Page 59 of Cursed Bonds: An Alpha's Destiny

“What’s wrong?” Kirsten asked. “Did I do something?”

“No,” I said quickly, cupping her cheek with my hand. “You didn’t do anything wrong. As much as I want you, I need to stop.”

The look of hurt and rejection on her face tore at me. I kissed her again, this time quick but still deep and meaningful, then looked into her eyes. “If your theory is right, then I want this to be done the way it should be. I want to court you properly. Dates, dinners, conversations. I want to earn your trust and treat you like I would any woman I was choosing for my mate. I want you to be totally sure about me before we go any further. Before you give your body to me.”

The heady scent of her arousal pulsed from her, making me dizzy.

“Damn,” I said with a grin. “You’re a little horndog, aren’t you?”

Kirsten blushed and swatted my leg. “No, I’m not. Stop.”

My comment had the intended result. The intensity of the moment was broken, and the mood shifted to something calmer and lighter. We moved to the couch with our wine. I probed about her upbringing. She talked about Lola and how great of a grandmother she’d been. More like a surrogate mother than anything. While we spoke, we couldn’t keep our hands off each other—fingers interlacing, then running up and down thighs, light touches, gentle caresses. Nothing overtly sexual, but much more than friendly. That could only last so long before my resolve would begin to crumble. I needed to head out before I could no longer control myself.

“I think I need to get home,” I said.

“Okay,” Kirsten replied, though I didn’t miss the disappointment in her eyes.

“Hey, how about you come to my place for dinner tomorrow? We can have a proper first date. I’ll cook dinner this time.”

She smiled. “That sounds really nice.”

At the door, we shared one final kiss. God, I really hoped her theory proved to be right. I desperately wanted her to be my true fated mate, not a pairing that resulted from that goddamned curse.

At the end of her driveway, I almost turned left to head back toward Crestwood. But the box on my passenger seat caught my eye. The warm, happy glow from being with Kirsten morphed into rage. Eren needed a really good lesson in what you should and shouldn’t do. In respect. Decorum.

I pulled out my phone and called Waylan.

“Hey, bro,” he answered a moment later. “How was that chicken parm?”

“It was great,” I said tersely. “But something’s come up.”

“Oh, shit, what’s the matter?”

“Eren decided to send a little gift to Kirsten. I’m on my way to shove it up his ass. Meet me at his house?”

“Now?” he barked. “Are you fucking serious?”

“I am. How soon can you be there?” I could already hear him rushing outside through the phone.

“I’ll haul ass. Twenty minutes?”

“Drive faster,” I snapped and hung up.

Turning right, I headed for Scottsdale, pressing the gas pedal down, causing the engine to scream as I rocketed down the road. I had to have been doing nearly eighty the entire way because I pulled off at the town entrance in less than fifteen minutes, tires squealing as I turned onto the main road that led to Eren’s home.

The guards at his gate waved me down as I pulled up. In the rearview mirror, twin lights illuminated my rear. Waylan. Good.

“What’s the meaning of this?” one of the guys asked as he walked up to my window.

Leaping from the car before he got to the door, I pointed up the road toward the house. “I’m here to give your piece-of-shit alpha a piece of my mind. That’s the meaning of this,” I growled.

He and the other man scowled. One of them shoved me back. “You think so, motherfucker? Try it.”

My rage was a tornado inside me, and without even trying, my alpha aura pulsed out in waves, descending on the two betas. Both flinched, instinctually lowering their heads in deference to my power.

“That’s more fucking like it,” I growled.

“Hey, Jace? We good?” Waylan called from his own truck.

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