Page 9 of Alpha Claimed

She glanced over at him, and he smiled.

"Maybe I should make you promise not to look at me," he teased.

Her cheeks heated. "I… I'm… making sure you aren't looking at me."

He lay silent for a moment. "River, I don't know what my brother told you about me, but I promise I will never lie to you, and I will never go back on my word."

"Nothing," she said.

"What?"

"You said you didn't know what Ares said about you, and the answer is nothing. Until I met you today, I didn't even know you existed."

He snorted. "Doesn't surprise me. He's always been like that."

River's wolf bristled. She didn't like Apollo talking bad about Ares.

"You do know that talking bad about Ares won't win you any points with me or my wolf, right?"

"Oh, Kitten, trust me, I have plenty I could tell you if I wanted to turn you against him. What I said was simply the truth."

Pet names? Already? "Kitten?"

"Oh, you don't like that one. Okay, how about Sweetheart?"

"Meh."

"Meh? Well, we don't want you to have amehpet name. How about Pookie?"

"No, thank you."

He chuckled. "Hunny Bunny?"

"Next."

"Lover Muffin?"

She didn't even bother to answer that one.

"How about, Princess?"

She snorted. "That one is new."

"What do you mean?"

She blew out a breath and sat up, wrapping her arms around her legs. "Let's just say I've always been more ride-or-die bitch than fairytale princess."

"Well, my fairytale princess would definitely be a ride-or-die girl, so it's perfect."

"Except everyone calls me that now."

Apollo shook his head. "No good. Kitten it is."

River laughed and looked over at him. His eyes turned black. He sat up so fast that she flinched.

Apollo's fangs lengthened, and he growled. "He bit you."

"What?"

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