Page 20 of The Alpha's Forced Bride

No, it couldn't have been entirely my fault because the way he engaged with me—the way his fingers dug into my skin, the way his thumb drifted over the side of my neck and teased my main artery—lit me aflame. That was a spot that was so sacred to shifters that a mere touch was almost like a promise. That he even dared to do such a thing made my heart leap from my chest. My body felt like it wanted so much to join with his, my heart seeming to act like a bird caught in a cage, desperate to get out.

It felt like he was teasing me, or maybe he was mocking me. I sat there for a second, feeling so much coming from him all at once. It was overwhelming. At the same time, there was something about the way he held me, the hardness of it, that told me exactly how desperate he was. He had run out of options. I had overheard some of their conversations, and had heard terrible voices in the night. I'd seen through his cabin windows how his pack members acted with each other; the fights that they got into, the sickness that took them over right in the middle of their dirt roads. The cabins were in disrepair from neglect even though they were recently built. Most of the vehicles were for show, and what few cars did work chugged along like they were about to die.

I closed my eyes as I focused on Harvey's. His skin was surprisingly warm for somebody who was possessed. Although I didn't have much knowledge about what possessed people should feel like. However, I did expect something of a coldness from the tone he took with me sometimes. But right now, there was no coldness. I raised my hands to cup his face, to feel the rough stubble on his cheeks, and noticed the way that his flesh shifted under my touch as his hand relaxed at the back of my neck. As my thumbs trailed under his earlobes, his hand relaxed even more. And then, when my fingers drifted to his shoulders, I found the knots that made him hunch over his desk.

These knots came from sitting in that position so rigidly for so long. His thoughts were so loud, and I just wanted to put him at ease. I didn't want him to suffer anymore. It was strange to feel that way about somebody I hardly knew. At the same time, my heart rattled in my chest when his breathing hitched and shifted to a different rhythm. He released me and sat back, leaving me standing there, bent over his desk with my hands in the air like I was getting ready to throttle him. I stood upright and lowered my arms to my sides, trying to find a place to look that wasn't his beautiful eyes.

He hummed. “Tell me more about how this two-alpha system works for you.”

He avoided my gaze, but he seemed curious enough. I didn't mind sharing as long as we could keep talking. If I told him about my pack, maybe he would let me call them. I knew that they were worried. A few reassuring words from me could ease that worry.

I tapped the desk idly. “They seem to have their own language. Sometimes, I see them make eye contact, and they're just quiet for a second, and then they turn and talk about a decision that they made together. It's really, really weird.”

He turned his attention to me with his brows furrowed. “Do they ever fight?”

I shrugged. “Sometimes they get into arguments, but I’ve never seen them physically fight. They have a way of calming everybody down. I mean, Blake is a hard-headed, stubborn, bad-guy-turned-good. Troy is always calm, and he can help other people calm down just by looking at them. He has a very soothing voice.”

Harvey snickered. “You sound like you have a crush on them.”

I grimaced. “Oh my god. No, I would never have a crush on somebody else's mate. That would make me a terrible person.”

“Don't you find anybody attractive, though?”

Heat flooded my cheeks. I tried to cover them, disguising the motion as if I was checking my face for dirt. “Sure, I find plenty of guys attractive, but I'm not going to pine after them just because they're good-looking.”

The desk chair creaked under his weight. He pulled his shoulders back to expose more of his chest, lounging like he was just having a casual conversation, which, in a lot of ways, he was. “Do you find me attractive?”

My face felt hotter than a cauldron hanging over an open fire. I suddenly felt like the fireplace was suffocating me and that smoke was filling the room. I turned away just as my entire body flushed with a cold heat that made me want to jump across the desk.

I pushed my hair out of my face and tried to brush it with my fingers. “Sure. You're handsome enough. I mean, you’re good-looking. I don't see why you haven't had a mate.”

“Being isolated for about ten years kind of does a number on you. You know, my social skills aren't exactly the best.”

I whirled around. “Yeah, no fucking kidding. You kidnapped me.”

Even though it was true, and the truth felt a bit too harsh right now, he tilted his head back and laughed. It took me a minute, but I ended up laughing with him. He had a strange way of showing affection, an interesting way of showing comfort and protection, and at the same time, he wasn't exactly sure how to engage with people.

“I just get nervous around new people.”

“It sounds like you need to go for a swim,” I suggested. “Maybe something to cool you down.”

He hummed with interest. “Do you like swimming? Would you like to go with me?”

I brightened up. “It's not a bad idea. I haven't bathed in a few days, and you haven’t exactly let me go outside very much.”

He nodded. “Well, yeah. I didn't want you to run off again.”

“You don't have to sugarcoat it for me. I know you're just using me for this ritual.”

“Who says I’m just using you?”

I wished so much that Regina was with me to give me an idea of whether this guy was being sincere or not. It could be his demon, or it could be him. I had no clue. I rubbed the back of my neck nervously, wishing the pressure of his hand was still there. “You know, my best friend, Regina, she always helps me out with people, and she once turned this guy into a toad because he was bothering me.”

Harvey arched his right brow. “Do you want me to turn into a toad?”

“I mean, you are a shifter, right? Are you able to turn into other animals with your demon?”

More light drained from his eyes, and I realized I had made a mistake asking about such a sensitive subject. While we were going to be mates—according to him, anyway—it seemed too soon to touch on that.

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