Page 9 of The Alpha’s Forced Omega (Alaska Alpha Wolves #1)

Alpha Elias sighs, his chest softening like a firm pillow where I have my cheek resting against it.

My nerves are shot, and I’m unable to rest easy when his arm is slung around me, holding me close as his soft breathing seems as if he’s trying to lull me to sleep.

I must have dozed off briefly after experiencing the enigmatic consummation and quelling of my wolf’s heat. That was merely impulsive, but the moment I spoke up and told him that I’d never done that before, he’d taken the utmost care to ensure my comfort.

What was that about?

I can’t help but sit in the safety his arms provide and wonder if it was all a dream. Only a dream could feel as good as that, and there’s no explanation for why it felt as good as it did.

It was nothing short of perfect, exceeding my wildest expectations.

After all, I’d only ever imagined what it would feel like to kiss his luscious lips.

Lifting my head carefully, I look up to see that his lips are parted slightly now as he snores lightly in his sleep.

Those very lips had been in unspeakable places tonight, administering pleasure that took me to the height of my existence, where I had been plunged off in ecstasy.

Like a leap of faith, I’d entrusted the soothing and curing of my wolf’s heat to the alpha, who didn’t disappoint.

The mild tingle between my thighs is as fragrant as the scent of sex that lingers in the air, and it’s nearly impossible to ignore the strange beating of my heart as I watch Alpha Elias’s sleeping face, marveling at the beauty of the contrast of his platinum blonde hair against his tanned skin.

As if he’d been carved from marble, depicted as the divine male counterpart of the Moon Goddess Herself, he’s the picture of perfection even as he makes odd groans and murmurs in his sleep. There’s a certain perfection in his slight flaws, making him appear more human than a heartless alpha who—

My thoughts are abruptly turned to resentment when I remember what this alpha did to me all those years ago. I can’t forget how badly I was hurt when he rejected me, and suddenly I’m all tense again, my spine going ramrod straight as I pull away.

Like he suggested, I should be getting some rest. But I can’t find it in a time like this, when I’m so conflicted. How is this the same man who rejected me in the past and turned my world on its axis by proving how wrong I was to think that he was kind?

He was heartless in that moment, but tonight showed me that somewhere deep down, he does have a heart. He was thoughtful and doting and even kissed the top of my head in the aftermath of our tryst.

A shiver runs down my spine as confusion sets in. I know what the pack was planning. That’s why Elias visited my home, to speak to me about the inevitable sacrifice that would secure the safety of his pack.

So why did he save me?

I mean…he wasn’t wrong when he pointed out that he’d saved me despite the distraction.

If he wanted to, he could have stayed in the shadows and watched as the demon took my life as planned.

I would have been considered “sacrificed,” and he could have returned to Girdwood with the news of my death at the demon’s hands.

Except he didn’t. He stayed and fought. He fought for me.

Unless there’s something I’m missing. Perhaps he needs me alive to perform some kind of specific, special ritual before my sacrifice. Perhaps if I died tonight, I wouldn’t have been considered a sacrifice to the demon, just joining the others who were killed by the beast over these past two weeks.

I would have been dead, and the pack would have still been in danger of the demon’s wrath. This way, even though he appeared to save me, he’s sparing my life for the real work.

Coming to that conclusion is the toughest pill to swallow, especially after what happened tonight. Reluctantly tearing my gaze from him, I straighten up on the bed and wistfully glance at the window where the hum of the early morning wind and snowfall beckon to me.

If it wasn’t for Elias’s interruption, I might have been able to ward the demon dog off with my powers and been able to escape from both the malevolent spirit and the ruthless pack. What Elias did last night was only an impulsive instinct, and it meant nothing.

Then why does a lump form in my throat, forcing me to gulp?

Because you still lo—

No!

I fight the thought by pressing my fingers to my temples, pushing away the foolishness that will inevitably get me hurt again. Back when I was eighteen, it was a foolish childhood crush that got in between my struggle with my inner wolf.

What happened last night meant nothing to me. In fact, it was what I needed to quell my inner wolf’s heat so I could successfully run away from my troubles. Despite my resentment toward him, I’m grateful that he soothed my heat. Now, I can escape without the risk of being debilitated by its onset.

Taking a deep breath, I spare one more glance at the alpha, letting only a single teardrop escape my eye to signify our final goodbye. Though I wish things had been different, there’s no turning back from what I already know to be true.

I won’t let his ruse fool me or manipulate me into believing that he actually cares. All Elias McGruff cares about is his pack, and he could never make space for a worthless omega like me in his life.

It was only sex, and Elias must be having tons of it, anyway.

My body shudders with something like envy, but I push aside the unwarranted feeling and take a deep breath for composure. I know what I must do, but I have to be careful not to wake the alpha.

This time, I will get away, I decide with conviction as my feet touch the worn-out gray rug on the motel room floor.

The only trouble is that when I lift my dress from the pile of our clothes joined on the floorboards, I discover that it’s torn and not wearable.

Begrudgingly picking up Elias’s sweatshirt, it’s my only option if I don’t want to be caught in my meatsuit outside.

I use what’s left of the dress to tie it around my waist as a makeshift skirt, then proceed to tiptoe toward the bedroom door without looking back. I don’t want to be guilt-ridden as I make my escape, stopping only when I’m at the main door.

Steeling my resolve with another deep breath, I’m about to reach for the rusty knob when goosebumps pebble the flesh of my arms, my instincts kicking in to warn me of the trouble behind.

I don’t risk moving, freezing on the spot when I’m able to pick out the light padding of bare feet on the floor. The morning light, though dim as it filters through the lace curtains, is shrouded with darkness that has me gulping as if I’m in danger.

Elias’s scent enters my airways, warning me that I’ve just been caught trying to sneak off.

Where were my instincts when I needed to decide if Elias could be trusted or not?

It was pointless, anyway. I’d already decided that he couldn’t be trusted; that’s why I’d been planning on running off while he was asleep.

Now that I’ve been caught, I’m left to turn around with my head lowered bashfully, feeling the magnitude of Elias’s imposingly tall figure even before I’m met with the brick wall of his toned, sculpted abs.

Gulping hard, I drag my eyes up and trace every contour of muscle.

I’m slightly tipsy when I’m forced to rake my eyes over his hard, chocolate brown nipples, recalling what they felt like when he had them pressed to my chest. Sheepishly wincing when his stern gaze is accusing, I’m hauled out of the swooning daze.

“Good thinking, Aurora,” he says as he nods firmly, then reaches over and suddenly grabs my thighs and slings me across one shoulder.

Stunned, I lose the air in my lungs. What is he doing, carrying me across the room like a sack of potatoes from the market?

“We should head back to Girdwood,” he continues as he carries me back to the bedroom. To my surprise, he doesn’t stop at the bed, but instead pads his way to the sliding door that opens up to the balcony.

“It is sunrise, and it’ll be safe to head home,” he says flatly as he steps out into the cold breeze.

Why is he acting as if he didn’t realize I was trying to run away?

He’s acting again, just like he did when he “saved” me from the demon or when he took my virginity.

“What are you doing, Alpha Elias?!” I exclaim when he doesn’t put me down and instead rearranges me on his shoulder.

“I am taking you back to Girdwood, of course,” he says coolly before securing a strong arm over my waist and grabbing the wooden balcony rail with his free hand.

“Where are you go—aah!” I exclaim in shock and horror when he pivots over the rail and catapults us both to the ground, not letting go of me with his brute strength.

“Elias!”

“Shut up, Aurora,” he grunts irritably as he once again secures me on his shoulder, making a point that he isn’t letting me down. “You barely got any rest.”

“Neither did you!” I protest, but it falls on deaf ears when Elias rounds the motel building and heads toward the forest.

He grunts again as he begins trekking through the forest, probably looking like a caveman without a shirt as he lugs an oversized female on his shoulder.

Elias doesn’t seem to care about being seen or about my weight. His breath is steady and controlled as he enters a pathway. Luckily for him, we enter the forest long before the town has woken up, disappearing through the gathering of trees until the valley comes into view.

The sound of snow crunching under his boots is unnerving, like a ticking time bomb that will be detonated the second we arrive in Girdwood. I have to get down somehow, even if the vice grip of his arm is unyielding.

I’ll try to make a run for it.

Surely I can outrun him.

Who am I kidding?

“Put me down!” I resort to being a menace by pounding my fists into his solid back. “Put me down now, Elias!”

“No,” he says flatly, continuing the journey ahead.

“This is ridiculous!”