Page 29 of Alpha Marked

River shook her head. "What are you talking about?"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about."

The blood rushed from River's body to her toes. "He found you?"

"If you mean the Lycans, yeah, they found me. They came into town all high and mighty and looking for you. We told them we hadn't seen you in more than a year, and after sniffing around for an hour, they left, satisfied we weren't harboring you. So, what the hell happened? Did you forget your spray? Your pills? What?"

"Why do you think I did something?"

"Because Lycans wouldn't be looking for you if you hadn't."

River rubbed her forehead. "Can you please put some clothes on? You may not be big on modesty, but I've seen you naked enough to give me a permanent inferiority complex."

Her mom snorted and stalked down the hall to her bedroom.

River glanced in the mirror. She opened a drawer and pulled out a brush, trying to flatten the tangled mess of curls from the night before.

"Did you tell them where I am?" she called.

Her mom walked back in, pulling a tank top over her breasts. "I may be a shit mom, but I'm your shit mom, and I'm not going to hand you over to some Lycan assholes." She sat on River's bed. "I didn't let the last one take you, did I?"

River brushed her hair for a moment.

"Did you become lazy? Stop following our protocols?"

River rolled her eyes. "You must think I'm a dumbass."

"What then?"

She caught her mom's eye in the mirror. "Worse."

Her mother paled in a way River had only seen once before. Fear tainted the air.

"River, no."

"Yup."

She jumped to her feet and turned River around, looking over her with genuine concern. She moved River's hair and checked River's neck and breasts.

"Did he mark you?"

"No."

"Did he rape you?"

"No, mom. He didn't do anything to me except…"

"Except what?" Her mom searched her face.

"Called me his Omega and hugged me."

Confusion crossed her mom's face. "But he didn't take you? Mark you? Hurt you?"

She shook her head. "I ran. Hence the reason he is searching for me. He's Zeke's boss."

"Zeke? Bianca's soon to be mate?"

River nodded.

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