Page 94 of Ruthless Alpha Beast

When she sees them, she laughs. “No way.”

“What?”

She shakes her head. “You’re telling me that you, Alpha Jasper,hugeshifter werewolf, are going to be getting on some small bike?”

“Mine’s not that small.”

I’ve used this bike before, one time when I wanted to switch things up. It lasted a total of five minutes before I got bored and eventually shifted into my wolf.

But I’ve got a human to entertain now.

“Not in human terms but for you—"

I take a deep breath, trying to ignore how cute she looks while eyeing the bike.

“Tara, will you join me on a bike ride?”

She gives up.

“Yes.”

I lead the way through the forest, and as the sun begins to set, the bicycles automatically light up.

She gasps as that happens.

I don’t know if her perpetual shock is a human thing or just a Tara thing.

Either way, it’s funny how the smallest of things amuse her.

“Just to the right,” I tell her, as I lead her deeper into the forest.

“This isn’t an ambush, is it?”

“Who knows!” I call back.

It’s nice to be doing something different. Even if my body knows I’m going at a speed that is frankly offensive.

The path begins to narrow, roots curling across the dirt, and I slow my pedaling so that Tara can keep up.

I make a comment about her speed and balance, and I listen as her laughter drifts through the trees. She already sounds lighter—less stressed. I realize I like that sound more than I should.

Once we reach the clearing I was looking for, I push my bike onto the grass and gesture for her to follow.

I haven’t been here in a while, but I already feel myself calming.

The air is clearer out here, the space more open.

“Where are we?” She whispers, looking around in awe.

It’s my secret spot.

I discovered this place a few years ago while returning from a hunt. It’s a beautiful, wide meadow that stretches out on top of a cliff.

You can see the stars so clearly that it feels like you’re right next to them. Below is a view of the entire forest.

I drop down to the grass, leaning back on my hands. “Sit,” I say softly, as though the silence of the place requires it.

She hesitates, then folds herself down beside me. Her hair brushes against my arm, and I feel it like mini little sparks.