Page 28 of The Alpha Wolf's Pregnant Bride

I'd mastered the art of manipulation in the human world. It works to my advantage now, and I'm able to get what I want.

“Y-yeah, I did,” Jarrod concedes, straightening up and nodding. Emily scoffs and purposefully spins on her heel, storming off toward the den.

I notice how Cyrus remains rooted to the spot, and it gives me great pleasure that he didn't run after Emily. He's more fixated on my decision to join patrols.

“Who gave you the author—” Cyrus abruptly stops, pressing a finger to his temple. He probably just realized that he's the one who'd given his Beta the authority to make decisions like this one. “Never mind.” He lifts grueling eyes on me. “You…” he points in my face. “... You can't do this.”

“Of course I can,” I smirk, taking a bold step forward. “You can't tell me what to do, Alpha.”

Cyrus flicks a glance at Jarrod, then back at me. “Suit yourself.” He throws his hands into the air as if in defeat. “Just don't get yourself killed out there,” he warns bluntly.

I turn back to the fire, my chest swelling with self-satisfaction.

“What was that all about?” Dakota whispers discreetly.

I lean in and whisper, “I was ruffling the Alpha's feathers.”

“And Emily's,” Dakota snickers. “Did you see the way she stormed off?”

I giggle along with Dakota while picking up indistinct whispers behind us. Cyrus and Jarrod haven't left, so I focus my hearing on them.

“... With the rogue sightings, it's too dangerous, Jay.”

My laughter dies down as I realize that the threat is a real thing. Every time Cyrus has warned me about something out there that can kill me, it wasn't an empty threat.

Rogues?

“There's nothing we can do to stop her. I'll keep an eye on her, I promise.”

“No, Beta. I will keep an eye on her. Put her on my rotation.”

“Yes, Alpha,” Jarrod concedes. “I'll find out—”

The drumming that begins around the fire drowns their hushed voices. I'm left to wonder if these rogues are the reason why Cyrus needs Asuka's help—my help.

I'm not sure if I can trust him just yet, especially since I resent him for all the mistreatment. Perhaps it's selfish to let personal feelings get in the way of the pack's safety. But there's no other way when Cyrus Rudolph remains the bane of my existence.

Chapter 8 - Cyrus

“Are you sure about this?” I quip with a raised brow and arms crossed as we stand at the ingress of the woods.

“Why?” Cassandra glances back at me, an equally speculative brow raised as if gauging my response. “Are you gonna tell me I'm too fat to join patrols?”

“I never called you “fat,” Cassie!” I defend. “I—

“Not in so many words,” she grins, the twinkle in her eyes as sadistic as her grin. “Don't worry, Alpha Cyrus,” she sniffs. “I'm quite agile in wolf form.”

“I don't doubt it…” I murmur under my breath, gulping as regret washes over me.

I'd seen Cassandra in wolf form before. Of course, I don't doubt that she's capable of these patrols. I just don't like it.

I can't leave her to her own devices. I'm not sure what she's up to, only that she's out to prove me wrong.

It's like she's always waiting for me to scold her about something. I don't blame her. I haven't always given her a reason to believe that I feel drawn to her.

Until the other night, when I saw her in that black dress… I couldn't help but be drawn to her, my mind at war with my body as my arousal turned feverish, my body temperatures soaring to dangerous heights.

Now, it's preposterous to even dream of pursuing her, even if it's just for her flesh, which glows like exquisite marble against the night sky's natural light. My best friend's interest in her is the only reason I'm acting cold.

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