Page 2 of My Brutal Alpha

With a nod, I pulled my helmet on and swung a leg over my bike, getting ready to head out. “You too.”

I didn’t know when it started or why, but I found myself getting closer to Sebastian. At least I was less guarded around him and leaned into that friendship a bit more. After seeingeveryone starting to build more in their lives, it was growing more apparent that I was doing less of the same.

While I didn’t entirely mind and was mostly satisfied with the life I had managed to create for myself, it was hard to deny how lonely it often became.

At the very least, Sebastian seemed to be accepting of the slow unraveling of my defenses, and the additional camaraderie was a welcome change.

Although, being around him did feel like a double-edged sword. He didn’t know what I knew…how I had messed around with his younger sister and broke her heart at the same time. How I ruined everything between us, and even risked our friendship at the same time.

Zoe was everything I ever wanted in a woman, even if I had a funny way of showing it—even if we only bickered around each other ever since we gave in to that mutual attraction and hooked up.

I was an idiot, and I let us discover the mate bond between us that should’ve stayed hidden. If I was smart, I never would’ve let it happen. But I couldn’t resist her. She had been so perfect...so willing to overlook my prickly, reserved side to get to know me more.

Regardless, I rejected her. The bond. I had to, even if it nearly killed me to do it.

Ever since, I did everything I could to hide it from Sebastian and the others. I didn’t want him to think I deceived him by seeing his sister behind his back. By breaking her heart at the same time.

Leaving the bar behind, I took the usual drive back to my pack grounds, feeling refreshed again from the night out. Of course, the drinks never took long to filter out of my system andreduced down to be as strong as water, so I wasn’t left feeling groggy or affected by any means.

The ride was good and clear, and I took the time to appreciate the small town I built for my pack. It wasn’t much in terms of size, but it had everything we needed. From necessities like businesses, infrastructure, and a small neighborhood for everyone to live in, to a few parks, a community center, and even a public garden.

The town was so rundown when I got around to buying it, but with time, effort, and a decent chunk of cash, me and the pack got it up to snuff once again. I was proud of the small town, and as far as I could tell, everyone seemed more than happy to be there too.

Driving through the main strip, I spotted my beta Nick, along with a few others. The moment they noticed me, they grinned and waved as I went past them. I nodded my acknowledgment and threw them a wave in return, pleased to see they were in good spirits.

Eventually, I pulled up to my place, brows furrowing when I noticed a vehicle parked out front. It wasn’t familiar at first, but as I parked outside the garage and glanced over, I spotted them standing by the front porch.

Even with my helmet on, I could still smell them. Those familiar scents made my stomach twist, and I immediately reminded myself to keep it together.

Pulling my helmet off and standing to my full height again, I looked at them both, taking in the subtle ways they had both changed.

I hadn’t seen my parents in years—and that was intentional.

Even looking at them made my heart lodge in my throat. I could feel that instinctual switch in my head, the need to revert to how I used to be, back to my childhood and every complicated feeling that came with it.

Being born an alpha’s son meant I had my fair share of expectations held over my head. They wanted me to go above and beyond in every aspect. Rather than being their son or a young man trying to figure things out for himself, I was a sort of trophy—a prodigy they wanted to be nothing but the best always.

It didn’t matter how hard they pushed me or how hard I tried to live up to those expectations. It was never enough. They pushed more and more until I got to the point of breaking—aware that regardless of what I did, I would never be the son they wanted.

Even if I worked my ass off or followed their orders down to the very word, I’d get a verbal lashing. My dad wasn’t opposed to getting physical if it meant carving me into the shifter and man he expected me to be.

I resented them because of it, even if it turned me into a people-pleaser at the time. That constant bombardment made me weak. It made me retreat within myself, no matter how I tried to stand up for myself, I always caved.

That was until I finally left. The day I decided to run and make it on my own was not only the last day I saw them but the last time I allowed them to berate and degrade me.

Seeing them for the first time in years, all while recalling what their abuse had done to me, helped shove that instinct back down. Instead, I approached them as a man, an alpha, and an individual who would never be controlled like that again.

Instead, that anger rolled from beneath my skin. Despite claiming I had an important role in their lives and the packonce, they treated me like I would never be anything more than a broken tool. They treated me like I would never amount to anything.

Yet, they were standing outside my house—the one I built all on my own as if I owed them something.

“What are you doing here?”

They glanced between themselves before looking back at me. Mom crossed her arms over her chest, shoulders somewhat narrowed, while Dad looked at me head-on. They both wore indifferent expressions, veiled with at least a bite of irritation.

“You ran away, Ezra,” Dad began, stating the obvious. “Do you know the trouble we’ve had to go through just to find you after all these years?”

I bristled, not caring about any hardships they may have faced since then.

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