Page 21 of Forced By the Alpha

He was right. The bloodlust, my journey home, and the emotional conversation with Sienna had completely done me in. It had been a miracle I’d managed not to fall asleep in the bathtub.

Still, I was looking forward to finding Sienna and exploring our new connection. I remembered everything about last night, from her promise to help with the pack’s curse to the hot and heavy kiss we shared.

Anxious for a repeat performance, I got ready as quickly as possible and headed out of the cabin.

Sienna’s healing had done wonders for me. While werewolves always healed faster than humans, the extensive damage I had taken from my fight would have taken my body a few days to fully repair itself. With Sienna’s help, it had only taken one night.

I found her in the mess hall, checking on the people she had healed yesterday. After our conversation yesterday, I foundmyself looking at her in a whole new light. She had always been attractive—there was no denying that—but there was another side to her that I was just now witnessing.

Where before I saw her as a fierce adversary, I now saw her softer side. She was still sarcastic and tenacious, but it was a cover for her compassion and protectiveness of those she cared about. Here she was, held captive by a cursed wolf pack, and she was waking up early to check on their injuries.

“Everyone is looking great,” Sienna said when she spotted me. “Mason’s femur is still a little sore, so I told him I’d make a potion to help with the tenderness. I’m heading into town to get some turmeric and ginger from the grocer. Did you need anything while I’m out?”

“No,” I replied hesitantly.

She wasn’t being unkind or rude, but she was acting like there was nothing deeper between us. All I could think about was our kiss, but she was behaving as though it had never happened. Although, it was possible that she was just focusing on the task at hand. Or she thought I didn’t remember.

She frowned. “You sure?”

“I was actually hoping to talk to you… alone,” I emphasized. “About last night.”

“Later,” she said dismissively.

She began to walk away, but I grabbed her wrist and held her close. “I told you last night that I wanted to keep kissing you,” I whispered. “Did you think I was lying about that?”

“No, but I need to take care of this,” she replied at her normal volume.

I couldn’t get a read on her reaction, but she was clearly not interested in having this talk right now. As bad of a personas I was, the one thing I would never do was use force on an unwilling woman. I released her hand, and she left, heading into town for her supplies.

I sighed. She had to be regretting last night, and that thought felt like a knife going through my chest. What I needed was a distraction from my unrequited lust for my mate.

“Elise,” I said, calling the attention of the wise woman. “What’s the mood of the pack like today?”

“Calm,” she replied. “The bloodlust has abated, thanks to the fight with the Crescent Shield.”

“Excellent. What do you think everyone would think of me throwing a little party this afternoon while everyone’s spirits are up?”

Elise smiled mischievously. “As long as you provide the drinks, I’m sure we could all be enticed to attend.”

I chuckled, knowing her assessment of the pack was correct. It wasn’t that they were a bunch of drunkards, exactly, but with so little to live for, we took our pleasures however we could.

***

By the time the party started, I still hadn’t heard from Sienna. She had been gone for hours, but I tried not to dwell on it. After all, she was allowed to go where she pleased. I trusted her when she said that she wanted to help the pack. If she needed space from me to do that, I was happy to give it to her.

After not hearing from her all day, I assumed she would skip the party, so when I saw her sidle up to Clara wearing a skin-tight black mini-dress, I did a double take.

Her hair had been pulled up into a high ponytail, and the long, red tresses cascaded down between her shoulder blades. She and Clara were chatting, oblivious to my staring, when Sven sidled up beside me.

“You’re a lucky man,” he said, clapping me on the shoulder.

“Luck had nothing to do with it,” I snapped.

Sven’s hand retreated from its brotherly position on my shoulder, and I turned immediately to apologize for my outburst.

“I’m sorry,” I said sincerely. “It’s been a hectic few days, but that’s no excuse. I meant to say that I don’t feel particularly lucky at the moment.”

“Your plan will work, Alpha,” Sven said.

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