Page 23 of The Alpha's Bullied Pregnant Mate

“Why?”

“I don’t need to explain myself,” she snapped. “Look, last night was clearly a mistake, and it’s a mistake that can’t ever repeat itself. Please leave, I’m running late for work.”

Fannar stretched and swung his long legs over the side of the bed. “Mistake?” He shook his head. “That didn’t feel like a mistake. And you know it.”

“I don’t know anything.” She glanced at him . God, he’s so distracting. “And you need to put on your clothes.”

He shrugged and grinned. “I have no idea where they are. Do you always wake up this grumpy.”

“You’re not taking this seriously enough, Fannar, so let me make this clear. We had an arrangement. Now, I may have been rash yesterday in walking away from our deal, and I’ve decided we can continue as agreed. That’s it. No strings attached, no more, whatever in the world this is. It was a mistake and it will never happen again. Deal?”

Fannar frowned. “You’re sure that’s what you want? I know you enjoyed this as much as I—”

“It was a mistake. It will NEVER happen again. Those are my terms? You either agree to it now, or I walk out on this for good, and you continue going on blind dates your mom has prepared for you. What’s it going to be?”

She held his searching gaze, trying to hide how fast her heart was beating and how much her body longed for him. None of those mattered. She couldn’t allow herself to get tangled with Fannar. If anything, she needed to get as far away from him as she could manage.

“Deal.” Fannar looked disappointed but he handled it well. He pulled himself to his feet, rolled his shoulder, and walked past Isla. “I’d see myself out. I have your number, I’d call you later.”

His demeanor was cold and unattached, and the flatness of his tone broke her heart. She watched him slip out of her bedroom and slip quietly into the hallway beyond. She wished she hadn’t been watching him, she wouldn’t have been reminded just how sexy he was.

Isla lay on the bed and let out a deep sigh. She could still feel him in her bed. He had such a powerful scent, intoxicating and unique. She turned and ignored the images that flashed in her mind from the previous night. I need to throw this freaking bed away.

She heard the front door open and close. A few seconds later, she heard Fannar drive away. Like clockwork, the pain at the back of her neck returned a few moments after Fannar left, and with the pain, that burning hunger for him. I’m so fucking screwed.

***

Getting out of bed for work that morning was the hardest thing Isla had ever done in her life. She hurt everywhere, and what was worse, the pain in her neck had intensified. She needed to see a healer soon about it. The only other option was to continue getting down with Fannar, and she was certain that that decision was more harm than good.

She plowed through the snow to the platform at the end of the street. She was late for work by half an hour, and had been terribly close to calling in sick. The only problem with that was that everything in her house reminded her of Fannar, and she desperately needed a distraction.

There were two other women on the long platform, and Isla stood as far away from them as the platform allowed. She recognized them as neighbors who lived on the street, but neither one made an attempt to talk to the other. Just another day at the office for Frost Peak wolves.

They both ignored Isla completely, and she did her best to ignore them as well. She wondered if any of her neighbors had seen Fannar leaving in the morning? Would anyone confront her again and remind her that she wasn’t good enough for the alpha?

A cable car rumbled to a stop shortly after Isla had arrived at the platform, and the three women clambered on. Isla found a seat at the back of the car, and pulled her hoodie low over her eyes. She put headsets on her ears and picked out a book. She just wanted to be left alone.

She glanced in her purse and sighed with relief. She’d taken half of the money Fannar had given her the previous night. She wanted to give her dad and mom some of it, but she dreaded all the questions her generosity would garner.

She certainly couldn’t tell them where she got the money from, and she couldn’t think of any lies that could explain where she found five thousand dollars in cash. Her parents were decent, hardworking and proud, virtues they’d instilled in her years ago.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a woman approached and settled in the seat beside her. Isla looked up, curious and wary. “Sorry, can I seat here?”

Isla took off her headsets and blinked at the woman. She was used to practical jokes and she was praying silently that this wasn’t one of them. “Sure you can.” She gestured to the empty seat. “Please.”

“Thank you,” the newcomer said, settling into the seat.

Isla glanced suspiciously at her, then nodded.She turned to look out of the window, hoping that the rest of the trip happened in silence. She couldn’t deal with any meanness or rudeness today. In all honesty, she was getting tired of being picked on and was rapidly approaching her breaking point.

“Cool head warmer,” the new comer said.

Isla touched the yellow head warmer self consciously and glanced at the woman. Say what you want to say quickly and get it over with, dammit. “Thank you. It was a gift.”

The woman nodded. “I’d have loved to get one. It looks really nice on you. Have any idea where I can get one?”

Isla sighed. “What do you want? Are you having a good laugh? Is anyone somewhere right now, taping this whole conversation, waiting for you to mock me?”

“Jesus, not at all.” The woman laughed and shook her head. “Why would you even think about that? Anyways, no. There’s no one anywhere waiting to make a hilarious video of you. I’m Elsa, and I came into Frost Peak to visit an old friend. Nice to meet you.”

---