Page 32 of Cruel Alpha Bully

“Okay,” Bae agrees, grabbing his own pack.

I put all my attention on the track and the mountain, hoping to get to a decent campsite before nightfall. Bae walks behind me, occasionally sweeping back and forth to look around or slowing down to make sure we aren’t being followed.

What are you going to do next, run up to every tree and mark your damn territory?

Seeing him get jealous, seeing him wanting to possess me… it turns me on more than anything has my entire life. If I examine my anger closely, it’s not anger at all—it’s pure, white-hot lust.

Yeah, but what about Jill?

The memory of her falling all over him and Bae doing nothing to prevent it keeps me silent right up to the next level section of the trail. It curves off into a small glade, well-protected by thick trees. There are signs of campfires scattered around the clearing.

“Looks like a nice spot,” Bae says, looking around. “What do you think? We could set up the tent over there?”

He points at a well-sheltered area on the other side of the meadow. I just nod and start walking in that direction. My feelings of attraction for him are caught up now with my anger and jealousy, and I’ve just got nothing I want to say.

While Bae works on the tent and sleeping bags, I start a fire. There is plenty of wood around, so I get a small blaze crackling without any trouble. I watch the flames leap and dance, trying to calm myself down.

It’s getting dark, and the light of the fire throws dancing shadows around me, calming me. I know I can’t let this go on between me and Bae forever. I just don’t know how to solve it.

“Okay, all done,” Bailey says, sitting down across from me. “We should make something to eat.”

Pain lances through my chest, and I feel like I’m going to cry. I shake my head.

“No, you don’t want food?” Bae asks, his voice rough. “No, you don’t want me? No to what, Gina?”

All of my calm reasonings fly straight out the window as my emotions finally take over. “You and Jill were all over each other at the party. What’s been going on between the two of you?”

Bae looks confused. He shakes his head a little. “What are you talking about?”

“I saw you! As you were walking through the door, she practically launched herself at you, and you did absolutely nothing to stop her!”

“Gina,” he says firmly, “I did not reciprocate to her or any of the other women who greeted me when I got to the party. It made me pretty uncomfortable, actually, and I just wanted to get out of there and find you as quickly as possible.”

“She told me everything,” I counter. “I bet you got with her on prom night, right after I left.” My voice is starting to get caught in my throat as I try not to cry.

“I did not!” Bailey almost yells. The look of confusion on his face appears completely genuine. “I don’t understand this ‘everything’ because there’s nothing to tell! I’ve never even touched her!”

“She was touching you…” My voice has wound down to a very small squeak. “She was all over you. She’s gorgeous; that’s obvious to anyone with eyes. You can’t tell me you’re not interested in her.”

“Gina,” Bae says very softly. He gets up and comes around to sit closer to me. “I am not interested in her, and I never have been.”

I shake my head, trying to hold in my tears.

“I mean it.” He reaches out, like he wants to take my hand, then pulls away again. He turns away to look into the darkening forest for a second, and when he looks back at me, his eyes are deep and serious, almost grave.

“Gina, I want you. I have always wanted you. I wanted you back in high school. I know, I dated cheerleaders and other pretty girls. I drove you away and pretended I didn’t like you. I did these things because I thought we weren’t a good match. I was trying to deny my attraction to you and save face with my friends.”

Bae takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He looks at the ground, his cheek twitching as he mines the deepest reaches of his heart.

“I’m so sorry,” he says, bringing his gaze back to mine. The sorrow on his face looks real—it can’t be fake. His eyes are wrought with emotion, and he’s so full of tension he’s almost trembling.

“I was immature and not able to be honest with myself about what I really wanted. I have regretted it every single day of my life since then. The next day, I tried to find you, but you were already gone. I thought I’d never see you again.”

My chest is tight as I watch his eyes change in the flickering light of the fire. The darkness has settled around us, making Bae shine with light against the deep shadows.

This is my biggest fantasy come true. I can’t believe I’m hearing these words.

“When I saw you in the forest at the ceremony… I thought it was a hallucination, a dream. I never imagined you could be my mate.”

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