Page 17 of Alpha's Runaway Mate

“I hope so,” I muttered wistfully.

He revved the engine of his motorcycle and closed the shield of his helmet. “Hang on tightly, blondie. You’re in for a long ride.”

******

The ride was a blur of speed and exhilaration. The wind rushed past me, cool against my skin, tugging at my hair and clothes as if trying to pull me into the night. Every turn and acceleration sent a thrill through my veins, making me feel weightless, untethered—free in a way I hadn’t felt in years. For a brief moment, with my arms wrapped around Dominic and the world roaring around us, all my fears faded into the wind. But that feeling disappeared the moment I spotted Kaine standing in the clearing where Isolde had pulled over.

Shit.

Nobody had mentioned that Kaine would be on this hunting escapade. My determination to stay the hell away from him didn’t hold much weight if I was dragging myself to the places he was going to be. My shoulders slumped as Dominic pulled over, and I fought the urge to let that frustrated sigh escape me. Well, I was here now, so I might as well just try to have fun doing something I once loved.

“After you, blondie,” Dominic said with a smile as he killed the ignition of the motorcycle. I climbed down, took off the helmet and handed it back to him.

“Thanks for the ride, Dominic. It was… definitely an experience,” I said, brushing the hair out of my face.

His smirk widened as he leaned casually against his motorcycle. “If you ever need another, I’m your guy. This place has changed a lot since you’ve been gone. I could show you around—give you the full tour.”

I matched his smile, though his offer hung in the air longer than I liked. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

I turned around to see Kaine seething. The anger on his face was palpable. Raw, white-hot anger. I wondered what had put him in a bad mood, but I chastised myself for worrying about him.

Kaine’s glare on Dominic was something you’d describe as a “death-glare”. I knew that because that was the exact same glare Isolde was throwing at me. Everybody seemed to be engaged in a death-glare contest except that one guy who seemed oblivious of the tension.

“Hi, I’m Lyra,” I said, extending my hand to the only unfamiliar person that stood amidst us.

The man smiled and took my hand. “Jonathan.”

Kaine’s voice broke off our introduction. “You know the drill, everyone.”

“Lyra doesn’t know,” Dominic interjected. “But I’ll be happy to show her the ropes.”

“You will do no such thing,” Kaine spat out. “In fact, today, we will be hunting in pairs.”

“Pairs? Since when?” That was Isolde. Her eyes were wide with brief surprise before turning to me, as if blaming me for Kaine’s decision.

Kaine ignored her question. “Dominic, you’re on tree watch since Rowan isn’t here.”

“Since when, man? I’ve never been on a tree watch,” Dominic argued, affronted by Kaine’s command.

But Kaine also ignored him and continued. “Isolde, you’ll go north with Jonathan. Lyra, you’re with me.”

“Of course she is,” I heard Isolde mutter before turning away and storming north, with Jonathan following behind.

Dominic didn’t argue, but the look on his face showed he was just as irritated with Kaine. Silently, he began to climb a tree, leaving Kaine and me.

I itched to ask what had gotten into him, and why he was being harsh to everyone. But before my thoughts could circle back, Kaine spoke. “Why did you ride with Dominic?” His voice was sharp.

“Is that why you’re being mean to him?”

“I asked you a question, Lyra.”

Rolling my eyes, I took a couple of deep breaths, willing myself not to let him get on my nerves. “Are we doing this or not?” I began trudging the path south, where Kaine had indicated we would go. He followed closely behind.

“Isolde came in her car. Why didn’t you ride with her?” he continued with his incessant questions while I continued to ignore. “Did you enjoy the ride with Dominic? Because you were grinning like a little child who’s just been handed a pack of candy.”

I rolled my eyes again.Christ, this man.

“Well, I’ll have you know, Lyra, Dominic is popular among the ladies in town. So, unless you want to dive head first into a shallow lake, I’d advise you to stay away from him.”

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