Page 117 of Ruled By The Alpha

Yet fire still rages in my blood. I whine.

Hoss’ masculine chuckle sends me skyrocketing into another release.

I float in a haze of euphoria.

*

Arms lift me from the bed. An angry growl, pitiful and sluggish, grates from my chest. I’m too sore to move. Every cell in my body begs for rest, wanting nothing more than the warmth of my alpha wrapped around me.

Days of rutting and knotting have left me as limp as a ragdoll.

Hard thighs press against my bottom as he sits down, cradling me to his chest. I sigh, unable to hold onto my anger, too satiated to fight.

The cool rim of the pretty porcelain cup touches my lips. Part of me wants to turn my face into his chest and ignore the drink, but his gentle rumble and my survival instincts urge me to swallow the water he offers. My alpha chuckles as my thirst awakens, tipping the cup slightly and forcing me to sip instead of gulp. When I drain the cup and drop my head back to his chest, he nuzzles the top of my head.

Strange sensations fill my belly like little wings teasing my stomach. His gentle display of affection empties my brain of all thought and fills the glowing thread between our chests with golden light.

This bond between us is bittersweet—terrifying and wonderful; brilliant and dark; comforting and thrilling.

When he stands and stalks to the bed, I look forward to curling up in our nest with him, but he reaches into my carefully created cocoon and yanks the innermost layer free, destroying it.

“Hoss! Why?”

He responds by dropping me the two feet to the bed, wrapping the blanket around me, and scooping me back up into his arms. Rattled, I shake and stare up into his tawny eyes. His lips lift, but he turns and opens the door to the hallway.

True horror sweeps through me. Is he throwing me out? Leaving me at the mercy of his men?

My emotions leak into our bond, dampening its glow. His purr vibrates into my side, a sound meant to soothe me. I relax, even as my mind whirls with trepidation.

I swallow hard when I hear his boots hitting the deck, realizing he’s dressed from the waist down. My exhaustion prevented me from processing the feel of his pants when I sat in his lap, but now the information streaks through my thoughts.

He turns into the room where the beta woman greeted us when we first arrived. Agitation rises as I remember being flung over his shoulder, forced to hang there like a sack of dead fish.

The room passes in a dark blur, the scents of strange females burrowing into my nostrils and increasing my anger.

He pulled me from my nest for this?

My disgruntled thoughts screech to a halt when he steps up to a reinforced door. He growls at the men standing on either side. They rush to turn the massive wheel in the center. Metal clanks, but doesn’t squeak, the large contraption oiled well enough to allow the hinges to move without traction. The beta male on the left uses his entire body to pull the door open, revealing a long, brightly lit room.

Hoss pulls a key from his pocket, balancing me in his arms with ease as he unlocks the secondary gate.

I blink in shock as my alpha carries me into a greenhouse, the heavy scent of dirt seeping into my nostrils. He slams the gate closed behind us, the key already tucked back into his pocket, locking us safely away from the world.

With pots ranging from shallow to hip-height and plants in various degrees of growth, his garden is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Even though not a single one looks healthy, they don’t seem on the verge of death like mine did. The lights screwed into the ceiling and walls bathe the room in an almost blinding light, some bulbs white and cool while others seemyellow and hot. I stare in awe, my hands itching to sink into the damp earth.

My alpha lowers my feet to the floor and wraps his arms around me, pinning my back to his front.

“This is all yours to care for now, Char.”

I freeze, certain I misheard him.

“I look forward to seeing your plants thrive, just like how I enjoy watching you blossom under my care.”

Unbidden tears slip from beneath my lashes, dripping down my chin and wetting the sheet gripped tightly in my hands. “These are mine?”

“All of them.”

“But what if I kill them?”

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