Page 1 of Alpha Scorned

Chapter 1

Owen.

I bouncedDevon on my knee, laughing as his chubby hand wiped cake all over my light blue shirt.

“Down! Down,” he demanded, wriggling so much he gave me no choice. I placed him on his feet, ready to catch him when he wobbled as he toddled over to Lyss. A grin stretched my mouth, and for the first time in months, I allowed myself to feel a touch of happiness. Seeing Devon dressed in his trendy little trainers, trousers, shirt and waistcoat was one the cutest things I’d ever seen. And all the cake he’d smeared on his face only added to the adorable picture.

Connor, the King of Shifters, our Alpha Prime and the most powerful shifter in this world, grinned just as widely when his one year old daughter threw her rattle on the floor. “Ack. Ack,” she babbled and glared at Devon, banging her hands on the highchair tray and splattering cake everywhere.

Devon dutifully bent down and placed it back on the tray, only for Lyss to throw it again. Devon giggled and picked it up.

I chuckled. She had that poor kid wrapped around her little finger already.

“Oh, she hassogot the right idea,” said Shannon, grinning ear to ear. “Get them running after you, sweetheart. Never run after them.”

I rolled my eyes and glanced at Stone. My half-shifter, half-fae brother didn’t react. He just watched her like a predator watches his prey.

“Might be more fun for you if you actually tried runningtowardswhat you wanted, instead of away from it,” murmured Ember, her green eyes fixed on her friend and her brows raised.

Shannon scowled at our shifter queen. Surprisingly, she leashed her vicious tongue and, with a quick glance at Stone, went to fill her champagne glass. She’d already drunk at least four glasses of the vile stuff, but she showed no ill effects. Shifter’s could get drunk, but not easily. Our metabolism was too quick. Stone watched her, his face blank. I grinned when Ember winked at me.

Everyone knew Stone and Shannon were a perfect match. It was just the two of them that wouldn’t admit it. I presumed they both had their reasons, and those reasons were strong enough to keep them from sealing a mate bond, or even pursuing it. I wasn’t in a position to judge them. I’d let life get in the way of my own mate bond, and then it had been too late. I gritted my teeth. Sometimes life threw you a curveball, and there was nothing you could do about it.

My gut tightened and my wolf rumbled. We could both feel the proximity of our mate. I’d promised myself, and Connor, that I wouldn’t cause any trouble over her and her lover being near me, but fuck if I didn’t want to smash his face in, throw her over my shoulder caveman-style and show her she was mine. My gaze travelled to Selina, and my stomach flipped when I caught her staring. Her beautiful chocolate brown eyes met mine. I lounged back in my chair and folded my thick arms over my chest, causing the material of my shirt to tighten over my biceps and shoulders. Her eyes drifted over my muscles, drinking me in. She might deny our bond, but her body couldn’t. I could scent her desire even across the room. I smirked. Only mates could pick up on a change in the other’s scent, especially their partner's desire.

She scowled, but I didn’t miss the rush of heat to her cheeks. The more I stared, the deeper that pretty flush got. My fingers curled into my chair arms and I shifted my position, leaning forward again, hiding the evidence of my lust. Unclamping my fingers from the chair before I splintered it, I fisted my hands, and took a slow deep breath. No matter how much I wanted to go over to my soulmate and claim her, I couldn’t. She had taken another lover, and though they weren’t mates, she had chosen him over me.

My chest tightened painfully, a sensation I was all too familiar with whenever I thought of Selina with Shane. My wolf growled, and it was all I could do not to leap across the room and challenge the fucker. But Selina and Shane had a right to make their own choices, even if it wasn’t the one I wanted. Except... My wolf rose and I fixed my gaze on Shane. I could easily rip his head off. He might be an Alpha, but so was I. Being an alpha strength shifter wasn’t just about running your own pack. It addressed power and strength. And I was far stronger. Bottom line, we all served Connor, our brother and King. Being the King’s Beta was an honor I earned both with my fists and my loyalty. Shane felt my attention and turned his head towards me. He met my gaze, and his eyes narrowed when he saw my wolf so close to the surface. My nostrils flared and my wolf rose, ready to take down the Alpha of the Canadian pack.

A wave of Connor’s soothing Alpha Prime power hit me, forcing my attention to him. It was strong enough to force my wolf to back down, giving me time to regain some control of my emotions.

Connor raised his brows and cocked his head minutely. Others might miss his silent question, but I’d known him for too long. He wanted to know if I could handle Shane and Selina being here without losing my shit.

Flattening my lips together, I rolled my head on my shoulders, pushed back my wolf, and nodded once. The King of Shifters nodded back. It was a lie, of course. The longer I was in the same room as Selina, the more I wanted her, and the more I wanted to challenge Shane and show her how wrong her choice was. I resisted the urge to shake my head. Ever since I’d found out about Lina’s relationship with Shane, my world had imploded. All the plans I’d had for us and little Devon had meant fuck-all in the end.

I studied the carpet, still unable to understand why she’d chosen Shane over me, her soulmate. Yeah, of course it hurt my ego, but more than that, it did real damage to my heart and soul. I’d never met any other possible mate, and Selina wasn’t just apossiblemate, she was mysoulmate, my perfect match—and she’d rejected me.

Lyss threw her rattle again, and it smacked Devon on the head. Ash, Lyss’s twin brother, squawked with laughter, his giggle loud as he delightedly banged the tray of his high chair with a spoon. Devon let out a pained squeal, but didn’t cry. Instead, he picked up the rattle and launched it at Ash.

Connor swiped it from the air, grinning widely. That helped me push aside my own issues. I loved these kids so much, and their antics always made me laugh. I raised a brow at Connor. “Rivals in the making?” I quipped.

“Maybe, or maybe they will be brothers with a healthy rivalry.”

Connor gave the rattle back to Lyss, who threw it to the floor. I shook my head as Devon picked it up, but instead of passing it back to Lyss, he lifted his little fist ready to launch it at Ash again.

Keeping my back to Selina, I stood and scooped up Devon, carrying him back to my chair. “Nope, little man, we’ll have none of that.” I plucked the rattle from him. He scowled at me and wriggled, his little fists tightening.

“Down,” he demanded.

“Not this time, Dev.” I sat him firmly on my thigh and grabbed a baby-wipe, cleaning his face and hands of the sticky cake. He didn’t like that one bit, and I bit my lip to keep from laughing when he started to screech angrily, twisting his head side to side to evade me. “Sorry, dude, you have to get cleaned up.” He glared at me, angry tears in his eyes—and began a full on temper tantrum. I shrugged. He was a fierce little boy and did this often when he couldn’t get his way, so I’d let him wriggle and wait him out until he realised he wouldn’t get his way with me, and calmed down.

“Here, let me take him.”

As always, Selina’s voice caressed my senses. Instinctively, I inhaled her sweet scent. It smelled like cherries and fresh air. My whole body tensed, my dick pulsing.

“It’s fine.” I gritted my teeth at the ache her nearness set off in my chest, and continued to clean her son’s face, not wanting to give him up yet. It wasn’t just that. She knew I could calm him down far more easily than anyone else, even her, when he was like this.

“Owen, he needs to go for a nap. He’s tired.” Her voice was firm, though she chose to stare at her son rather than meet my gaze.

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