Page 24 of Ruthless Alpha Beast

“Yes, ridiculous,” I say. “When a mate moves into an Alpha’s pack, they stay with the Alpha. That’s how we do things around here, that’s what you signed up for.”

“I’ll sleep on the floor, then,” she mutters, gazing off to the side.

I shake my head. “You’re not going to sleep on the floor.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re my wife,” I tell her, my voice raised as I stare deeply into those unbelievably visceral eyes. I fight the urge to hold her in place, but it seems as though the change in my tone has sparked her attention enough.

“Or soon-to-be wife,” I correct. “And you’re just not sleeping on the floor, okay? That’s just not acceptable.”

There’s a beat of silence, and through that silence a strange air settles upon us. It’s hard to describe, but it feels unbelievably tense. Like a guitar string about to snap. I can still hear her heart beating, I can see the steady rise and fall of her chest, the world is moving, but still, somethinghasto break.

We’re at a stalemate.

Neither of us moves, and for a split second, I remember what went through my mind the first time I saw her at that bar.

I knew she was human.

I was about to leave, and then I froze. I justhadto buy her that drink.

What an idiot.

I shake the thoughts away.

“Look,” I say. “This isn’t going to be easy, but I’m going to need you to cooperate with me.”

She takes a deep breath and shakes her head.

“You’re asking me to do something I’m not comfortable doing. I assumed that there would be a spare bedroom.”

“Well, there’s not,” I say, making my way to the back window so that I can take a normal breath. She’s being sounbelievably difficult. “This is the way we do things around here. What do you think I’m going to do anyway? What are you so worried about? I’ll keep to my side. I’ll be respectful.”

She laughs. A fake, I hate-you-laugh.

“You,respectful? Oh no, I don’t think those two words go together.”

“Can you trust me?” I ask her.

I get why she wouldn’t, but I’m putting my trust in her. That’s what happens when you make a deal.

“Look,” she says, eyeing the door. “Maybe this was a bad idea.”

Do I let her go? I think of the pack. What happens if this doesn’t work? Well, what happens is one of them will have to marry a witch. Not only that, but if Tara goes ahead and tells a bunch of people about our little deal, I’m pretty sure that we’ll be punished.

And hey, punishment for myself is fine, whatever, I’m sure I deserve it. But it’s not for my pack. They won’t suffer because of my mistakes.

This has to work.

“No, we’ll make this work,” I tell her. “I don’t want to argue. I’ll just sleep on the couch, okay? You get the bed. Does that work for you?”

Leadership can be the most frustrating thing at times. The ego in me hates to concede and give up my bed of all things, but it’s for the pack.

A deal’s a deal.

“You don’t have to do that,” she murmurs.

“Yes, but I am. To make you happy-”