Page 7 of Alpha Claimed

"How about we go for a run," he offered.

She looked out the window. "It's not night yet."

He shrugged. "No one comes out here but family, which currently consists of me, my brother, my uncle Osmodius, his only living child, his daughter Amelia, and now you. So, I think we're good."

She looked out the window again, and he could practically hear her wolf begging to go for a run.

Apollo stripped off his shirt and dropped it to the floor. "Tell ya what. I'm going for a run. If you care to join me, please do."

Her eyes glowed brighter as he kicked off his boots and undid his belt buckle. She blushed as he dropped his jeans to the floor and stood before her naked. He watched her expression change from curiosity to desire as the room grew heady with her scent.

"Uh, Highness?"

Apollo turned to find Lachlan standing, eyes wide at the door. Without explanation, he spun and shifted midair, knocking Lachlan out of the way before he bounded down the steps and out into the trees.

CHAPTERTHREE

RIVER

No. No. No. No.She had not just seen Apollo naked, and Lachlan had not walked in on it.

She covered her face as heat rose through her body, and her wolf yowled.

Stop!She told her wolf.Don't think of him. Don't want him.

Too late. Apollo had decided not to play fair, or maybe he'd just decided there was no use wasting time; either way, he'd just shown her the entire package. The entire beautifully tanned, ripped, muscular, and slightly larger package than Ares.

"Highness?" Lachlan questioned. "Are you okay? I can get the car and have you out of here before he realizes we are gone."

She uncovered her heated face and looked at him. "Thank you, but I don't want you to be in the middle of… whatever this is."

He looked like he wanted to say something but instead turned away.

"Lachlan?"

He turned back. "Yes, Highness?"

"I… Uhm… I think I want to go for a run."

"Of course."

"Could you wait outside the door to open it for me after I've shifted?"

Lachlan bowed. "Of course."

"And Lachlan?"

He looked at her. "I appreciate you agreeing to come. I hate to put you in this position. I'm sure this is quite awkward for you."

He looked at her for a moment. "Significantly less than for you, I'm sure." He bowed. "I'll wait outside, Highness." He closed the door, and River swallowed hard before sinking into a well-loved denim couch.

She hung her head in her hands and then grabbed her phone from her hoodie pocket. She swiped the screen. She needed to hear Ares's voice. She'd promised Apollo she'd spend time with him, but she'd never promised not to check-in. Besides, Ares was probably already worried out of his mind.

She dialed the number he'd programmed into the phone and waited.

Nothing happened.

She tried again and again nothing happened. She looked at the screen. No signal. None at all. Not even one bar. She walked from one end of the cabin to the other, raising the phone high and dropping it low to see if she could find a connection. Nothing.

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