Page 13 of Cruel Alpha Beast (Roseville Alphas #1)

I won’t lie, this hurts.

My heart sinks deeply into my chest as I see Lacey’s eyes widen in the warm glow of Danielle’s magic ball of light. She wasn’t expecting me to hear her, hear her true thoughts about living with me. Being married to me.

“Sawyer, I’m so sorry…” she breathes out.

She’s sorry, but she shouldn’t have to be, I tell myself. I mean, I did force her to marry me. I gave her an incredibly difficult ultimatum that she had to choose on the spot, and now she’s miserable living with me.

I did it because I care about her.

I did it because I want to keep her safe.

But I didn’t consider how she might feel about it at all. And now I’m facing the consequences of my actions.

“I woke up, and you weren’t in bed,” I tell her. “I started to panic, so I called Greg. He’s at the house in case Shea wakes up while we’re gone.”

“I’m sorry,” she says again, as if it’s the only thing she can think to tell me. “I-I had to see Danielle and Monroe. I had to tell them about… Well, I had this nightmare. There was this woman, and she was covered in flames—”

I take one step closer, finding that patch of dirt I’ve worn raw over the years. The young woman named Violet raises the red bulb of magic in her hand, illuminating the snarl on her face.

“Back away, wolf,” she threatens. “You’re encroaching on witch territory; I will not have it.”

“No, Violet, stop—” Lacey pipes up, but I don’t need her to defend me.

“Do you really think I’m the alpha of this town, but I don’t know its limits?” I challenge her. “I’m standing on my own land. You can’t tell me shit, witch.”

There’s a nasty glint in Violet’s eyes. “You say that word so poisonously, fleabag . But you don’t know the first thing about me or how powerful I am.

I could gut you with one flick of my wrist. I could make your blood spill into the lake from here.

But what could you do? Sniff your friends’ asses?

Scratch behind your ears with your hind feet?

Wag your tail? You’re a pathetic, filthy wolf. ”

My hands clench into fists of rage at her words. I can almost feel my fingernails turning to claws, my teeth to sharp fangs, my skin to fur. But before I can transform and show her what I’m truly capable of, Violet’s eyes glow as red as the light in her hands.

Except the light has changed, too. Now, hot bulbs of fire spin around in her palms. She lifts her arms as if she’s about to throw these fireballs at me, but Lacey reaches out and pushes her to the ground before she can do so.

As soon as the fire touches the earth, the grass and twigs catch on fire. Quickly.

Horrified at what could soon be a fiery fate befalling her, Violet’s eyes widen to the size of saucers.

She quickly blows out through her lips, and soon, a large silvery bubble surrounds her, protecting her from the glowing flames that are rapidly spreading.

If nothing happens, the forest will soon be ablaze.

The willow tree will be the least of our problems at that point.

Luckily, Danielle is quick on her feet. The light in her hands extinguishes, and soon, all we have is the moonlight to guide us.

I watch as she conjures water out of literal thin air and starts rolling her hands together like she’s kneading some pizza dough.

The water swirls into a large ball, much bigger than the flames Violet created.

Danielle thrusts her hands down toward the blaze just before I have to dart away so I don’t get caught up in it. The water extinguishes the fire immediately, leaving nothing more than a loud sizzle and a cloud of thin smoke rising upwards from the scorched earth.

“Are you crazy ?” Danielle shrieks at Violet, whose protective bubble has disappeared. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

“It’s one thing to protect the traitor,” Violet sputters out, rising to her feet. “It’s another to protect that mongrel she calls a husband ! I-I’m going to tell Penelope!”

“And I’m going to tell her how you almost killed an innocent man and destroyed our forest over nothing .” Danielle counters.

Lacey is staring at me like she’s trying to make sure I’m unhurt, but I avoid her gaze. Though Violet’s flames didn’t burn me, her words from earlier are still stinging deep inside.

“Go ahead,” Violet goads Danielle. “Tell Penelope whatever you want. I’ll tell her the wolf started this fight. I’ll tell her I was only defending myself. I’ll tell her that you sided with him over me. You and your impotent sister.”

“Try it all you want,” Monroe hisses back. “There are witnesses. Your story won’t hold up for a second.”

“You really think I care?” Violet snickers. “Besides, everyone saw you walking around with him yesterday, welcoming him into your home. Who do you really think they’ll believe?”

The crazed witch turns to look at me, fire still in her eyes.

“You got lucky, mutt,” she says in a now controlled anger. Then she turns to the twins. “And you… You saw Lacey push me. Are you still sure she’s not a traitor?”

And with that, Violet turns away, slipping back through the trees and out of sight.

“Thank you,” I say quickly, though it feels strange to thank a witch. “You, uh, you saved me.”

Shivering, Danielle creates light in her hands once more and eyes me cautiously before nudging Monroe with her elbow. “We should go home. All of us.”

Monroe nods, waving goodbye to Lacey. The latter sidles up next to me, so close I can feel the heat from her body.

“We’ll keep researching,” Danielle murmurs to the woman beside me. “And we’ll get in touch with you if we find out anything else.”

“And we’ll keep an eye on Violet, too,” Monroe whispers loud enough for us to hear her.

I nod my head and watch them retreat through the woods. Lacey looks at me with regret in her eyes.

“So,” I grunt out. “What’s the story with that Violet girl?”

Lacey sighs. “The story I heard was that she was found wandering through the woods alone as a kid, and she was raised in the coven. She, uh, she was always kind of an outcast, though.”

“I think I can see why,” I mutter, checking my arms for any signs of singed hair.

“Let’s just say, she would have made me look like I was the most popular girl in the valley,” Lacey continues, giving me a playful smile.

I nod solemnly. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

Silence falls over us like a heavy, awkward blanket. The street lamps cast long shadows ahead of us as we walk back toward the house. I can tell that Lacey is trying to get my attention, that she wants to say something, but it’s not until the house is in sight that she has the bravery to speak up.

“Sawyer, I’m really sorry—”

“Thanks,” I cut her off. She looks at me, confused, so I continue. “I would have been toast if you hadn’t saved me back there.”

“Oh,” she mumbles. “I wasn’t even thinking. I just… I couldn’t let you get hurt like that. I mean, you could have lost your life back there if I hadn’t been quick enough. I had to do whatever I could.”

When I look at her in the light from my porch, I see that her eyes are glistening. These aren’t tears of guilt. No, these are genuine tears.

She saved me.

She cared enough to do that much.

Despite her lack of powers, she did all she could to fight against an unhinged witch. All to save me.

“Lacey,” my voice rumbles out.

All I can feel is this magnetic pull toward her. All I want is to touch her skin again. I need her, and I think she needs me.

We enter the house and find Greg sitting in the kitchen, helping himself to a bowl of cereal. He finishes his last bite, dumping his milk in the sink.

“Everything all good?” he asks in a thick voice.

Lacey and I exchange glances before I answer.

“All thanks to your beautiful sister,” I say, taking her hand in mine. This time, she doesn’t go rigid. This time, it’s like she melts into me.

Greg nods to us, ignoring our connected hands. “Then I’ll head home. You can fill me in later.”

“We will,” Lacey says quickly.

I can sense the heat building up inside of her. She wants me just as much as I want her. And more importantly, she wants her brother to get the fuck out so we can be alone.

“Thanks for watching, Shea,” I add. “I owe you one.”

“More like a thousand,” Greg corrects. Then he nods his goodbye and leaves our home.

The door latches behind him, and Lacey looks at me with a different kind of fire in her eyes than what Violet had. Without another word, she pulls me into the living room and heads for the stairs, but I’m far too hungry. I can’t wait another second.

I tug her closer, pulling her into me. My hands grip her face, and I lean down to capture her lips against mine. She tastes just as I remember. Like honey and cloves. Delicious and sweet.

I need more. I need her.

I reach down, and with her help, I’m able to pull her shirt over her head.

In the soft glow of the table lamp in the living room, I can see her silky, smooth skin.

She doesn’t cower from me. She lets me trace the curve of her breasts with my eyes.

And she allows me to savor her body with my exploring mouth.

As my lips find her tender nipples, I hear a sharp intake of breath, and I know I’m doing something right. The bottom of my stomach tightens, as does the front of my pajama pants.

I don’t want this moment to end, but I don’t know how much longer I can wait.

Lacey’s fingers trickle down my sides, spreading goosebumps up and down my arms and legs. Slowly but surely, she dips her fingers below my waistband, and soon, I’m stepping out of the pants, pooling around my ankles.

My breath catches in my throat as she grabs my hard cock and starts pumping her fist up and down its length. Like two puzzle pieces, everything clicks together. Her every movement makes me start losing the tenuous grip on my humanity and become one with the feral beast howling inside.

She breaks our kiss to come to her knees, her eyes shining as she stares back up at me. Wet, warm lips encircle my swollen head, slowly drifting down and back, down and back, down and back…

She speeds up her ministrations, and I worry I won’t be able to keep my cool. The pleasure builds, but before I can explode, I pull back. Lacey looks at me, almost in shock.

“Turn around,” I tell her, my voice raspy.

“What?” she asks.

“I said, turn around ,” I repeat. “On your hands and knees.”

Understanding my command, she assumes the position, allowing me to pull her shorts down.

Presenting her perfect, ample ass to me, I stroke her rounded cheeks.

She wiggles her hips backward, whimpering when my fingers drift down to her dripping core.

With featherlight touches, I circle the entrance, biding my time, building her arousal, and somehow holding myself off.

“ Please ,” Lacey murmurs. “I need you.”

“We have the rest of our lives,” I say as smoothly as I possibly can.

Her whimpers grow louder as I find her throbbing clit. I continue to tease until I can tell that neither one of us can wait any longer. The beast inside is winning. I must take her.

She must be mine.

“Are you ready?” I ask.

“Yes, please!” she yowls back.

And with that, I line my hips up with hers. The head of my cock slowly sinks into her slick core. Breath hitching in my throat, I realize that I haven’t felt this good in a long time.

Lacey breathes in sharply through her teeth, falling onto her elbows to push me in deeper. I smirk to myself as she turns over her shoulder to look at me. If her cries for me to fuck her weren’t enough evidence of her desire, her heavy-lidded eyes tell me all I need to know.

I enter her completely, feeling her tighten around me, like she never wants to let me go.

Luckily for her, I don’t want that either.

I have enough sense to go slowly at first, then build up. The faster I go, the more the beast takes over. I’m hardly myself anymore. The only thing keeping me down to earth is hearing her low moans, her begging.

“You’re mine,” I seethe down to her. “Tell me you’re mine.”

“I’m yours,” she whimpers out.

Gripping her hips as tightly as I can without hurting her, the wave crests inside of me, and I throw my head back, growling out as I fill her with my seed. Lacey cries out in pleasure at the very same time, tensing around my stiffness as her body shakes.

One cheek to the carpet, she looks back at me, her lips moving, but no words coming out. She doesn’t have to say anything out loud, however.

What just happened between us transcends words.