Page 5 of Bully Alpha’s Pregnant Mate (Starfire Hollow Alphas #2)

“Well, this is ridiculous,” Isadora complains as she glares out the car window. “Just because we signed a marriage certificate doesn’t mean I have to live in your… castle .”

She’s been fuming since we left the reception, tossing out every excuse she can think of for why she shouldn’t stay under my roof. Apparently, my “palace of pretension,” as she so kindly dubbed it, is the last place she wants to be.

I let out a long breath, reminding myself for the fifth time that I’ve faced down rogues, rival alphas, and the council itself; I can handle a few barbs from my new wife.

“Isadora, it’s tradition,” I explain, trying to keep my tone even, though her attitude is starting to grate. “An alpha and his luna are supposed to live together. What do you think the pack will say if you’re shacked up somewhere else?”

She rolls her eyes, barely glancing my way. “They’ll survive. And I’m perfectly capable of ‘shacking up’ on my own, thank you very much.”

I bite back a retort and keep my voice calm. “Really? So you’d rather have every pack elder, council member, and gossip in East Hills whispering about how their luna won’t even stay in the same house as her husband?” I let out a humorless laugh, gripping the wheel a little tighter. “Perfect. That’ll do wonders for the alliance.”

“If you’re so worried about appearances, maybe you should try pleasing someone other than the council for once.”

“Is that what you think?” I demand, shooting her a sharp look. “That I’m just some council-pleasing puppet? I’m sorry, Isadora, but you’re not exactly innocent in this, either. You’re the one who jumped into this whole thing to please your family. Pot, meet kettle.”

She glares and crosses her arms even tighter. “That’s completely different.”

“Oh, really? Care to explain how?”

But instead of answering, she lets out a sigh and looks away again, pressing her lips into a tight line. The silence grows between us as I turn onto the long, tree-lined driveway leading up to my house, the tension simmering as if it might boil over at any second.

As we pull up in front of the house, I cut the engine and get out, fully expecting her to follow. But instead, she stays glued to her seat, arms still folded in defiance, her eyes trained on the building ahead like it’s some sort of medieval prison.

“Well?” I raise an eyebrow, nodding toward the front door. “Are you coming in, or are you planning on sleeping out here?”

She lets out a dramatic sigh, finally unbuckles her seatbelt, and climbs out, casting the house one last disdainful look before following me up the steps. Every step she takes is heavy and deliberate, like she’s being marched to her doom.

Inside, she barely glances at the grand entryway before she drops her coat onto a nearby chair and wheels around to face me. I can’t help but notice the way she stands, with her chin lifted and her back ramrod-straight—defiant, even now.

“Just so we’re clear, Alec, I’m not staying here because I want to. I’m staying here because you’ve strong-armed me into it.”

“Right.” I give her a dry smile. “And it’ll stay that way until you see reason.”

“See reason?” She lets out a disbelieving laugh. “Alec, reason went out the window the second you dragged me down the aisle. I don’t want to be here, and you know it.”

I shrug, leaning casually against the doorframe, trying to keep my own frustration in check. “Guess what, Isadora? Neither do I. But we both have people counting on us. People who would benefit from us… getting along.”

“Getting along?” she repeats, looking at me like I’ve just suggested she dance in the middle of the forest. “Alec, if you wanted us to get along, maybe you should have started by not forcing me into your house.”

“Oh, that’s rich.” I take a step toward her, my voice lowering as I feel my temper flare. “Do you think I’m exactly thrilled to have you here, either? You think this is what I wanted?”

She bristles, and for a second, I wonder if she’s about to throw something at me. Her eyes flash with anger, and her jaw sets in a way that I recognize all too well. She’s about to blow.

“Then why force it, Alec? Why drag me here just to keep up appearances?”

“Because appearances matter,” I shoot back. “They matter to the council, to the pack, and to the alliance. If we don’t show a united front, this whole thing—our marriage, this alliance—it’s pointless.”

She rolls her eyes, huffing out a breath. “You know, Alec, maybe if you worried less about what everyone else thought, you’d actually be a decent leader.”

Her words hit harder than they should, like a stone thrown right at my pride, but I force myself to stay steady. I take another step closer. “And maybe if you stopped trying to run every time things got complicated, you’d actually be a decent luna.”

She freezes, but only for a heartbeat before her eyes narrow into slits of fury. “Run? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, come on, Isadora. Are we really doing this?” I cross my arms, holding her glare, feeling the anger I’ve tried to suppress finally breaking free. “You left. When things got rough, you went off on some ‘self-discovery’ mission while the pack was here fighting for its life. While you were off ‘finding yourself,’ demons were tearing through East Hills and the neighboring packs. We lost good people—hell, people who died trying to keep this place standing while you were off halfway across the country.”

She barks out a short laugh, like she’s trying to mask the hint of guilt I just saw flicker in her eyes. “I had my reasons, Alec. Just because I left doesn’t mean I abandoned my family. Or the pack.”

“Doesn’t it?” I fire back, my tone cold. “Because that’s exactly what it looked like. While the rest of us were here, dealing with everything the demons left behind, you were conveniently out of reach. You didn’t know half of what we went through.”

“Maybe I didn’t,” she snaps. “But you don’t know what I went through, either. I came back, didn’t I?”

“Oh, yeah, sure,” I say, sarcasm dripping from each word. “You came back when it suited you. After you’d had your fill of wherever-you-went, you waltz back in and expect everyone to pretend like nothing happened.”

Her hands are clenched into fists, her eyes flashing like she’s barely holding herself together. “You don’t get it. Just because I wasn’t here doesn’t mean I didn’t care. I love this pack as much as you do.”

“Do you?” I challenge. “Because it sure doesn’t look that way. All I see is someone who leaves when things get rough, who thinks she can come and go like none of it matters.”

“Don’t turn this around on me, Alec,” she snaps. “Just because I wasn’t here to fight your battles doesn’t make me some flight risk. You’re the one who’s been bending over backward to keep everyone happy, playing the perfect little alpha for the council and the pack elders. So don’t stand there lecturing me about loyalty or responsibility.”

I take a step closer, anger and something else—something raw—building with each word. “At least I’m here. Present, standing by them, doing what needs to be done, even if that means making sacrifices. I’m not the one who left.”

Her face flushes, and for a second, I wonder if she’s going to hit me or storm out. Her gaze darts to my mouth for the briefest instant before she scoffs, throwing her shoulders back.

“I hope you have no grand delusions about what’s going to happen tonight, Alec. I’d rather kiss a frog than share a bed with you.”

Her words are sharp and biting, but instead of pulling back, I find myself stepping closer, drawn in by the fire in her eyes, the defiance practically radiating off her. Her blue eyes stay locked on mine, and there’s something in the way she stands—her chin lifted, breath coming just a little too fast—that gives her away. Her shoulders are tense, but she doesn’t move, doesn’t put any real distance between us. It’s like she’s cemented to the spot.

“Is that so?” I say. “Because right now, you don’t look like you’re about to deny me much of anything.”

She narrows her eyes, standing her ground, and I can’t help but admire the way she holds herself these days. Isadora is all grown up.

My line of sight drops to her mouth, to the slight part of her lips, and I feel a pull I hadn’t anticipated, something raw and electric that’s as maddening as it is tempting. She’s close enough now that I can feel her breath wash over my face, and I catch the faintest scent of her perfume mixing with the night air. Orchids and vanilla swirling together with her pheromones.

It’d be so easy to lean in, to close the distance between us. To turn all that heat and anger into something else entirely. And for a second, I almost do.

But then she pulls back, snapping us out of the moment like a taut string suddenly cut, leaving only silence and a cold reminder of the distance between us.

“Nice try, Alpha,” she sneers. “But I’m not one of your little admirers who’ll just fall in line and do what you say.”

The words sting, but I force myself to remain in control. “Believe me, Isadora, I wouldn’t expect you to be. But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re here now, and we’re going to have to make this work. So you can either keep fighting it or—”

“Or what, Alec?” she snaps, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. “I’ll be forced to live with you, forced to play the perfect luna for the council, the alliance, the pack… and you’ll just go on doing exactly what they want, won’t you?”

“You think you know me, Isadora? You think just because we knew each other as kids, you’ve got me figured out?”

She doesn’t respond right away, and I almost laugh at the irony of it. Here we are, facing off like adversaries on opposite sides of a battlefield, and somehow, it feels like she’s closer to understanding me than anyone else has been in a long time.

“Maybe I do know you,” she says finally, her voice quiet but cutting. “And maybe that’s exactly why I want to be anywhere but here.”

For a moment, I just stand there, watching her, the fire in her eyes and the way she holds herself with such fierce pride. There’s a part of me that almost admires it, that can’t help but be drawn to the strength in her defiance, even as it drives me crazy.

“So that’s how it’s going to be, then?” I say. “You’re going to keep fighting me, no matter what?”

She doesn’t answer, but the look in her eyes says it all. This isn’t going to be easy, and we both know it.

I stare at her, trying to keep my temper in check, but all I feel is the heat rising under my collar, frustration building up to a sharp edge. I’d brought her here tonight with every intention of trying— trying —to smooth things over, to apologize for how we left things in the past. But here we are. She’s made it abundantly clear that she’s not interested in apologies, unity, or anything close to understanding.

“You know what?” I growl. “Fine. If you want this to be a war zone, then have it your way, Isadora.”

She rolls her eyes. “Glad we’re on the same page.”

Without another word, I turn, striding out of the room, leaving her standing there with that defiant glint in her eye like she’s won something. The urge to slam the door behind me is strong, but I force myself to keep my footsteps steady, each one echoing through the house as I make my way to the living room. The last thing I need is for one of my security personnel to start running their mouth about early marital strife.

Her words replay in my mind, each one stinging a little more than the last. And I can’t ignore the guilt buried underneath the anger, the knowledge that maybe I earned some of those accusations.

I grab a blanket from the armchair, throwing it onto the couch with a resigned sigh. If she wants the bed to herself, then fine. She can have it.

As I lie there, staring at the ceiling, I tell myself I’m perfectly fine sleeping on this couch, that I’m doing the right thing by giving her space. But deep down, I can’t shake the feeling that this arrangement is going to be a long, cold battle unless something changes.

The night stretches on, and sleep doesn’t come easy. I toss and turn, replaying every word, every look, every smirk on her face that somehow managed to get under my skin.

This was supposed to be different. Hell, I’d even convinced myself that maybe there could be something good here if we could just look past… everything.

Eventually, sleep drags me under, and I wake up feeling stiff, irritable, and even more determined to stay out of her way.

I’ve barely sat up when I hear the front door open, and my sister’s voice echoes through the entryway.

“Alec? Are you here?”

I rub a hand over my face, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep, and stand, stretching out the stiffness from a night spent on the couch. “I’m here,” I call back, heading toward her voice.

Jade’s already in the kitchen. Her face is tight with an urgency that immediately puts me on high alert. Her usual easygoing smile is gone, replaced with an expression that’s all business.

“What’s going on?” I ask.

“I had another vision,” she explains. “It’s… it’s bad, Alec.”

A chill needles its way up my spine. Jade’s visions have saved our pack more than once, and they’re rarely ever good news.

“What did you see?” I ask.

She hesitates, looking away, and I can see the weight of whatever she saw in her eyes. “It’s the town. There’s something coming… I don’t know exactly what, but it’s powerful. Dark. And it’s heading straight for us. I think we’re running out of time.”

My mind races, the last remnants of sleep fading as adrenaline kicks in. “When? Did you get a sense of how soon?”

“No,” she says, shaking her head. “But it felt close, like it could happen at any moment. We need to warn the pack and start preparing for whatever this is.”

I nod, already thinking through the preparations, the defenses we need to strengthen. But as much as I want to jump into action, I know I need to keep a clear head and think strategically.

“Alright,” I say. “We’ll gather everyone tonight, make sure they know what’s coming.”

She places a hand on my arm, her eyes worried. “Alec… this feels different. Worse than anything I’ve seen before.”

I swallow hard, nodding. “Then we’ll be ready.”