Page 132 of The Alpha

He laughed again. “I do not speak of Melvale, Pretty One.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh. I see.” She smiled. “And you are not afraid the Alpha side of him will try to mark and claim her right here in the park?”

“He will not. Dey are not properly bonded yet. De Alpha still has work to do to win her.” He smiled at Zara. “He knows dis. He will play wid her. Bond. She will have fun, if she allows herself to.” He took another huge bite of his sandwich.

Zara shook her head in resignation. “Are you going to follow them?”

“We will keep watch at a distance.”

She looked at the table and chairs they’d set up earlier. “We should give Al and Leo their things back.”

Kwaku chuckled. “In time.” He reached into the cooler again and pulled out a whole pie. “Dis looks good.”

Zara rolled her eyes. “You are impossible at times, my love.”

He leaned down and kissed her. “And you are beautiful.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Hungry, beloved?”

She smacked him on the arm, took the pie, and brought it to the table.

“Where are we?”Pari asked. Carrying her through the woods of Prospect Park, Melvale managed to move in such a way so she didn’t get scratched up by brush and tree limbs. “Bondrah?”

He stopped, not even winded after his sprint, and looked around before sniffing the air. “Hmmm.” He looked at her. “Pari.” His voice was deep, and dare she say, sexy?

She swallowed hard. “Um, yeah?”

He looked into her eyes, then rubbed his nose against hers. “Pari, Kahtala Miah. You are safe here.” He let her slide out of his arms and stand but didn’t let her leave his embrace.

“Um, what was that?”

He stared down at her and cocked his head. His eyes were practically glowing. “What?”

“Running through the woods. Carrying me off?”

“Protection.” He looked around then without warning sat cross-legged, pulling her down and onto his lap.

“Okay,” she drawled and looked up at him. He held her cradled in his arms and was looking at her like she was the most wondrous thing in the world.

He moved a hand toward her face and brushed her bangs to the side, then continued to study her with such a look of awe, she almost couldn’t stand it. “Pari,” he whispered, his voice low, guttural.

“Y-yes?”

“You are… lovely.” He ran the back of one finger down her cheek, then up the other. “So soft.”

“Um, yeah. I swear half my money goes to good skin care products.”

He cocked his head, then stuck his nose in her hair and breathed in.

“Oh, wow, you are like… sniffing my hair…”

He drew back and looked at her. “You object?”

“Um, well, not really. I mean, it’s kind of nice.” She swallowed hard and tried to relax. “Bondrah?”

His chest rumbled, and he almost sounded like he was purring. “Yes?”

“Why did you bring me here? Where’s… Melvale?”

His head tilted the other way. “You summoned me.”

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