Page 9 of The Alpha’s Forced Plus-Size Mate (Silverfang Creek Wolves #3)

Naomi stood a few feet away, her sandy fur bristling in the moonlight. That white heart on her chest was rising and falling with every angry breath she took, and for a split second, I was mesmerized. She didn’t know what to think of me. I liked it. Keeping her on her toes was exhilarating.

Her growl echoed through the trees, sounding way more genuine than I would have expected. She was serious in her annoyance with me, and that made a pleasurable shiver run up my spine. Oh, this was going to be fun.

She could have run. After knocking me down, she could have bolted into the woods, disappearing into the shadows without a trace. But she stayed. She stayed to fight me, defiance blazing in her eyes.

Naomi didn’t want to leave me. She wanted to show me how much I pissed her off, sure, but I’d take pissed-off Naomi any day instead of no Naomi at all.

Damn, she was something else.

Her paws dug into the earth, her stance low, poised to strike. I felt the pull of my wolf rising to meet her challenge, but it wasn’t anger driving me. It was something deeper, something primal. I wanted to run with Naomi through the moonlit forest, wanted to hunt beside her, wanted to swim in the river and dry our fur side by side in the sun.

Really, I just wanted her, any way I could have her.

She was breathtaking. If I wanted to keep up with her and let her vent some of her frustrations I was going to need to change the game a little bit.

I shifted before I could second-guess myself, the familiar heat and stretch of the transformation ripping through me. In seconds, my wolf emerged, black fur blending with the night, my white necktie marking stark against the darkness.

Naomi growled, low and warning, but I could hear the undertone of hesitation. She didn’t want to hurt me—not really—which was amusing. She was an impressive wolf, but I was far larger than she was. It would take a lot more than Naomi to seriously harm me.

Which was good because I didn’t want to hurt her, either.

With a playful bark, I lunged toward her, not with the intent to dominate but to engage. She darted to the side, quick and graceful, her movements calculated. She snapped at me, her teeth grazing my shoulder—not enough to break the skin, just enough to show me she meant business. Naomi was quick, her movements clean and practiced. She would make a great addition to the pack.

I laughed—or at least, my wolf did, a low rumble of amusement. She was holding back. Even in her fury, she was being careful.

You’re trying too hard to act tough, I thought, knowing full well she couldn’t hear me.

We circled each other, paws kicking up soft dirt, the scent of the woods thick around us. Our charcuterie board and wine were long forgotten, red liquid spilling on the picnic blanket. She charged again, and this time, I let her hit me, her weight crashing into my side. The impact sent me rolling, but I didn’t fight it. I used the momentum to twist back onto my paws and nip at her tail as she tried to leap away.

She yelped in surprise, turning on me with a growl, but I could see the spark of excitement in her golden eyes.

This wasn’t a fight—it was a dance. A test. And damn if she wasn’t holding her own.

She pounced, her paws colliding with my chest, and we went down together in a tangle of fur and claws. I let her pin me for a moment, her teeth hovering near my throat. She could have gone for it—could have claimed the win. But instead, she hesitated.

With a burst of energy, I flipped us, pinning her beneath me. She squirmed, growling in frustration, but her blows were controlled, precise. No claws raking my face, no teeth snapping too close.

She wasn’t as angry with me as she thought she was. It was hard for her to admit that she would have a hard time leaving the Red Canines to return to the Silverfangs or that she could actually see a future at my side. Maybe this fight, letting Naomi explore her wild side with me, would help her think more clearly when she was back in her human form.

Instead, I let her wriggle free, giving her space to dart away again. She didn’t go far, circling back around to face me. Her growls were quieter now, less threatening, and more playful.

And that’s when it hit me.

She wanted to stay. Maybe not with me, maybe not here, but deep down, her wolf didn’t want to run. She wanted this—this connection, this clash of wills. How long had it been since someone had run beside her, played with her like this? How many people had overlooked this amazing woman because she didn’t fit some mold that they thought she should?

Never again. I would make her feel wanted. For as long as she’d have me and more.

It wasn’t just her strength or her fire that pulled me in—it was her choice. She chose to stand and fight instead of running. Chose to give me a chance even though I had to bring her to me in the roughest way possible. Naomi was willing to give this connection a chance, even if it went against her better judgment.

And I was absolutely, completely captivated.

The growl in Naomi’s throat softened, her tension easing as I let her wriggle free again. Her sandy fur was dusted with leaves, her chest heaving from exertion. I stood still, letting her circle me one last time, waiting to see if she’d charge again.

It was a beautiful night. We were far enough from the city that it smelled like nature and not pollution. The grass was soft under our feet. Bats chittered and chirped in the sky above us.

Then it came.

A low, guttural sound, distant but unmistakable. Not a growl. Not anything natural. My ears perked, my wolf going rigid as I scanned the dark woods around us. Naomi froze, too, her golden-brown eyes narrowing as the noise came again—closer this time.

I didn’t wait. Shifting back into human form and scooping my discarded jeans up in one smooth motion, I barked, “Naomi, shift!” laying all the power of an Alpha behind it I could.

She obeyed without hesitation, her sandy fur giving way to soft skin. I didn’t bother to consider if it was because I was an Alpha or because she trusted me that she did it so quickly. Her expression, usually defiant, was wide-eyed now, her lips parted as though she were about to speak but couldn’t find the words. I had her dress in my hand, tugging it over her head as soon as she was human again, resisting the urge to look over her body that I had coveted since the moment I laid eyes on her. Danger was looming, and her safety was maybe the only thing in the world more important than how fucking gorgeous she was to me.

I grabbed her hand and tugged her close, shielding her with my body as I scanned the tree line. Naomi was taking me seriously, not bothering to try and shove me away.

The forest was too quiet. The usual hum of crickets, the rustle of leaves—it was all gone, swallowed by an oppressive silence. The same sort of silence that came when a predator was around and all the prey animals went quiet. Naomi and I were, of course, predators, but it wasn’t just the usual wolf prey subjects that had ceased to make sound; it was everything.

Then I saw them.

Dark shapes slinking between the trees, their movements unnatural, jerky. The glow of their red eyes pierced through the shadows, and a scent hit me—acrid, sulfuric, wrong. They were positioned to where we’d have to pass them to get back to the Harley, and that just wasn’t a risk I was willing to take. I was fast, and even if Naomi wasn’t, I would carry her if I had to.

“Run,” I hissed, pulling Naomi with me. I didn’t even really need to bother; she had caught the scent, too, and was already poised on the balls of her feet, ready to fly.

We sprinted through the woods, the ground uneven beneath our bare feet. My heart pounded in my chest, adrenaline pumping through my veins as the demons’ snarls grew louder and closer. I didn’t dare look back, focusing instead on the path ahead, on the faint glow of the house in the distance.

I hadn’t told Naomi, but I chose our picnic spot not just because it was beautiful but because it was part of my property, the same property my home was built on. She’d have seen it as another sign of how obsessed I was with control and protection, but it looked like I was right on the mark. It was a stroke of luck, but at the same time, it was bad fucking news that demons were getting cocky enough to creep around an Alpha’s property.

The demons gave chase, their guttural cries tearing through the night. Naomi stumbled once, but I caught her before she hit the ground, hauling her upright without breaking stride. When we burst through the tree line and onto the lawn, my nearby house loomed like a beacon. Naomi had only seen the place the morning after the kidnapping and never the back, but she believed in me enough not to ask questions as I shoved her toward the porch.

“Get inside!” I barked.

I wasted no time. Once inside, I locked every door. My wolf roared inside me, demanding I ensure her safety. I had pack security on the phone within seconds while I manually checked every door, window, and vent in the place. I commanded security to head to every pack house, including extra personnel for my property. But there was one other property I thought might be more vulnerable than the others, and there was one person I trusted above all others to keep it safe.

It only rang once before Julian picked up. “What’s wrong?”

“Demons,” I said curtly. “In the woods near my place. Fuck, M an, they came out of nowhere!” I swallowed hard before continuing, letting my racing heart slow bit by bit. “Look, I need you to go and secure the boarding house immediately. I don’t like leaving our girls without defenses.”

“On it.” Julian’s voice was serious and clipped. “Do you two need backup?”

“Not right now. We’re safe.”

After ending the call, I paced the living room, checking my phone for alerts from our perimeter system. Nothing. No alarms. No breaches. Yet. Naomi appeared in the doorway, her hair tousled, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. She watched me silently, her body language as I checked the locks for the third time. She was barefoot, her dress slightly sideways, and her breathing was still slightly elevated.

When I finally turned to her, the look on her face stopped me in my tracks—was that—affection? For me?

It was there in her eyes, unguarded and soft like she was seeing me for the first time. The fierceness I’d come to expect from her was still there, but it was joined by something warmer. My chest tightened. I opened my mouth to speak, but the words caught in my throat, and all I managed to get out was, “Naomi?”

“Thank you.” The simplest words, but they meant everything to me.

“For what?” I asked, my voice rough.

Her lips twitched into the faintest smile. “Oh, don’t play dumb. For keeping us safe back there, obviously.”

She had no idea what she was making me feel. Confidence, arrogance, triumph, and affection just as strong as the same emotion written all over her expression. Damn, I wanted to kiss her, but I gave her the space that was oh-so-important to her. She had more to say, and I didn’t want to rush her.

Her arms were still crossed tightly over her chest like she was trying to hold herself together, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes—something that wasn’t fear or defiance. She licked her lips before speaking. “You saved me back there. I—those were demons, weren’t they? I don’t think I would have recognized the signs if I had been by myself. So, uh, yeah. Thank you, Danny.”

“You don’t need to thank me for that. Protecting you—it’s not optional for me.”

She tilted her head slightly, studying me like she was seeing past my words, straight to the person I didn’t often let people see. It made my skin prickle and made me want to fidget like some rookie wolf caught off guard.

But instead of calling me out, she nodded slowly. “Still,” she said, her voice firmer now, “it means something. I’m not used to anyone going out of their way for me like that.”

Her words were like a knife twisting in my gut. “You deserve it. You deserve to feel safe, Naomi.”

Her lips parted slightly, her eyes flicking down like she couldn’t hold my gaze anymore. There was something vulnerable about the way she stood there, barefoot and wrapped in uncertainty, but she didn’t pull away. I wanted to reach for her, to do something—anything—that would bridge the growing connection between us. But I didn’t. She needed space, and I’d already learned how stubborn she could be when she felt cornered.

Instead, I leaned against the wall, keeping my voice low. “I’d do it again, you know. Without a second thought.”

Her eyes lifted back to mine, and this time, there was no mistaking the shift in her expression. Her walls weren’t down entirely, but a crack was starting to form, just enough for a little light to shine through.

“Maybe you’re not as terrible as I thought,” she murmured, a tiny smile playing on her lips.

It wasn’t much, but it was enough to make my chest ache in the best way.

I smirked, trying to lighten the moment. “Careful, Naomi. If you keep talking like that, I might start to think you actually like me.”

Despite herself, Naomi smiled, and it was warm like a fire on a cold winter's day. Then, as quickly as it had arrived, the smile was gone and she was looking at me with those searching eyes. “That’s the thing. I’m starting to think I do like you, and that makes no damn sense.” She crossed her arms, a guarded gesture to protect herself. “The date was nice, and then you saved my life, but before that…? You had me drugged, kidnapped, and then locked away. It makes me think that something is wrong with me, the fact that I’m growing so…so attached to you.”

Shocked, I raised my eyebrows so quickly they almost hit my hairline. “You know I was just teasing you, right?”

“Yeah, but—” she waved her hand in the air, trying to find the words. “What I’m saying is true. I feel crazy. You should be my enemy, but…” her eyes locked onto mine, “I’m so drawn to you.”

Taking a chance, I stepped forward, and ghosted my knuckles down her soft cheek. Naomi didn’t flinch, and it was a small victory. “Would you have come to me if I hadn’t forced you?”

I watched her swallow, thinking. “No. Probably not.”

“Then I don’t regret what I did,” I told her, hating the way her mouth pulled down in a frown, but I soldiered on. “You were too important to me, Naomi, and hearing that you had left the safety of the Silverfangs had me ready to rip someone apart. Knowing that my mate was out there, alone, brought every Alpha instinct I had to the surface. I wish like hell that we could have met on better terms, but I won’t lie and say I regret capturing you. I’ll spend my life making it up to you if that’s what it takes.”

Naomi was silent for a long moment, her fists opening and closing as she tried to get a handle on her emotions. When she spoke, her voice was utterly small. “Do you think—God, Danny, I really want you to hold me right now.”

I closed the space between us in an instant, and pulled her to me. Naomi was warm and soft, and her hair smelled like honey. She melted into me, her arms clasping around my back and her face finding the crook of my neck. When I brushed her hair aside to press my lips to her temple, I could smell cinnamon and cherries. My mate. My sweet, fierce mate who wanted so badly to belong. I’d never let her feel alone again. I wanted to tell her that, but we were careening into serious territory, and I just wasn’t sure if she was ready to hear it yet.

Instead, I joked, lightening the mood, “You smell fucking delicious, you know that? Downright edible.”

Her smile grew just enough to make my wolf preen with satisfaction, but then she rolled her eyes and stepped back, retreating into her guarded demeanor. “Don’t push your luck.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I lied. I was already dreaming of a hell of a lot more than that.