was all he wanted, and he’d take care of me forever.

A low growl rises in my throat, and I clench my fists to stop myself from slapping him.

“Lexa?”

“Shut up,” I mutter, so low that he probably can’t hear.

“I am happy to see you again,” Kit says almost in a whisper.

I jerk my eyes over to him, examining him closely for lies. All I can see is his wide, innocent eyes and an extremely kissable mouth. Even though part of me is recoiling in fear, another part of me is waking up with breathless, fevered passion.

“Okay,” I answer, my voice croaking as I force the words out. “Let’s sign. As much as I hate to admit it, I am low on options right now, and I need this deal. It doesn’t mean I’m sticking with it, though.”

“Of course,” Kit says, flicking his thumb across his phone screen. “I have no expectations. It is very good to see you, Lexa.”

I swipe to the last page of the contract, looking up at Kit as I leave my digital signature. He looks sincere, and my resolve weakens as I look into his big, beautiful eyes.

What the hell am I doing?

His phone vibrates and pings, then mine does, too. A text message appears, alerting us that the files have been submitted and stored.

“Congratulations!” Iris’s message appears immediately after. “I wish both of you the very best in this union. I’ll be in touch over the coming weeks, but I’m confident that this is a strong match that will meet both your needs! Good luck, you two.”

I stare at my phone, feeling angry enough to hurl it to the ground. Kit holds out a hand to me, and I glare at him.

“Ready to go?” he asks, wiggling his fingers.

“No,” I snap, deliberately turning away from his hand. “But let’s head off, anyway.”

“Okay,” Kit says, following behind me towards the main parking lot. I keep my eyes front and my stride steady, trying desperately to hide the pain growing inside me.

Every horrible thing that has happened to me over the past few years can be traced back to Kit and that wonderful night we shared together.

If he hadn’t abandoned me, maybe none of this would have happened.

My eyes sting, and I clench my fists to push the pain away. When Kit catches up and tries to give me a warm smile, I just glare back, trying as hard as I can to hide my sorrow. He looks away, and I see a dark, haunted look in his eyes.

Good. He feels bad about this on some level. I’ve gone way past needing closure, but I have to admit, it might be good to hear him try to explain what he did to me.

As we approach the truck, I see Kit struggle to find words to say, then completely give up and look at the ground as he opens the door.

I don’t know if I prefer him apologizing or being mute with guilt. But either way, it’s going to be a long ride back to Cyan Lock.