Page 18 of The Alpha's Forced Bullied Mate

Now that he wasn’t, I wondered what he would do with his time after the next week or so passed. Would he travel? Take up being a consultant for the pack? Become a therapist to the pack youth? There were so many things he could choose from—including doing nothing. That was the reward for so many years of service to the Silverfang Creek.

“Is that where he lives now?”

I shrugged back into an upright position and nodded. “Yep. That’s where Adrian lives.”

“I wish I could flick him off.”

I shook my head. “It’s not like he can see you.”

“I don’t care. He let me get hurt. Everyone just let me get hurt.”

“I’m never letting that happen again. Do you understand?”

Our eyes met in the rearview mirror. Those hazel-brown eyes shimmered with angry tears that hadn’t yet fallen. I quickly returned my gaze to the road, hurt by seeing her hurt and not truly understanding why. More trees sprouted up around us, breaking only to reveal the storage building on the right before plunging us back into crowded darkness from the thick forest growing around us. Another mile deposited us into a lonely cul-de-sac where I had chosen to reside for many years now.

The surrounding woods had been converted into my personal running territory, now considered private alpha land. Adrian could have lived back here, but he preferred to be close to his people, right next to the neighborhood he had once ruled. I enjoyed my space, so I took it freely, and no one complained about that.

Except for my aunt.

As soon as I parked, the floodlight above the garage door blazed over the hood of the car. My eyes immediately flew to the camera painted to blend in with the eggshell white color of the FROG. There wasn’t much indication of my security system aside from the floodlight.

As soon as the engine was off, I heard the way Faye’s breath hitched, how the leather of the seat holding her up wheezed slightly, and felt her breath near my neck. “Wow.”

“It’s not much to look at.”

“Did you build this back here?”

I half-shrugged. “Kinda, sorta.”

“Kinda, sorta?”

I popped open the door. “Come on, Cherry Pie. We have a ritual to plan.”

“You really think I’m going to do a walk of shame with my hands tied behind my back?”

“I can just carry you instead.”

Her heart pounded thunderously as she protested. Even when I shut the driver’s side door, I could still hear the way her blood raced through her veins. I sensed her intensity over the offer, and it felt stronger as I yanked open the rear door and unbuckled her seat belt.

“Don’t you—” She lodged her elbow into my solar plexus, knocking the wind out of me temporarily. “Hector—”

I sighed with irritation as I hoisted her out by her hips, minding her head by placing my hand on the back of her neck and cradling her like a child to my chest. With my left arm holding up her legs and my right hand pressing her face to my shoulder, I turned around and kicked the door shut with my foot.

As her warm breath tickled my throat in panicked waves, I listened to her heart, to the surprising sound of that muscle slowing down, leveling out, beating to a healthier rhythm. Her muscles relaxed and she went slack, exhaustion taking hold. She tried to say something and ended up mumbling under her breath. I couldn’t understand the syllables. It was probably sleepy nonsense.

Getting her inside was easier than I anticipated. I walked up the porch, tapped my code into the door—6-7-1-9—and hurried inside so I could get Faye on the couch. Yet when I wandered directly into the living room from the front door, I couldn’t put her down. Her curves fit perfectly against me. Her head was tilted back, revealing a patch of delicious throatexposed for the taking. Her lower lip twitched slightly as she took a slumbering breath and sighed contentedly.

Bite her.

I frowned while crossing the large living room to set her on the couch against the opposite wall. Behind that was the kitchen, to the right of that was the dining room, and if I turned now, I could see the wall for the laundry area separated by a wooden partition. On the other side was the door for the garage and then the staircase leading to the second floor, where my bedroom was located past an elegant landing.

This place was my dream home. And it seemed dreamier now, with Faye snoozing on the couch. She needed rest, and her arms were probably uncomfortable, so I tugged out my utility knife from my boot and cut the ropes. I rolled her to her side and then draped a blanket over her, something soft with my scent all over it.

I stared at her supple flesh, the soft curve of her throat inviting me to inspect the dips and peaks that created her delicate neck. She sighed sweetly, eyelids fluttering as she stretched her arms above her head and rolled over. Her pert bottom stuck out of the blanket, rounded by her spandex shorts and igniting a fire inside me.

Bite her.

The urge was too overwhelming. I knew I couldn’t resist her for much longer. I had to walk away before I ruined the sanctity of our ritual. Traditions weren’t exactly my thing, but I wanted to honor the sacred rites of our union. That much required my respect, especially as her leader, heralpha. I had to be that example for the rest of my pack.

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