Page 13 of The Alpha Wolf's Bullied Bride

I press my eyelids shut, gulping and mentally suiting up with the armor I created to protect myself. I’m able to will my mind to stop overworking, my heart to become cold and numb. That’s when the ringing disappears and I hear Miles’s voice clearly.

“Lila?”

I open my eyes and quickly turn to Miles. “Hm?”

He’s frowning at me, shoulders lifted expectantly. “Will you not greet Flynn?”

“Oh…right…” I turn to Flynn, not wanting to raise Miles’s suspicions. “Hi, Flynn. It’s good to have you back.”

Phew!

Mentally, I’m doing cartwheels, even if my body trembles as if it’s about to combust with the torrent of emotions I’m holding back. Apart from the ruthless, foolish sense of being attracted to Flynn, I despise him gravely for how he always treated me behind Miles’s back.

All he’ll ever get from me is this cold layer of ice I wear. Even in my brother’s absence, I’m certain I’ll be able to deflect his torture without letting it eat away at my self-esteem.

Which had been hanging on a thread around him.

Flynn looks up at me, then glances at my brother before turning back with a smile that’s obviously forced.

“Don’t I get a hug?”

“Oh, um—”

Flynn gives me no warning before stepping forward and wrapping his arms around me. I’m only grateful for the loose embrace for the sake of my burns, but I despise myself for nearly sighing when my senses become enveloped by his manly scent, like sandalwood and mint. My eyelids flutter closed until I catch myself and remember that I hate his guts.

All I can do in defense is tense my body before he steps back.

Flynn clears his throat, fumbling awkwardly with his hands as he turns to Miles. “I’ll leave you to it. I’m gonna go surprise my parents with my arrival.”

“Catch ya later, bud,” Miles says with a gentle pat on his shoulder.

I’m only able to breathe again once Flynn walks away, letting out the breath I’d been holding. Miles frowns at me and opens his mouth to say something when Valerie interrupts.

“I should get going, too,” Valerie announces with a smile. I return that smile, grateful that she’d prevented Miles from questioning the awkward tension in the air. “You two need some time to catch up.”

I gulp hard as I nod, then quickly plaster a smile on my face for my brother’s sake. “I can’t wait to hear all about your time in Ouachita.”

He eyes me suspiciously but nods as we make our way past the little dam of water. I know I’ll have to work hard to avoid the subject.

It’s a good thing Miles has two years' worth of catching up to do.

Chapter 4 - Flynn

I run a hand over my head, the short hairs prickling my palm as if I’m pinching myself back to reality. Still, I find that I remain staring out at the small town as pack members close up the trading market for the night, unable to focus on any particular stall.

It’s almost as if I’m searching for something that isn’t there. Or someone. Not knowing who sends a shiver down my spine, relief only washing over me at the familiarity of the scene below.

I’ve just arrived, and already my father caught wind of my early return and called me to his study. So much for a surprise—but then again, there’s little we can keep hidden from the current Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack. By now, the others must know that we’ve returned, and are probably waiting to greet me.

Even now, I barely feel the need to rush out to meet the friends I left behind two years ago. Perhaps I have felt this way since meeting Lila in the woods, where she didn’t seem too excited to see me.

It’s not like I can blame her for her reaction. Or mine, when I saw her for the first time in two years. There’s something different about her, and it’s not just the haircut I noticed. I preferred her longer waves, cascading off her shoulders and billowing out behind her back whenever the wind breezed by. It suited her plump frame, though now her ample curves are no longer hidden, her voluptuous bust swelling proudly with every inhale.

I sigh to myself, gulping back the surge of awareness that threatens to corrupt my mind. The only thing that hasn’t changed is how drawn I feel toward her. I thought that with mytime away and the rigorous training we endured, I’d finally be able to put to rest that insanely strong urge to be close to her. I was wrong.

What I hadn’t been anticipating was her coldness toward me. Even when we hugged, I felt her tensing in my arms and knew that she must have been sorely mistaken when she uttered the word “mate” to me two years ago in the exact spot.

Perhaps she’s come to her senses and realized how absurd her claim was. I mean, it’s already preposterous that I feel any inclination toward her. She’s just a wolf-less Omega, and couldn’t possibly be an Alpha-blood’s mate.

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