Page 30 of My Brutal Alpha

Dad scoffed. "If we don't follow through with this promise, then there's a high chance Kody will contest my position and do whatever he can to collapse my status."

While the faintest part of me, perhaps what was left of my old self, felt vaguely affected by that news. But for the most part, whether he had his status or not made no difference to me.

"Is your claim as alpha so fragile that just anyone can come in and take it away from you?"

They both grew more irritated at my words. Dad's blood seemed to boil as he scowled at me. "As you know, the older the alpha, the easier it is to break the claim. To challenge him and take his title away. Don't be dense."

Meeting him halfway, I clenched my jaw, and I couldn't help but wonder just how far I was willing to go to defend myself and prove my point.

Even if he were my Dad, I would have no qualms about putting him back in his place if he got too out of line.

But before anything could get out of hand, Mom put a hand against his arm and looked at me with a final scalding gaze.

"Consider what we said...end this ridiculous engagement or risk your father's status with your selfish behavior."

I was prepared to snap then, but the two of them pulled away before I could, saving all of us a mess that I was sure they didn't want to find themselves in.

Biting back everything I wanted to say to them, I watched for a moment as they walked off.

On one hand, I didn't want anyone holding anything over my head, even if it was my Dad. I didn't want them to be able to take the safe way out and blame me for him potentially losing his alpha status.

But on the other, I didn't want to give them the satisfaction of winning. Of thinking they could control me forever.

I spent long enough being controlled by them, and I wasn't prepared to give up that freedom I worked so hard to give myself.

Besides, they didn't know how much harder that reality would be. Regardless of how reckless it was, Zoe was my mate, and calling it off for a second time would bring us both a world of pain.

Even the idea of rejecting Zoe again made my inner wolf feel agitated.

While our arrangement may have been fake, the bond wasn't, and I didn't want to discard it all over again.

Even if it meant risking my Dad's position. Even if it meant Sebastian hating me for it.

Chapter 14 - Zoe

Even though we’d slept together, Ezra and I were still in a strange place.

I wasn't sleeping in the guest bedroom anymore—he seemed annoyed when I tried and said it wasn't necessary. So, I found myself sleeping next to him, and even though we both refused to address our bond outright, his arm would end up draped across my waist.

It was almost like we were reluctantly following the path our bond had laid out in front of us but unsure of what was going on or what we were doing as we blurred the line between what was real and what was our supposed ruse. It was getting harder to decipher every day, and given how Ezra wasn't one to express himself very often, it was like trying to get an answer from a brick wall.

Still, things were otherwise pleasant. He wasn't picking fights with me for no reason, and for the most part, he was more careful in how he spoke to me. Given our past, it felt more like we had reached a truce, even if there was some reluctance or at least hesitance.

By the time I got myself out of bed and down the stairs, it was already mid-morning, and I figured Ezra had already come down for breakfast.

To my surprise, Sebastian was sitting in the living room with him while they talked casually.

The words I picked up from their conversation sounded innocent enough, but the immediate panic only amplified my concerns. My stomach sank, and my thoughts immediately went to the worst-case scenario.

Since I had been living there, Sebastian had never visited the house.

I couldn't help but wonder if he somehow found out about our history or our renewed bond, if he discovered it on his own, or if Ezra told him.

But there was no way he would say anything about it without telling me first...right?

I swallowed hard and approached the living room, afraid the morning would become less peaceful.

Ezra's eyes flickered over to me first, taking me in for a brief moment. It was a quick look as if assessing me completely before deciding I was all right.

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