Page 48 of Cruel Alpha Bully

I wonder if his body is burning like mine is.

As we hike into the clearing, I’m shocked to see Jack pulling up into the parking lot.

“How did you know we were coming?” I exclaim, running up to hug my brother. He gives me a tight squeeze, then leans into Bae, giving him a clap on the shoulder.

“Kelta told me,” Jack says. “She said a couple of scouts got killed. It looked like the deal turned bad, and she saw you coming through the valley. The others are on high alert.”

“Good,” Bae says. His tone is incredibly hard, and he seems more sure of himself than he’s ever been. “Get us to the elders.”

Jack nods, and we all get into his truck to ride into town.

Bae sits in the back with me and holds my hand. When we look into each other’s eyes and share a little smile, I hear Jack clear his throat loudly.

“So, you guys… uh… worked things out?”

“We sure did,” I murmur, leaning in to give Bae a quick kiss.

It doesn’t take long to get to Shelley’s. We hurry in through the back entrance to find Carson, Sasha, and Seth waiting for us. A slender blond woman in rough mountain gear is drinking tea by the counter. I assume it must be Kelta.

“Sit down, Bae,” Carson says, gesturing to the chairs on the other side of the table. “Tell us what happened.”

We sit down, and I note that none of them look very happy.

Why would they be? We almost got killed.

“The other pack is a bunch of bloodthirsty, honorless mongrels,” Bae says. “We attempted to parley. They almost killed me, and tried to take Gina. We were lucky to get out alive.”

“Are you kidding me?” Sasha exclaims. “How the hell did a conversation about territory get so violent?”

“Because they are inherently violent,” Bae explains calmly. “It wouldn’t have mattered what we did. They were always going to kill us and then track down the rest of you and kill you, too.”

“Bae, I think this is unacceptable,” Seth says. “This was your first test as alpha, and it couldn’t have gone worse.”

“Wait!” I cry out in outrage, my voice ripping through the room. “How dare you? This is your alpha you are speaking to. He handled that situation better than any of you could. None of you would have gotten out alive. Once it became clear we had no choice but to fight, you should have seen him! The strength and power of his wolf… he is practically unbeatable. Now, we also have vital intel on the other pack. Our mission was a success.”

“Listen here,” Carson says, pointing at me. “You can’t just sit there and disrespect us this way—”

“No, Carson,” Sasha puts her hand on his arm, shaking her head. “They aren’t fighting each other. They have come together.” She looks at us very closely, her face changing. “I can see signs of a terrible fight. I think they’re telling the truth. Bae wasn’t reckless.”

“I can confirm the details,” Kelta says, approaching the table. “We did not move into enemy territory, but we heard the fight and tracked our alpha and den mother. The enemy pack is brutal. We will need a solid defense against them.”

There’s a bit more arguing around the table until the elders agree to leave the matter for now and decide what to do once a full council can be gathered.

Jack offers us a ride home.

“Can you drop me off at Mom and Dad’s?” I ask him. “I just want to let them know I’m okay.”

“Sure,” Jack agrees.

I sit with Bailey in the backseat and hold his hand while he softly traces his fingertips across my palm. It feels like he’s stroking me all over. The sensation echoes through me, making my blood run hot and my skin sing.

Jack pulls up at our parents’ house, and I hurry inside to have a brief chat with Mom. Jack offers me his truck so I can drive back to Bae’s, and I accept, hurrying to get home to him.

As I pull up in the driveway, a rush of anxiety floods through me. It was easy up on the mountain, where it was just the two of us—and with death so close, everything seemed so clear. Now that we’re home, will all my insecurities return?

I head inside, and the house is too quiet. I hurry up the stairs to find Bae sound asleep in bed. I stand over him for a few minutes, admiring his muscular body twisted around the sheets.

When I sit down on the edge of the bed, his eyes open as he rolls towards me.

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