Page 16 of The Alpha Wolf's Bullied Bride

“Shh…” she presses a finger to my lips and compels me to silence. “I know you just got back and stuff, but look.” She turns toward the bonfire crackling a few meters ahead, where the Blood Moon soldiers mingle with Cynthia’s friends. “Everyone’s so happy to have you back. They’d be elated to hear that you’ve picked me as your mate.”

I perk up a brow when panic rises out of nowhere. “You haven’t told anyone yet, have you?”

Cynthia giggles as she turns back to me. “Of course not. I figured you’d want to announce it tonight.”

“Tonight?”

“Yo, Flynn!” Miles calls out to me from near the bonfire. “The ladies wanna hear about that time you fought a bear in Ouachita!”

Seizing my escape, I yell out, “Be there in a sec.” I pull away from Cynthia, with nothing but an “Excuse me,” leaving her to follow me to the bonfire.

Recounting the tale of the bear brings about hearty laughter and eyes full of amazement, yet witnessing everyone’s reaction isn’t as satisfying as I thought it would be.

The night after I tussled with the bear that almost ripped through the campsite and walked away victorious, I dreamed about the awe and wonder I’d see in a particular set of blue eyes.

That pair of eyes is nowhere to be found now. It was a silly thing to wish for, especially since those timid eyes would sheepishly look away when I told the story. She’d be hiding behind her brother or her friend, pretending to be looking at something while her ears turned pink to indicate that she was listening to my every word.

The absence of those marveling eyes and blushing ears is a void I feel profoundly tonight.

When Cynthia comes over and slides her arm through mine, I tense up again. Her touch should serve as a distraction, as it always did in the past, but right now, it churns my stomach.

She leans in by my ear, the warmth of her breath unsavory on my skin. “That was quite a story, honey. Now, are you gonna announce our mate bond?”

I pull back to stare at her in disbelief. “Now?”

She nods with a smug smile on her face, prompting me to grab her arm and pull her away from the crowd. Once we’re out of earshot of the others, I release her arm abruptly.

“Are you stupid, Cynthia?!” I scold. “You know this isn’t the time or place for that.”

“Yeah, but—”

“But what?!” I suddenly roar, taking a warning step forward and glaring at her. “You know better than anyone that Blood Moon has rules that we have to follow. A mate bond isn’t announced at some spontaneous bonfire party.”

“Woah…calm down, honey.” She attempts to subdue me by reaching out a hand toward my face, but I slap her wrist to shove her away.

“No. I will not calm down, Cynthia,” I grate out through gritted teeth, narrowing my eyes at the redhead who I can’tstand to be around right now. I have no idea what’s come over me, but just know that I can’t even stomach the sight of her face. “You’re the one who needs to calm down and put this mate bond thing to rest until the time is right.”

With that, I spin on my heel and set my sights on the shadowed forest, marching toward the trees while ignoring her attempts to call out after me. That adamant need to get as far away as possible has me shifting as soon as I pass the first pine tree, my wolf taking the reins as I surrender my anger and frustration to the powerful, mystical being of soft fur.

My mind empties of any thoughts as my large paws carry me forward in a steady jog, leaving behind only a faint ringing in my ears.

An awfully familiar sound, hauling me into a memory of a time when I heard the same thing in my mind. A memory I thought I’d buried, one filled with deep remorse.

The day I found Lila at the dam and locked eyes with her two years ago, when she murmured a single word that had my world crumbling around me. That’s the only other time I’d ever felt as if my brain cells were being strung like the chords of a guitar, over and over again, leaving behind a resonant sound that echoes in my eardrums. Except now, the waves of ringing serve to spur my every step as I jog further into the woods, a dull ache in my chest commanding my pulse until I find myself in front of Lila’s cabin.

Why I'm here is the only question I have, while the reply from my inner wolf continues in the form of the ache in my chest, as if my heart is about to bust out of the confines of the wolf’s strong ribcage. My nostrils flare as I catch a whiff of something sweet in the air, the scent appealing to my senses like the finest catch I’m about to make.

My eyes search the cabin as if I’m on the prowl for my next fresh meal, my breath hitching when I spot Lila’s short silhouette outlined in the ivory organza veiling the window. Hiding in the shadows, I let out the breath I’ve been holding, instantly feeling a wave of relief wash over my wolf.

The ringing doesn’t stop. Neither does the nagging pull in my chest as I watch her flit around the kitchen, nor the sweet fragrance filling my airways. My claws dig into the soil as an aching desire to have all five senses quenched rages on.

Touch and taste are missing right now, and my senses are going into overdrive.

What is this?

These feelings must mean something, though I’m not sure what it is. It’s absurd to believe that it’s any more than just base desire, being attracted to her ample curves and wanting to bury my face in her luscious bosom.

Huffing to dismiss the heinous thoughts racing through my mind, I try clearing my head to focus on what my instincts really mean.

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