Page 4 of The Alpha Wolf's Pregnant Bride

His devilish grin causes my heart to skip a beat when he doesn't remove his eyes from me. He is watching me intently, almost as if he's gauging my reaction.

It doesn't help that I have no control over my reaction when my cheeks burn with heat.

“I s-suppose you c-can,” I stammer.

“I guess we'll just have to give it a try,” he smirks.

The way he stares at me with the piercing beads of his emerald gems for eyes has me mentally questioning my entire existence. What is he implying? Why does his gaze flicker to my lips?

Why does my heart skip too many beats to render it almost impossible that I'm still standing?

“What are you two doing here all alone, huh?” Jarrod, Cyrus's best friend, pokes his head out from behind him with a hand on his shoulder.

I didn't even realize that Jarrod had come into the library. I'd been too caught in a daze of the Alpha's son, swooning over him again.

“N-Nothing…” I mumble, stepping back until the edge of the desk trenches my rear.

“Oh, I was just telling Cassie how she shouldn't be stuck in this chair all night,” Cyrus calmly explains as he folds his arms again. Lost is that glint of the unknown in his eyes, replaced by a glint of humor.

Was he just messing with me?

I don't believe this! Once again, I'd been foolish enough to think that he was interested in me.

“... If she's ever gonna lose a few pounds, she'll have to get out more,” Cyrus chuckles, to which Jarrod joins him in laughter.

I stare at Cyrus in disbelief. There it was again, a repetition of the other night and every other time we'd been caught alone. For a moment, I thought he was different. But while they laugh and titter about my weight as if I don't have any feelings, it's like the man I glimpsed a few seconds before Jarrod's arrival is gone.

I can't take it anymore. Just when I thought he was different, he had to prove me wrong. While the last bit of my courage depletes, all I can count on is the sudden urge to leave.

This prompts me to storm past Cyrus, unwilling to take more of him, belittling me in front of other members of the pack. He always does this!

Just as I'm about to round the corner and exit the library, I hear Jarrod ask Cyrus, “When will you two just get a room?”

I pause on my way out, waiting for Cyrus's response. Deep down, I want to hear his reply. I want to know if I'm not making things up in my head when I glimpse something else. A tiny flicker of hope is all that keeps me there, eavesdropping on his next words.

Perhaps I'm hoping that his constant mockery is because he actually likes me. It's far-fetched, I know. But the silly crush I've had on him ever since I was a little girl has turned into hope that he could see me as something more.

A potential mate…

Someone who can hold the kind of deep conversations we'd often find ourselves having whenever we're alone. It's likehe's a different person on those occasions. Like he's hiding his true self.

“Me and Cassie?” Cyrus scoffs. “There could never be anything between us, Jay! Have you seen her? She's not fit for an Alpha like me!”

Just like that, my heart sinks. There's no way Cyrus Rudolph could be anything but a brute! He's playing mind games with me—games I refuse to play anymore.

I'm not a punching bag he can manipulate. Just because I'm a she-wolf in his pack doesn't mean he's allowed to handle me any way he wants to.

Unless…

Marching down the hallway, I suddenly have an idea. If I'm no longer in his pack, he can't abuse me with his words. If I leave, I'll forever be rid of his ridicule, forever rid of these conflicting, unwarranted feelings that have me wondering if there's anything more between us.

I have to speak to Mama. Tell her that the library computer isn't interesting enough and that I have to leave Mysthaven to pursue my interests.

I thought Mysthaven would suffice. I was wrong. Being bullied by the future Alpha of this pack isn't worth wasting my life. I'm better than this. I deserve better.

Chapter 2 - Cyrus

“Thanks for joining us today, Flynn,” I nod curtly from across the room. “I know this is bad timing, but we needed you.”

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