Page 14 of Kidnapped By the Alpha

“Was that really necessary?” she asked when I approached her. “I was just trying to help.”

“Help?” I repeated. “You disobeyed me and made me look weak in front of my pack. How, exactly, do you think that was helpful?”

“You didn’t tell me I needed to stay inside!” April hissed back at me. “You left the lock off the door. I thought that meant you were allowing me to have at least a little bit of freedom instead of being locked inside all day. The children needed baths, and I didn’t see anyone else taking care of them. Unless you just brought them here to suffer and die like you did with me.”

I moved toward her, pressing her up against the wall of the cabin with both hands. Instead of looking fearful, her expression held steely resolve.

“Do not speak to me like that ever again, do you understand me?” I growled.

“Or what?” she challenged. “Just go ahead and torture me. That’s your plan, anyway, isn’t it? I’m sick of waiting around for it to happen. Just get it over with.”

“Don’t,” I warned her, moving even closer. “Don’t tempt me.”

She jutted her chin out and looked even deeper into my eyes. The garnet tint in the center of her brown eyes captivated me, and I found myself moving in closer. Before I could think about my actions, and without making any conscious choice to do it, I pressed my lips to hers. They were soft and inviting, and once I started the kiss, I realized I didn’t want it to stop.

I moved my hands to her waist, drawing her into my embrace as my lips possessed hers with a hunger that wasdesperate to be satiated. Her lips parted to allow my tongue to explore her mouth, and I felt her hands move to the back of my head. She was pressing me more firmly into herself, apparently gripped by the same rabid desire I felt.

For a long moment, we gave into our passions, and then a sudden clang from behind the cabin broke our passionate trance.

I pushed her away, dropping my arms quickly to my sides so we were no longer touching.

“Oh, goddess,” she said breathlessly. “What have we done?”

“That was a mistake,” I said simply. I couldn’t look at her. I was disgusted with myself for my moment of weakness and having a hard time processing that I had willingly gotten that close to a female.

“A mistake that won’t happen again,” she agreed. She turned and walked into the cabin, slamming the door behind her.

Despite the late hour, I didn’t follow her inside. I couldn’t be in the same room as her right now. Or maybe forever. As much as I wanted to be repulsed by her, I couldn’t deny that the opposite was true. I may have been cold and hard like metal, but she was magnetic.

I knew for a fact now that there was attraction between us. For the first time in my life, I didn’t know what to do.

Chapter 8 - April

I had spent the entire night sleeping fitfully, alternating between rage and confusion as I considered our conversation and the kiss. Honestly, it was driving me crazy.

Jasper hadn’t returned to the cabin afterwards, and I found myself wondering where he had slept. Had he found another she-wolf to cozy up with to erase the memory of my lips pressed against his? Or had he simply had too much business with the pack to bother with coming back home? Either way, I reminded myself, it was none of my business. Jasper and I may be mates, but we weren’t bound to each other in a romantic sense. We weren’t in love. He could do as he pleased—as much as that thought annoyed me.

My irritation was mainly aimed at myself. I couldn’t believe I had allowed him to kiss me—encouraged it, even. Jasper had not proven himself to be worthy of my love and respect. And yet… there was something about that kiss. How could a jerk like the Dark Moon alpha make me feel so good? So alive?

I couldn’t keep torturing myself with thoughts of it.

There was no way I was going to risk leaving the cabin today—not after the confrontation Jasper and I had in the commons yesterday. I felt especially bad that Killian had gotten involved, and I hoped that Jasper wouldn’t take any of his anger out on his second-in-command.

Killian had been kind when I had asked for his help, and he hadn’t made me feel like I was less worthy of help just because I was a female. Not like Jasper—

No, we aren’t thinking about him today, my wolf reminded me.We have other things to concentrate on.

She was right. I vowed to forget about Jasper for the day and focus on my new project.I looked around the cabin and found some paper and a pencil. It had become clear to me that the women and children in the Dark Moon Pack needed more attention than they had been getting, and as luna, it was my duty to help them however I could.

For the rest of the day, I made a list of improvements that should be made to the lives of those who were less fortunate among the pack hierarchy.

At nightfall, Jasper returned. He opened the door quietly and sat at the kitchen table opposite me without a word. Slowly, I finished what I was doing and then stacked my work in a neat pile before folding my hands and leaning back in my chair. I was determined that he would be the one to speak first.

For another ten minutes, we sat in silence until Jasper finally broke.

“What have you been working on?” he asked.

“Plans for helping the women and children of the pack,” I explained, smiling at the small victory of not being the first to crack under pressure from the silence.

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