Page 20 of Fated to Him

“It’s the Alpha in me.” I step closer to her as I grip her chin and angle her head up to bridge the height difference between us. She can’t be over five-four. I’m closer to six-two. When I find myself thinking about all the ways I want to take her, I make myself stop. “And you like to pick and choose which orders you follow. Stop that.”

“You’re saying this was my fault,” she says, her voice hardening.

“What I’m saying, mate, is to follow my orders. I’m good at giving them.” I lower my head farther, my gaze going to her lips as hers dart to mine. “Stay in the cabin until I’ve knocked sense into the rest of the pack. Not everyone is fond of bitten shifters.”

“Half-breed, he called me.”

I grind my teeth.

A hint of amusement warms her amber gaze. “You don’t look like you like the name.”

“Discrimination is discrimination, and I’ve never been fond of the many varieties it comes in,” I admit. It’s not something I would say to anyone, but Delilah is my mate, so she gets more of a peek into my brain than anyone else would.

“Because someone discriminated against you?” Her amusement fades, and she searches my face as if hunting for a reason why someone would.

She won’t find it. I’m Alpha of Pack Arleigh, and I’m shifter born, but even among born shifters, there’s discrimination, and the source of mine is who my mother is—or was.

“They did,” I admit so quietly that no one in the pack house will hear me.

As she peers up at me, her eyes flash from warm amber to brilliant bright gold.

Hello, beautiful. Where have you been hiding?

My wolf growls, pushing me to take her to the ground and claim our mate.

I tamp down the urge. She’s not ready for that yet. But soon, her wolf will start making demands, and Delilah has already shown she’s as attracted to my body as I am to hers.

“Did you kill them?” she asks, a hard edge to her voice. She’s acting protective of me.

When has that ever happened?

A burst of pleasure forms in my gut, and I nearly give in to the urge to kiss her, even knowing she would find some way of tripping out of the way. “I did. Let’s go, Delilah Stacey. I’m having some difficulties over here.”

Confusion chases away her bright gold wolf stare. From her ability to push back, I’d say her wolf will be dominant. Maybe an alpha like me. I should know it already, but Delilah is behaving in ways no shifter I’ve met ever has.

“What difficulties?” she asks, frowning.

I step into her, and my cock nudges her lower belly.

Her eyes widen. That same beautiful rosy glow sweeps over her cheeks before she whirls around and starts walking away. Fast.

“Don’t you want me to tell you?” I ask, following her.

“No need,” she says quickly.

“You’re a beautiful woman.” I catch up to her in three strides. “And I make no apologies for it.”

She keeps her eyes fixed straight ahead. “I’m not asking you to. Just for you not to talk about it.”

But the rosy glow doesn’t fade, and it’s making me want to kiss her. More than that, it’s making me wonder if that beautiful rosy glow covers her entire body.

“You can pet me if you want,” I tell her.

The rosy glow shoots up to flame red.

I flash her a grin. “My wolf. You can pet my wolf.”

“I don’t want to pet anything.” She slows and glances over at me. “You don’t seem bothered about the dead guy back there.”

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