Page 18 of Rejected by My Stepbrother Alpha (Billionaire Shifter Club #1)

C omplicated

Asher

The pounding of my feet on the forest floor did nothing to drown out the tornado of thoughts wreaking havoc in my head.

After seven long years without her, Ivy was back.

It had been hours since our meeting, and the shock caused by her sudden appearance still hadn't worn off.

When I went home to my apartment, the only thing on my mind was Ivy—well, she went by Ivinia now.

After pacing for the entire evening, I decided to go for a run to try to clear my head.

It wasn’t working.

Thousands of questions bombarded me as I ran through the quiet, dark woods.

Why did Ivy pretend not to know me at the meeting?

Why did I care so much about her snubbing me and flat-out refusing to work with my company when I was the one who sent her away?

What had she been doing all these years besides working?

Was she single? I didn't see a wedding ring on her finger, and I did look for it.

At least I knew the answer to the question I’d been dwelling on since she left. Ivy had been living in the ColdCrest Pack territory. This I had figured out on my own since that was where Blackwood Inc. was located. Their territory was as far as you could get from mine. Was that why she went there?

That thought made my heart pang with regret, and I rubbed my chest.

The biggest question I had was why I still had such an intense desire for her even after I broke our Fated Mates bond.

The need for her was so overwhelming it was like there was a creature clawing in my chest, trying to get out—or more accurately, trying to get to Ivy.

My wolf was in agreement. Even now, he was going crazy in my head, demanding that I transform so that we could find her.

I quickened my pace until my feet were barely touching the ground.

I was practically flying through the woods, trying to outrun my frantic mind.

Idly, I registered the sound of scattering leaves at my feet and the hoot of an owl above me.

Usually, when I ran in my human form, I jogged on the running trail through the city because I liked the view of Sun Fire.

But instinct had pulled me toward the woods tonight.

Maybe because Ivy was at the forefront of my mind, and these were the same woods that I had rejected her in.

Wasn’t it ironic how Ivy had done the same thing to me today—rejected me in front of an audience?

I couldn't stop picturing Ivy's face when she had smiled right before she said her company didn't want to work with mine. Had she enjoyed rejecting me?

Could I blame her if she did?

Remorse filled me for the way I rejected her so cruelly in front of the entire pack. Right after we discovered we were Fated Mates, I wouldn’t even allow her a conversation to talk things through.

I’d been grieving for my father, who had been on his deathbed, but now that I could look back on that night with hindsight, how I had treated her was unacceptable. If my father had been there, he would have vehemently disagreed with the way I had treated her.

Ivy and I had such a complicated history.

Our short time together was filled with lust, betrayal, and heartache.

I went back and forth with myself on whether Ivy was in on her mother's plans. I wished that I could just know the truth, but it wasn’t like Ivy would give me the time of day if I tried to talk to her again.

If I really considered the way I felt about Ivy, I couldn’t give a definite answer. My feelings for her were just as complicated as our history.

I faltered mid-step as a high-pitched sound interrupted my thoughts.

I froze and listened to the loud sound as it reverberated through the forest. A few birds even flew from their branches. It took me only a moment to understand what the noise was.

It was a woman screaming. But not just any woman…

Ivy.

Without pausing to think, I allowed my wolf to take over, transforming into my other form.

The clothes burst off my body as I leaped through the air as a human, and when I landed, I was a wolf.

Digging my paws into the dirt, I launched in the direction her scream had come from, flying through the air, running faster than I’d ever had in my life. There was only one thought in my mind.

Protect her.

The bright lights of the city momentarily blinded me as I ran out of the trees. My eyes quickly scanned the area, and cold dread filled me when I spotted a giant gray wolf stalking toward Ivy with his sharp teeth bared.

Ivy was sitting on the ground, her back against a wall.

Her distinctive reddish-brown hair was whipping through the wind, and she was holding her arm to her chest. Just from the delicate way she was gripping it, I knew she was wounded.

Ivy's head kept nodding forward, then jerking back up as if she was trying to keep herself conscious. And her eyes kept fluttering closed. How much blood had she lost already? In this injured state, she wouldn’t be able to shift to protect herself.

The bastard was going to pay for hurting her. He was going to pay for even thinking about hurting her.

A deep growl ripped out of my throat as I darted as fast as a bullet toward Ivy’s attacker. The other wolf's head swung toward me right before I crashed into him, and we rolled through the air, slamming to the ground in a flurry of sharp nails and teeth.

The gray wolf bared his teeth and growled as he struggled to stand.

My adrenaline and Alpha strength pumped through my body like a drug, and I easily stood back up on my four legs and lunged for the wolf who was still unsteady. I aimed for his neck, but he moved at the last minute, and I bit into his left foreleg.

The wolf howled in pain as I sank my teeth even further into him.

Good.

Whatever pain he’d caused Ivy, I was going to return to him ten-fold.

I loosened my jaw just slightly so that I could go for his throat, but the wolf used this opportunity to rip his foreleg out of my mouth.

He whimpered in pain as his blood flowed, but he managed to shakily stand.

Even after his injury, the bastard looked past me to where Ivy was still on the ground, holding her arm to her chest. Blood was seeping over her skin, dripping onto the ground.

Her face was white as her head lolled to the side, but she managed to keep her eyes open.

Red-hot rage sliced through me like a knife. I was going to kill him, and I'd make sure his death was slow and painful.

The wolf darted to the side, trying to find a way past me to get to Ivy, but I blocked him, mirroring his moves, dodging left and right.

We continued this for a few minutes, and after a while, the wolf let out a frustrated huff.

When he tried to make a run for Ivy, I'd snap my teeth at him in warning.

My opponent was quick on his feet, but he was no match for me.

I was an Alpha, and he was in my territory.

I'd protect anyone on my land, but I’d defend Ivy with my last breath.

When the wolf’s eyes shot over to the side again, I used this distraction to go for his throat. My fangs sank into his fur, and his salty blood filled my mouth. As the wolf howled in pain, I looked back at Ivy to check on her.

No!

My stomach swooped with anxiety when I saw Ivy’s eyes were closed and her breathing was shallow.

Because of my surprise and fear of seeing her this way, I loosened my bite and the bastard sprung away from me, his wound spraying blood onto the ground.

The wolf didn't try to fight me or go after Ivy again.

He escaped and ran as fast as he could with his injuries into the dark woods.

Cold dread made my stomach sink as I rushed toward her. My blood ran cold as I prayed to the Moon Goddess that she would be all right.