Page 136 of The Forgotten

“Marie, just wait,” I groan. “Please. I can’t let you reject me, not until we fix this. Wilder, Prez, and I are all your scent matches. We can figure this out, okay?”

I watch as she pulls out her stun gun and marches over to me. Deciding to stay still and let her use it on me, I feel like I’m reliving a previous experience as she lifts my shirt and presses the tip of the stun gun against my bare flesh.

Grunting as my teeth grind together, I shudder as I ride out the pain.

“I’m…sorry,” I groan. “You can talk as long as you don’t use your voice to reject us.”

Marie grabs a fistful of my curls as I bend over to hold me still and shoves her weapon against my neck. Her finger pushes against the trigger, sending electric shocks through my body as I gasp. I let her take it out on me, knowing it won’t fuck me up for long.

“You’re a miserable prick,” she growls. “Why would I want an alpha who treats me like all the other male figures in my life?”

Turning away, she leaves me gasping for breath as she exits the alley. Refusing to allow those to be the last words she speaks to me, I force myself to hobble after her. Once I’m on the sidewalk, I stand tall as if she didn’t hurt me, and swagger in her shadow.

“Are you hiding from your dad?” I ask, taking a shot in the dark.

“No,” she says, keeping her weapon in her hand as she continues to walk.

“Brother?” I guess again, watching as she stiffens up. “That’s it! Come on, Marie.”

“Fuck off,” she says, checking the time before sighing and turning around.

“Did you forget what you were doing?” I ask, watching as she walks past me. “Marie!”

“I told you I was going to be late for work,” she grumbles. “Now I don’t have time to run inside to eat. I have to jump on the bus to get there.”

“Why don’t I take you?” I ask, knowing I’m skirting trouble.

“I don’t really want you to know any more about me than you do,” she sighs. “Take the hint…”

“Storm,” I say quickly, cursing myself for not even introducing myself. God, I’ve been around the MC for too long. I’m used to people simply knowing who I am.

“Hmm,” she says, continuing to walk. “I remember you. No, that’s not at all a compliment.”

I hold back the comment of how she tasted on my tongue and walk beside her.

“What time do you need to be at work?” I ask instead.

“Twenty minutes,” she says, glancing at her watch as she visibly pales.

“I’m the one making you late, let me take you to work,” I suggest.

“What will it cost me?” she asks.

“Damn,” I mutter. “Is everything a tit for tat situation for you? I can’t be nice?”

“Alphas like you are never nice,” she says. “Everything has a price.”

I want to beat the fuck out of her brother. It’s fucked that she truly believes that, but I’ll use it to my advantage. Then, I’ll find her brother. Madden isn’t a very popular last name, and he taught her a lesson that will be very difficult for her to unlearn.

“We’ll do it your way,” I decide. “I want a date for a ride to work.”

“I think I’d rather be late,” Marie mutters, looking longingly at the bus stop.

“No you don’t. Aren’t you the new hire?” I ask, knowing full well that she is.

“Yes,” she says.

“Come on. I don’t smell,” I tease her.