Page 43 of Unexpected Alpha's Claim

“Oh,” he said. “Who told you about that?”

“Nora told me,” I said, feeling like I was betraying a trust but also needing to be honest with him.

He emitted a low, muffled growl and his eyes narrowed.

“When?”

“Don’t you get on her about it,” I said, standing up for her and meeting the building storm of anger in his eyes. “It was the other night and it sort of slipped off her tongue. Besides, she’s not the problem here Raul. How in the world could you leave me outof that? We’re talking about alifetimecommitment, Raul. You don’t get to decide something so huge on your own.”

“I didn’t,” he said, his voice even deeper. “It was written. I just…” he trailed off staring into my eyes and the anger in his eyes faded away.

“You just what?”

He cleared his throat and shook his head then locked his eyes onto mine. Butterflies danced in my belly as warmth suffused my skin.

“I agreed with it,” he blurted. “We’re great together, Monica. You can’t deny that.”

The butterflies became a storm, exploding into an overwhelm of emotions that left me locked up for a moment. I had to wait for the surge of feelings, thoughts, and sensations to subside before I could speak.

“I don’t,” I said, but it came out as a whisper from my overly tight throat. I stared into his eyes, feeling the heat radiating off his body, and I knew it was true. I didn’t disagree. In the slightest. That didn’t change some things though, things that needed to be said. I swallowed, cleared my throat, then pushed through. “Two things, though.”

“Only two?” he asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Shut up and listen,” I admonished and he chuckled.

“One, my divorce isn’t final yet, but two… two is the big one Raul…” now I trailed off, unsure how to say it, but I couldn’t not say it.

“And two?” he prodded.

Pressure built behind my eyes and I had to clear my throat again before I could continue.

“I’m not sure I’m ready to make another commitment. Not so soon. I just got out of a… bad relationship. Rushing into another one… you can agree with all the prophecies you like, Raul. That’s not going to make them come true.”

Suddenly the room was too small and there wasn’t enough air. I had to get outside. Had to be able to breathe.

“Monica…”

He could have said my name ten times or more or he could have tried to stop me from getting out, but he didn’t. Right then my frustration was too great to listen or stay there anymore. Raul had to learn that life was not so simple.

The words some witch had written however long ago about us, didn’t mean we were bound by it. ThatIwas bound by it. We hadn’t had a chance to really get to know one another. WE were still discovering each other. Learning one another’s strengths and weaknesses. All the things that were supposed to happen naturally over time with a couple. I wasn’t going to short-circuit all of that based on some words on a yellowed piece of paper. No, I wasn’t ready to commit to him like that. Not yet.

The screen door slammed shut behind me as I emerged into the air.

28

RAUL

The sound of the door closing echoed in my ears. I watched her go, torn between chasing after her and letting her have space. Indecision made my choice for me. By the time I forced myself into action and went to the door she was gone.

I sniffed the air, savoring her scent, and the wolf wanted to chase. Run her down, take her, prove to her that she was meant to be mine, forever. I am not the wolf, though, not wholly, and that would never work. Not with her. This is all new to her and she needs time to process. As hard as it was to admit.

This wasn’t the way I thought any of this would go. I’d gone on my first mission as Alpha of the pack and I’d won. Destroyed an arch enemy who would have killed Nora had I not acted. I should have been celebrating my victory with the one person I wanted to more than any other. But she left. Angry.

I should be celebrating. Beating a vampire, much less, and cowing an entire group was a big deal. I should be drinking, carousing, getting laid. But who did I have to do any of that with?

A bunch of apes.

My pack, but what joy could I find in them without her? They would probably end up trashing Joe’s bar, which God knows wouldn’t be the first time. They were capable of doing that for lesser reasons. Knowing that a full-scale battle had been averted, they would drink their asses off and bust the place up. Sometime near midnight they would start by smashing bottles onto each other’s heads, just to see who had the hardest skull. Then that would escalate until chairs were flying out the glass plate window. Afterwards, they would go home, leaving the bar looking like it had been through a hurricane.

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