Page 5 of Pregnant Kidnapped Mate

“Your family abusing you is absurd,” he snarled. “You can’t expect me to stand by and let this happen. Let me help. Please.”

“There’s nothing for you to help with,” I said, knowing full well I was lying. “I appreciate the offer, but I can’t just run off with you.”

“Why not?”

I didn’t respond, even as my mind flooded with various answers. The main answer was that my brother and father would find out and come after me. And I barely knew Alek anymore. I didn’t know what I would be getting into.

Part of me wanted to say yes. Not because it was a good idea, but because I desperately wanted to be with him again, to feel his body against mine. But there were too many uncertainties. Too much danger if Jason or Dad found out what happened.

“I just can’t,” I finally said.

Alek sighed, then ran his fingers through his hair. “In that case, I’m sorry.”

I blinked, frowning. “What are you talking about? I should be the one apologizing.”

He shook his head. “No. I mean, I’m sorry for this.”

Before I even knew what was happening, strong hands wrapped around me, yanking me off the ground and over Alek’s shoulder.

“What the hell?” I demanded. I tried to struggle out of his grip, but the arm gripping me held me firmly in place. I kicked and screamed, pounding my fists into his back, but nothing I did yielded any type of response. “Put me down,” I ordered.

“I can’t,” he said. “I’m not letting you go back there.”

“Alek, you’re being stupid, just—”

“Sorry, can’t hear you,” he interrupted. “We should get going.”

“Alek!”

And he carried me deep into the woods, away from everything I knew.

Chapter 4 - Alek

“All right, all right,” Iris said. “I have no idea where we are at this point. Just put me down.”

I almost didn’t. Not necessarily because I was afraid of her running away, but because I liked being this close to her, smelling her. But I could tell she was getting annoyed, and I gently let her slide down.

We were still in the woods, but not far from Brixton or my house. Iris’s eyes still darted all over the place, her body coiled as if she was about to run. I braced myself, waiting.

“You do realize you just kidnapped me, right?” she asked.

“It was either that or let you stay somewhere where people mistreat you.” I shrugged. “I’m not going to feel bad about that.”

It was true. It might have been a bit impulsive, but I didn’t have any regrets. I wasn’t going to let her get hurt anymore. And, on a selfish level, I wanted her near me. I liked having her around. Her scent was just as incredible as it had been when we’d first met. Her hair was tousled from where I’d carried her, giving it a “just woke up” look that was more appealing than it had any right to be.

She huffed and brushed a strand of hair away from her forehead, shooting me a glare that made me laugh.

“What?” she demanded.

“Sorry,” I said. I wasn’t about to tell her that she looked adorable when she was angry. “It’s just good to see you.”

She blushed. “And I’m guessing there’s no way you’re going to show me the way back home?”

I raised an eyebrow. “Do you want to?”

The words hung between us, dangling like a knife on a string. She glanced away, looking down as she bit the inside of her lip. She kept quiet, looking anywhere but at me. I wished I knew what she was thinking. I didn’t have any regret about what I’d done, but I wanted her to understand why I’d done it. That she didn’t need a family who treated her like shit.

I placed my hand on her shoulder. “You’re better off without them, Iris.”

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