Page 59 of Cruel Alpha Bully

“Come and give me a birthday dance,” Carla says, gesturing to me.

I put down my plate and hurry over to her. “I hope you had a good time,” I say, meaning it.

“I really did,” she says, smiling. “Nice little party, close family and friends, good food and wine.”

“Good,” I mutter, glancing around to see where Gina is.

Carla laughs. “You’ve got it bad, boy.”

“What?”

Carla shakes her head. “The reason I asked you to dance is so that I could get another quiet word with you. To thank you for taking such good care of Gina.”

“Oh,” I answer, surprised. “It’s been my pleasure.”

“Yes, I really believe that. On the wedding day, you both looked a bit… hesitant.” She pauses. “She’s always loved you, Bae,” Carla whispers, giving me a squeeze. “I know you’ll work it out, and it’s wonderful to see both of you so happy.”

Emotion wells up in me, and I grab Carla and give her a big hug. This sense of belonging, of being loved, is something I didn’t even know I needed. Now that I have it, I will protect it with my life.

It’s beginning to get late when Jack gets a call. We sent out some more scouts to strengthen our own boundaries and check on the new territory. We can’t allow the other pack to move in too close to us, but I’d prefer not to go to war with them, either.

When Jack tells me the scouts are ready for us to go in, all of us leave the party to head out to the woods. We hug everyone on the way out, and I can’t believe how lucky I am. I have loving parents, my best friend is also my brother-in-law, and I married the most beautiful woman in the world.

Gina and I travel out in my truck, and Jack follows us. When we get to the clearing that leads up to the mountain, we find Kelta waiting for us.

“We’ve been waiting for you, alpha,” she says. “I want you to check on the locations of our sentries and approve the buffer zone we’ve set out in the middle territory.”

“Let’s get out there,” I answer eagerly. I’m looking forward to a run through the mountains.

All of us take off our clothes and shift, heading into the thick scrub. My instincts immediately take over, my thoughts fleeing my mind. I charge through the dark, damp paths, filling my nose with the scents of the forest and looking ahead to the peaks as they rise around us.

In wolf form, it doesn’t take me long to traverse the side of the mountain and then run across the range towards the unclaimed territory. I know how dangerous the other pack is, but I’m fully healed now, and I have my strongest fighters with me. Those wolves won’t beat me again.

When we reach the defensive line, I stand stock-still, trembling as I stretch my senses out. My pricked-up ears detect the smallest sounds from the forest, right down to mice scuttling in their burrows. I put my nose to the air, and I can smell my sentries spread out in hiding places that span at least a hundred miles.

I give a small bark and retreat back to our territory. Once we hit the tree line that leads back to Dallas Peak, I stop the others and shift back to human form. The others do, too.

“I’m very happy with it, Kelta. You have a communication system in place?”

“Yes, alpha, we do. The second something changes, we will alert you.”

“Excellent. Don’t push further into the unclaimed area, and don’t shift into human form too close to the line. Stay alert, and if there is any sign of the enemy pack, call us immediately.”

“I will, alpha,” she says, nodding.

“Jack, are you heading home now?” I ask.

“No, I’m going to go out on the line a bit and patrol,” he answers. “What about you guys?”

“I think we might go for a run on the plains,” I say, reaching for Gina’s hand. She smiles, taking it and giving my fingers a squeeze.

“Sure,” she says. “I’m still a bit full from the party food, but I’d like that.”

“Okay,” I say, smoothing her hair back. “Let me know if you get tired.”

“I will.”

We all shift back and head our separate ways. My sense of euphoria returns immediately as my wolf takes me over. As a man, I can be taciturn and withdrawn, but not as a wolf. To embrace my animal side also means surrendering to feeling and emotion. Immersing myself in my senses and being true to my heart.

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