Page 15 of The Alpha King's Mate

He didn’t know me very well if he thought that anyone could’ve stopped me.

Chapter Twelve

King

I waited until the team got near before walking up to the house to meet the vans and SUVs. Each one of the team greeted me with fist bumps. That was, until I saw Ryan climb out of a van. “What in the fuck?” I roared. “What is he doing here?”

Hammer stepped forward, likely knowing my lion was milliseconds from coming out. “He’s one of us now, right? He’s an adult and made the decision to come with us. To see his mate. To participate in the team.”

My gaze targeted Tyrus. That bear’s life was currently in danger. “You! I told you to take care of him. To look after him. Not bring him right here in the fucking center of fucking danger. You promised me, Ty. You promised!”

Hammer put his hands up in surrender and dared take another step toward me. My shoulders slumped as Ryan’s eyes widened in fear. Fear of me. Me. His alpha. My mate should never fear me. Fuck. This was why I was no good for him.

Too bad I couldn’t stay away.

“King, your mate wanted to be here,” Hammer said. “And Tyrus hasn’t broken his promise. He is taking care of your mate, right this minute. We won’t let anything happen to him.”

“I don’t care.” My body vibrated with rage. “He fucking lied to me.”

My lion couldn’t take it one second longer. His anger was too much for my human body to hold. He burst through my human skin and, in seconds, I was roaring at Tyrus who shook with his own shift.

It was lion versus bear now.

“Shiiiiit,” Aziz called out. “You two, come on. We’ve got work to do. Everybody’s dick is big. We get it.”

Everyone laughed, but it was not enough to break the tension.

My lion took a swipe at the bear, but he only backed up instead of charging me. I wanted him to charge me. Hit me. Fight back. Give me some way to channel all this frustration. He had put my mate in danger.

“Stop this, King.” My lion’s joints buckled at the sound of my mate’s voice. “This was my choice. I am here because I want to be.”

My lion snarled at him, disagreeing.

“Don’t you jump down my throat.” Ryan turned, hands on his hips, a new commanding tone in his voice. “We have work to do here, and this isn’t helping. Shift back so we can get this omega and his babies out of here. You can yell and fight later if you want to.”

My lion huffed out a breath through his nose. The omega was commanding me, and my lion was listening. He stepped back from the bear and bowed his head. Submitting. Again. But he still refused to shift back.

“I mean it, King.” Ryan closed the distance between us and stroked his hands through my mane. No one touched my mane. Couldn’t really say that anymore though. “Come on, big bad lion. You have to help us. You can protect me while we work.”

Tyrus shifted first, and Sloan handed him a pair of pants. Ryan took his cue and headed for the van. My lion stalked his movements but already, we had given up the fight.

My omega won. As it should be.

“Go on. You’re wasting time, you big oaf.” He held out a pair of jeans to me. Submitting totally, my lion let my human side out and stayed silent while putting my pants on.

“Holy shit,” Pop-Tart said, coming over and fist-bumping my mate. “You just faced a damned lion. ’Bout time you joined the team.”

“Fuck off, Pop-Tart. Don’t touch my mate,” I said.

The rest of the team stood there, eyes big and mouths open. “It was a fist bump, King. These alphas, I swear.” Sloan shook his head. “Ryan, why don’t you come with me. It will be easier for the omega to trust us if he sees us first, especially with the amount of alpha power being thrown around.”

“Wait,” I said and grabbed my omega by the waist. I leaned in close to whisper in his ear. Sure, the others would still be able to hear, but they would turn their attention elsewhere. “You making my lion submit was the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. Don’t do it again.”

Ryan burst out laughing and followed Sloan.

Aziz came over, handing me a shirt and my already armed holster. I rarely used a gun, but sometimes I wore them just in case. “King…”

“Not a motherfucking word, hyena. Not one word.”

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