Page 9 of Return of the Alpha

My mate shifts backand covers her nudity quickly. It is something I am happy about andpissed off at the same time. I watch her as she processes the wordsand I see the moment something inside her snaps.

“What the hell?” sheasks loudly. “I’ve been living in fear that you would send me awayif you found out and you’ve known all along!”

“April,” Caine sayssoftly as he stands and steps closer to her. “We were giving youtime to get acclimated to the people. Besides, it’s no one’sbusiness if you don’t want to tell them.”

“For God’s sake,Caine. I’m a fucking panther!” she yells, tears streaming down herface. “Your pack deserves to know who is living here.”

“They do,” Peytoninterrupts. “You’re April. The sweetest person most of us have evermet. You love cooking even though you’re still learning, you helpwhenever and wherever you can, and the kids love you. The animalyou change into doesn’t make a damn difference. You’re stillyou.”

“And you?” she asks,turning her tear-filled gaze on me. “You’ve been held captive andabused for years only to find a mate and now I’m not even a wolf.How do you feel about that?”

“I don’t know,” Ireply honestly but I don’t get to say the rest of my sentencebefore both she and Peyton are glaring at me.

“Well, then, you canrefuse me,” April says angrily. “I don’t care if you want me ornot. It’s my birthday and I am going to get drunk.”

She spins on herheel with Peyton following close behind. I am shocked. Stunnedspeechless where I have been standing behind the counter. After along tense silence, I turn to Caine.

“Does Peyton alsocut you off before you finish speaking?”

A deep laugh rumblesout of him. “All the damn time.”

“Should I followher?” I rub at my temples where a headache is brewing.

Women have alwaysbeen a mysterious breed to me, and it seems things haven’t changedthrough the years. I wonder if I will ever understand what womenwant.

“I wouldn’t,” hesays opening the fridge and handing me a beer. “I would give her aday or two to cool down. She seemed pretty pissed off.”

I nod my head as Itake a big gulp of the ice-cold beer, my first in years.

“Do you care?” Caineasks after another stretch of silence.

I don’t have to ask.I know he is referring to her animal.

“Not one fuckingbit.”

“Good. I thinkPeyton may have kicked your ass if you did.”

****

April

Fucking pack.

Fucking mate.

Fucking day.

The door to thehouse I live in slams into the wall hard enough to leave a dent. Ican hear Peyton following me, but I won’t acknowledge her. Mythoughts are running a mile a minute and I don’t know what willcome out of my mouth if I speak right now.

Instead, I make abeeline for my freezer where I have a near-empty bottle of tequilacalling my name. Grabbing the bottle, I unscrew the top and swallowas much as I can before my throat feels like it’s on fire.

“Fuck!” I yell,throwing the now-empty bottle at the wall.

I’m so pissed off Ican’t even think straight. How stupid can I be? I can’t believe Ihonestly thought the entire pack of wolves couldn’t scent thedifference between me and themselves. Hell, I can, so why wouldn’tthey?

“Are you going tobreak anything else?” Peyton asks from where she is leaning in thedoorway.

“Probably,” Imutter, lamenting the fact that there is no more alcohol in myhouse.

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