Page 10 of Alpha's Forbidden Bond

“Thanks.” I nodded towards the house. “Good luck with your brother.”

“I’m going to need it.”

Chapter 5

Andreas

When the woman glanced towards the house, I ducked out of view and let the curtain fall back in place. I hadn’t been spying so much as making sure that she wasn’t up to anything. If they had only been standing a little closer to the house, I probably would’ve been able to hear most of what they were saying, but instead, I had to try and rely on lipreading. It wasn’t going very well.

I knew Mikeal would accuse me of being way too protective, but I didn’t care. It wasn’t often that townies came onto our property, and usually, they were quick to turn around and leave when they realized they were trespassing. This person, on the other hand, had acted like she had every right to be there, and I didn’t like that. Not one bit.

And then there was Mikeal, with his offer to change her tire. He no doubt spent most of the time flirting with her. Ever since he’d had his accident, he’d been too embarrassed to flirt with any of the shifter girls. He preferred going into town and talking up human women at the bar. I understood why he was self-conscious, but that didn’t mean he was allowed to just let humans onto the property with no consequences. I scoffed, just thinking about how he’d spoken to me in front of our uninvited guest. I hated pulling rank on my brother, but I had half a mind to put him in his place when he returned to the house. Speaking of which, I heard a loud thud outside the front door, and then Mikeal waltzed it, wiping his hands off on the front of his jeans. I darted away from the window and sat on the couch.

“Nice try,” Mikeal said as he came into the room. “But I saw you standing at the window. I know you were watching.”

“I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”

“Thanks, big brother, but I think I could’ve handled Diana if she decided to start something.” He laughed. “Sure, she looks athletic, but I still have a good fifty pounds on her. Not to mention, I have a pack of werewolves ready to back me up at any time if need be.”

“What did you say her name was?”

“Diana. Why?”

“Diana.” I hated how delicious the name tasted as it danced across my tongue.

“And again, I ask, why?”

“It’s just good to know the names of the people who ‘accidentally’ show up on our property. Did you get any more information? Like, what the hell was she actually doing out here?”

“You already know what she was doing out here,” Mikeal said, sitting down on the loveseat across from the couch. “She was going on a book delivery for the shop where she works in town. Making sure the more feeble and vulnerable members of our community are still getting what they need. According to you, however, that makes her some kind of monster.”

“That’s what she told you, and I’ll admit it’s a good cover. But I’m not convinced. Did you actually see her run over the broken glass, or is there a chance that she got out of her car once she was on our property and sliced her own tire? Because having a busted tire is a really good excuse for sticking around in a place you’re not welcome.”

“Do you even hear yourself?” My brother shook his head at me. “What possible motive would she have for doing that?”

“We had the press try and get in here once. We’ve had drunken teenagers. Do you want me to go on?”

“No,” he snapped. “I’m sure you could come up with dozens because you’re totally paranoid. Like maybe I need to stick you in a padded room, paranoid.”

“That’s not true.”

“It is, though! Ever since the accident, ever since you became Alpha, you have been getting more scared of the outside world with each passing day. You think everyone is out to get us when in reality, nobody could care less about us. That woman was the first person to stumble on our property in months.”

“What about those people a couple of weeks ago?”

Mikeal smirked. “Yeah, rowdy teenagers looking for a place to smoke weed? They ran off before we even got a chance to confront them. They saw our porch light turn on and got the hell out of here—probably worried we would call the cops on them or something. Most people in town are terrified of us, Andreas. And Diana is no different. You should’ve seen how nervous she was when I first walked up to the car. She was lost. It was an honest mistake.”

“Even if you’re right, it’s still a very stupid mistake. One I am determined to make sure she doesn’t do again,” I insisted. “She shouldn’t have trespassed on our property. We’ve been getting too lax about security, and now is the worst time for humans to drop by for a visit. What if somebody had walked by in wolf form? Our guests haven’t necessarily been all that subtle with their shifting, in case you didn’t notice.”

“Trust me,” he grumbled. “I’ve noticed.”

Of course, he had. Watching others shift was still a painful experience for Mikeal, evoking feelings of regret and jealousy. I leaned my elbows down on my knees and sighed. “I’m sorry if you think this is all overkill, or if I embarrassed you in front of a pretty girl?—”

“Embarrassed me in front of a pretty girl? What are you talking about?”

“I know that’s partially why you’re upset,” I went on. “But you have to understand, it’s my job to keep the pack safe. Things are so chaotic right now. I just feel the need to be vigilant and keep all non-shifters as far away from here as possible.”

“All non-shifters?”

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