Page 2 of Cruel Alpha Bully

My best friend Jill was responsible for the calamity that led to my sudden departure from town. It’s funny to still refer to her as my best friend, because I haven’t spoken to her since prom night.

She told him. She told Bailey that I was in love with him, that I always had been. At first, he didn’t believe her, but my dear and wonderful best friend decided to produce evidence of the fact. Like any lovesick girl, I had written poems, little love notes, and doodled hearts with his name on them in my textbooks. I wish I had burned them all.

I’ll never forget how he laughed at me, right there in front of the whole school. The horrible things he said still echo in my head. I can hear the laughter of his friends ringing in my nightmares. I fled the gym then, and I left Silver Meadows two days later.

A shift of the wind brings me back to the present moment. The chill from the nearby peaks settles on my coat as the scent of smoke wafts into my nose. My ears prick up, and I can hear voices. They are not far away.

Expecting to see some innocent campers, I trot through the underbrush, keeping my head down. Following the sound and the scent, I’m sure it’s at least five people, and they seem to be sitting around a fire near a cave entrance.

My wolf senses are out of practice, so I can’t be sure, but at least one of them seems familiar. There is a deep, intoxicating scent mixed in with the others, and I’m not sure what it could be.

As I come upon them, I can only see small patches of the scene. There are definitely five people there, all males. They have made a small fire on a rock face near a cave that probably connects to the old mines. Curious, I push forward through the trees to get a closer look.

That’s when I see him.

Bailey.

Bae.

Calm the fuck down!

I can’t. My heart is slamming against my breastbone, my blood is roaring in my ears. I can barely stay upright as I stare at him.

He looks a little taller, more muscular. His sandy, golden hair is even brighter, shimmering with pale highlights. The sharp features of his face and full lips are more defined. It’s only been five years, but it looks like he has fully grown up.

All five of them are positioned in a circle around the fire, wearing long, dark robes with hoods. Only Bailey has the hood pulled back, and it was his golden hair I recognized. As the men move back and forth, speaking in soft voices, the robes flutter around their bodies, moved by the cold mountain breeze.

My heart constricts in my chest, and shock pours over me with the force of a bucket of ice water when I notice what they are wearing under those cloaks.

Nothing.

Bae is right in front of me… and he’s almost naked.

I’m about to see Bailey Markson naked.

I’m so excited, I can’t breathe. My eyes start to water. I should probably look away, I know that, but I can’t. Instead, I stare, my wolf eyes picking out exact details even from this far away.

The slight sheen on his tanned, golden skin. Glints of light in his hair and the shape of his lips. I can’t keep my gaze from slipping downwards, admiring his chest, his arms, his flat, toned belly…

Suddenly, he turns and looks right at where I’m hiding. The force of his gaze, those beautiful, pale brown eyes that glow like amber, hits me so hard, I think I’m about to faint. My reaction must have been big enough that he could sense me, even in his human shape.

I’m so shocked that the shift comes upon me before I can stop it. Suddenly, I’m standing there, completely buck-naked. Freezing and trembling as I stare stupidly at the only man I’ve ever loved.

Feels like prom night all over again, except this time we’re naked.

Before anyone can move, the tallest man in the circle turns towards me with a great flourish.

“By the ancient rite of the mountain, great forces above, all the primal powers we live to obey, show us our alpha’s mate!”

He points right at me. All of them turn and look, and I grab the nearby tree branches in an attempt to cover myself. I’m struggling under so many successive shocks, I’m not sure I understand what just happened.

Did he just say I’m Bae’s mate??

Chapter 2 - Bailey

Three days of absolute torture.

That’s what this feels like. I’m tired, hungry, and freezing my ass off up near the top of Dallas Peak. My wolf is snapping and growling inside me, desperate to be free. I need the thick fur to keep me warm, and I’m so hungry all I can think about is the hunt.

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