Page 128 of Alpha Theo

“Sounds good to me,” I grumble, sitting up. The faster she gets outta here, the better- she’s fucking torturing me in those skimpy little sleep shorts and tiny tank top.

“Okay,” she breathes, leaning over to steal a quick kiss. Then she sweeps her hair over one shoulder, gazing into my eyes devilishly. “See you soon.”

Fifteen minutes later, I’m pulling up to the gate of the squad complex on my bike. Brooke’s there waiting, looking sexy as hell in ripped denim and her leather jacket. She trots over and I hand her the helmet- and once it’s fastened securely, she climbs on the back of my bike like she’s been doing it her whole life, settling in behind me and wrapping her arms around my waist.

I maintain a steady speed as we travel up to Pine Mountain, staying attuned to Brooke’s body language the whole way. When I go a little too fast, her grip around my waist tightens, signaling me to slow down. When she’s relaxed, I test my speed, pushing a little faster. By the time we get to the top and climb off, she’s smiling- so I must’ve done an okay job of getting us there.

I reach into one of the saddlebags on the side of my bike, pulling out a few granola bars. “The dining hall wasn’t open yet, so this is the best I could do for breakfast…”

Brooke smile widens- that gorgeous smile that lights up her whole face. “It’s perfect,” she says, reaching out to take one from me.

We head over to the cliff’s edge and I stoop down to sit, waving Brooke closer. As soon as she’s near, I reach out for her, pulling her down into my lap. I spread my knees for her body to nestle between them and she leans her back against my chest, peeling open the wrapper of the granola bar.

I wolf down two of them quickly, shoving the wrappers in the pocket of my jeans. Then I wind my arms around Brooke’s waist, hold her while she finishes her own. Look out at the view and listen to the peaceful sounds of the forest in the morning.

“I came up here yesterday after we argued,” I grumble, hooking my chin over her shoulder. “It wasn’t the same without you.”

“I’m sorry, again,” she says softly, leaning her head back onto my chest.

“Me too.”

I push up her jacket sleeve and stroke her forearm with my thumb, turning my face to her hair to breathe her in. Coconut.

“I’m not perfect, you know…” she murmurs, covering my hand with her own.

I chuckle. “That’s a lie.”

“It’s not.” Brooke pauses and I feel her body tense up a little bit in my arms. “Wanna know my deepest, darkest secret?”

“Of course,” I murmur, nuzzling her neck. “You can tell me anything, babe.”

Brooke’s a fucking angel. I’ll bet she’s gonna tell me she swiped a pack of gum once and the guilt has been torturing her since.

She draws a breath like she’s pausing for dramatic effect, then blurts out “I almost killed Fallon once.”

“What?” I laugh, leaning forward to gaze at her over her over her shoulder. “Siblings fight, Brooke, that’s hardly a deep, dark secret.”

She turns to face me, biting her bottom lip. “No, it wasn’t like that,” she says, her expression stoic. “Remember how I told you my wolf’s hard to control?”

I nod, waiting for her to go on.

She sucks in a breath. “When she first manifested, I was scared of how wily she was. I tried to hold her back, never let her out to run or practiced controlling her. And then one day I was fighting with Fallon over a magazine, of all things, and she tore through. Attacked her. I couldn’t stop it…”

Brooke’s voice trails off and she turns away, peering out at the view of the forest from our perch on the mountain. “My parents heard her screams and rushed to step in, and I hurt them, too. There was so much blood… I think I scared them half to death. And after that, I was even more afraid to let my wolf out. My parents worked with me, helped me get a better handle on her, but… I never trusted her after that.”

I swallow hard, combing over Brooke’s story in my mind. I don’t even know what to say, so all I do is try to comfort her. I lean in, pressing a kiss to her temple.

“I mean what kind of a shifter doesn’t trust her own wolf?” she scoffs. “It’s always made me feel… defective, somehow. I think that’s why I’ve always been wound so tight, so cautious about everything- because even though I’ve got more control now, in the back of my mind, that fear’s still there.”

So much about Brooke’s personality makes sense in light of her admission. Her aversion to risky activities- the types of things that would make her wolf rise to the surface. Her need to control every aspect of her life stemming from her inability to control her inner animal.

A pause settles between us before she turns to look at me again. “So, see? I’m not perfect. Far from it. I just keep my demons hidden better than some.”

I pull her tighter to my chest, her soft body meeting every hard line of mine. “I had trouble with my wolf in the beginning too. That’s how my mom…” I stop short. Brooke’s already heard this story. No need to rehash the ugly details.

“It wasn’t your fault any more than my wolf’s attack on Fallon was mine.”

I sigh. “Yeah. I guess what I’m saying is that it doesn’t make you a bad person. Some shifters integrate easier than others.”

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