Page 89 of Alpha Theo

I never imagined that it would be this strong, this overpowering- everything in my body is screaming for me to be near Brooke, to hold her, protect her, provide for her. I could chalk it all up to biology, but I know there’s something else there, too- something that existed before the bond snapped into place. Like I somehow knew that she was the one for me all along.

“I’ve really been struggling with this,” Brooke sighs, clasping her hands together in front of her. “And I’m sorry for shutting you out, I just needed some space to come to terms with everything.”

My heart sinks. Her tone is so serious, almost sad. Is she about to reject me as her mate? I steady my expression, but inside I’m absolutely fucking panicking.

She parts her lips to speak again, but I interrupt, heading off her rejection. “I didn’t mean to scare you on my bike, Brooke. You’ve gotta believe me. I wasn’t thinking straight, I was just so jacked to have you on the back that all common sense flew out the window.” I scrub a hand over my face, sighing. “And I never should’ve left like that, I know it was a shitty thing to do. And everything you said was true, I just…”

Brooke interrupts me, shaking her head. “Theo, I shouldn’t have said those things. Yeah, I was mad that you scared the crap out of me on your motorcycle, but you didn’t deserve a character assassination like that. I was wrong for flipping out like I did.”

“No you weren’t,” I rasp, staring at her earnestly. “I fucked up, Brooke, you had every right to put me in my place…”

“No I didn’t!” she says exasperatedly. “That’s not how people should behave, Theo! That’s part of the reason I have doubts about this whole thing, because I hate the person I turned into on the side of that road. Mates are supposed to bring out the best in each other, not the worst…”

I feel that pinching in my chest again, that panic that she’s going to walk away from me.

“You do bring out the best in me,” I say quickly. I step closer and reach out, setting my hands on her shoulders and staring down into her eyes. “If you hadn’t said those things, I wouldn’t have realized how childish I’ve been about the whole Cory thing. I wouldn’t have gone back home. And if it were anyone else who said it, I probably wouldn’t have listened, but because it wasyou…”

I trail off, swallowing hard. Brooke blinks up at me with those gorgeous blue eyes.

“It made me actually want to man up and be better,” I finish.

Brooke’s lips part to speak, her voice coming out in a whisper. “Why?”

“Because I like you.”

She sighs, shaking her head. “That’s just the mate bond,” she mutters.

“No it’s not,” I say defensively. “I felt this before the bond. And whether or not you want to admit it, I know you did too.”

Brooke pauses, her eyes trained on mine. “Yeah,” she breathes. “You’re right, I did. But…”

“But what?” I interrupt.

She shrugs my hands off of her shoulders, shakes her head.

The loss of her contact agitates my wolf. I raise my voice, frustrated with her continued hesitation after I’ve put it all out there. “Why are you fighting this so hard? Can’t you see that I’m trying? Why can’t you just admit that you like me too, say you’ll give this thing a shot?”

“Because I’m scared!” Brooke shouts.

I snap my mouth closed, taken aback by her outburst.

Then she draws a breath, lowering her voice. “I’m scared, alright? Ilikeyou, Theo. I know there’s a good person in you, but I’m afraid of you. I’m afraid of your reputation with women, of how you’ve hurt me in the past… I’m afraid that if I let my walls down and let you in completely, you’ll destroy me.”

The truth of her words cuts deep. My instinct is to get the fuck out of here rather than show any vulnerability, to just fucking bail like I always do. But that’s how I screwed this whole thing up in the first place- so for once, I don’t. I draw a breath, steady my expression. I stay.

“You don’t think I’m afraid of that too?” I ask, my voice gravelly. “I know what people say about me, Brooke. I know I’m a fuck up, that I ruin everything I touch. But I’ve never wanted so badly to get things right for once. I know I can’t promise that I won’t hurt you, but damnit, can’t you let me at leasttry?”

She stares at me silently and I can see the hesitation in her eyes, battling against something else- an urge to give in, let go, just like when she saw the ski-lift. I’m not sure which is going to win over until she suddenly takes a step toward me, closing the distance between us. Her wolf shows in her irises as she places her palms on my chest, slides them up to my shoulders. Lifts up on her tiptoes. Presses her lips against mine.

I’m so shocked that it takes me a moment to realize what’s even happening, but my body responds on its own accord while my brain catches up. It feels like an electric current is zipping through me as I kiss her back, moving my hands to her waist and sliding them up under her t-shirt to feel her skin against my palms. It’s so smooth, so soft. Her lips pout and move against mine; her kiss is tender, sweet. Romantic.

And then it becomes something else. Hungry, urgent, desperate. Her lips part, her tongue finding mine. She tilts her head, nips at my bottom lip. Winds her arms tightly around my neck, pressing her hot little body against my chest. I grip her waist, and before I even start to lift her it’s like her body knows exactly how to respond to mine- she springs off of her tiptoes, wrapping her legs around my waist as she continues devouring my mouth. I slide one arm under her ass, bring my other hand up to tangle in the back of her hair. She claws at my own with her fingers, her tongue lapping against mine.

My dick is rock hard in my gym shorts. When the tip of it brushes against her ass, all rationality goes out the window. A growl starts in my chest as I kiss her hard, kiss her like I mean it. Brooke moans into my mouth, returning it with equal fervor- she wants this as badly as I do. For someone so shy, so reserved, her kiss is anything but. It’s carnal, wild, driven by her animalistic nature. She drags my bottom lip between her teeth, coming up for air, pulling back and looking at me with lust-filled eyes. We just stare at each other for a moment, both breathing hard, the connection of the mate bond stretching between us, the strength of it palpable.

“So is that a yes?” I murmur, a smirk creeping across my lips. I’ve still got a hand on her ass and I give it a little squeeze.

Brooke’s cheeks flush and she lowers her legs from around my waist, loosens her arms around my neck. I set her down, my dick jerking in my shorts as her body drags down over it before she finds her footing and takes a shaky step back.

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