Page 3 of Alpha Scorned

Her body trembled against me. The predator in me loved it, loved that I could bring her to this quivering state of groans and compliant flesh.

I pulled away a little, biting her bottom lip with just enough force to make her gasp. We both heaved air into our lungs, our lust filling the room. Gods, her sweet scent was infused with the musk of her desire. It was heady. And along with the cushion of her breasts against my chest, having her body under the control of mine was enough to scramble my damn thoughts.

“Tell me you want me, Lina. Tell me, and this can go on forever. I can give you everything. A home, security, a safe pack where you’ll be loved, as will Devon. I’ll take care of you both, you’ll want for nothing—ever.” I paused and took a deep breath. Gods, I felt I was drowning in her eyes, her scent, her touch. But this was it. I couldn’t see her with Shane. I wanted to kill him for taking what the Mother Wolf had made as a perfect match for both my wolf and me. I exhaled slowly, my breath ragged and shaking. “Reject me again, and we’re done, Lina. I can’t keep seeing you with another male. You make me lose all control.” My voice dropped to a deep growl, and I meant every godsdamned word. “If I see him touch you, I swear to you that I’ll kill him.”

She stiffened, and I heard her swallow hard. Silence fell, our heavy breathing the only sound. Seconds ticked by. Coldness invaded me, surrounding my heart in a layer of ice when that silence continued.

“Owen...please. I...I can’t…”

Hurt slammed into my chest, ripping at my soul. My wolf howled, his pain at our mate’s rejection making my own even harder to bear. I yanked myself from her, backing away, pain clouding my mind. She didn’t want us. Even now, when I’d offered her everything. My eyes burned, proving even an alpha could be reduced to tears. I blinked slowly, forcing my emotions to shut down. Fuck, this was gonna tear me apart, but she just lost the right to see just how much. There was nothing left to say. I spun away from my soulmate and headed for the door. My wolf kept howling and tearing at my insides, but I locked him down.

“Owen! Please!”

Her broken voice tore at me, even more than my own pain. Shit, I needed to get away from her before she reduced me to begging her to let us in, to accept everything we’d offered, and made an even bigger fool of myself. I left the door open behind me, and mid-stride, let my wolf free. He willingly took over my body, but I was still his master and wouldn’t let him turn back.

“Owen! Owen! No, please, don’t go! Let me explain.”

Run! Now!I told my wolf, forcing him to leave the woman who held our heart behind us. We were done. I would never see her again. Wolves couldn’t cry, but he felt my utter devastation just the same. He bolted down the stairs.

Stone was at the bottom of the large staircase. His purple magic zipped towards us. “Owen! Hey! What’s up, brother?” Concern etched his hard features, his eyes flashing with purple at my loud and mournful howl. “Fuck.” He understood, I could feel it, even see it in the hard lines of his face. But it was the pity in his eyes that burned the most.

Connor’s howl echoed through the halls, and I knew he felt my pain through his bond to me. I couldn’t deal with my Prime or my brothers. Having to explain that my soulmate had rejected me was too much. I’d deal with my emotions, find a way to bury them deep so that I could function, and then I’d return—when Lina and her lover had left. Or there would be a bloodbath. I wouldn’t put Connor in the position of having to punish me for killing one of our own.

Stone tilted his head, his lips pressed together. “Take your time, brother. I’m here when you're ready.” Without expecting any kind of acknowledgement, he strode to the door and opened it.

Fresh air and the scent of the sea hit me. I darted outside and bounded through the gardens and into the woods. Inhaling deeply, I tried to erase the taste and scent of my mate from my mind and my memory, even though deep down I knew it was useless. I knew she’d be a part of me forever, even if I never saw her again.

Chapter 2

Selina

Owen’s tastewas strong on my lips, his scent lingering in my nostrils as I stood there in shock. Owen had gone. I’d sent him away. The enormity of my words hit me like a punch in my gut.

What had I done?

I needed to explain, or at least try.

My wolf was, as always, utterly silent, cowering from any more pain. My time as a prisoner of Berith, a demon of chaos and murder, had severed my connection to her. And even though we were physically free from his hold, a part of us both would always be emotionally captive to that time. A sob escaped me. My heart hurt so much, I couldn’t breathe. Mother Wolf, it had shattered me to reject my soulmate, but I couldn’t saddle such a strong and powerful alpha with a shifter whose wolf was frightened of everything, including her human half...to the point she’drejectedme. I hadn’t shifted for nearly four years, and now I had no idea if I could, even if she were willing.

Stop! Just take a breath. He won’t leave his pack. He’ll stay close. You can find him and explain...

Except, could I? How did I explain without putting my son and me at risk of losing our home? A shifter who was unable to shift? That made me human, didn’t it? And humans had no place in a shifter community. The thought of losing our home and being vulnerable to other alphas and supernaturals, predators who would take whatever they wanted, made me shudder. No, I wouldn’t be vulnerable like that again, ever.

Forcing myself to calm, I checked to see that Devon was sleeping soundly, took a shaky breath, exhaled, then made myself step out into the corridor. Only my false calm evaporated when I scented Owen’s distress. My heart skipped a beat.

I’d just destroyed Owen. And, gods, his wolf, too. The pain I could scent coming from his wolf was all my doing. Owen was my soulmate, but my wolf hadn’t so much as pricked her head up at his wolf’s nearness. It was as if she had locked herself in a bubble of self-protection, and even he couldn’t break through.

Every part of me wanted to tell Owen I was sorry and accept all he had offered. But I knew Owen. Despite his power, he was not only kind but loyal to a fault. He would tell me my inability to shift didn’t matter. But there was so much more to it than that. Even if my Alpha, or, hell, even if Connor didn’t throw me out, the shifter community could ostracise me, and that meant my son with me. But worse, that meant they’d shun my mate, too. Owen had been by Connor’s side for so many years. Being with me meant he’d lose his position as Beta and his place amongst the brothers he loved so dearly. How could I do that to him?

Even though I couldn’t rescind my rejection, not until I had a handle on my wolf… I pushed away the voice that said I might never reconnect with her … I owed Owen an explanation. If anyone would understand, my soulmate would—he had to.

I ran as fast as I could in my high heels, trying not to fall down the steps. My heart was thundering, my palms sweating. Gods, I hoped he hadn’t left.

When I hit the corridor at the bottom of the stairs I skidded to a halt. Stone stood with his arms crossed, in front of the nearest door. The silver haired brother had the hardest look I’d ever seen on his granite hewn features—and that was saying something. He was normally a stoic soul, but this time there was ice in those silver eyes, a look verging on hate.

“He’s gone,” he stated coldly.

I eyed the door behind him. “Then let me out. I need to find him.”

---