Page 10 of Bully Alpha's Pregnant Mate

Chapter 5 - Alec

“Well, this is ridiculous,” Isadora complains as she glares out the car window. “Just because we signed a marriage certificate doesn’t mean I have to live in your…castle.”

She’s been fuming since we left the reception, tossing out every excuse she can think of for why she shouldn’t stay under my roof. Apparently, my “palace of pretension,” as she so kindly dubbed it, is the last place she wants to be.

I let out a long breath, reminding myself for the fifth time that I’ve faced down rogues, rival alphas, and the council itself; I can handle a few barbs from my new wife.

“Isadora, it’s tradition,” I explain, trying to keep my tone even, though her attitude is starting to grate. “An alpha and his luna are supposed to live together. What do you think the pack will say if you’re shacked up somewhere else?”

She rolls her eyes, barely glancing my way. “They’ll survive. And I’m perfectly capable of ‘shacking up’ on my own, thank you very much.”

I bite back a retort and keep my voice calm. “Really? So you’d rather have every pack elder, council member, and gossip in East Hills whispering about how their luna won’t even stay in the same house as her husband?” I let out a humorless laugh, gripping the wheel a little tighter. “Perfect. That’ll do wonders for the alliance.”

“If you’re so worried about appearances, maybe you should try pleasing someone other than the council for once.”

“Is that what you think?” I demand, shooting her a sharp look. “That I’m just some council-pleasing puppet? I’m sorry, Isadora, but you’re not exactly innocent in this, either. You’rethe one who jumped into this whole thing to please your family. Pot, meet kettle.”

She glares and crosses her arms even tighter. “That’s completely different.”

“Oh, really? Care to explain how?”

But instead of answering, she lets out a sigh and looks away again, pressing her lips into a tight line. The silence grows between us as I turn onto the long, tree-lined driveway leading up to my house, the tension simmering as if it might boil over at any second.

As we pull up in front of the house, I cut the engine and get out, fully expecting her to follow. But instead, she stays glued to her seat, arms still folded in defiance, her eyes trained on the building ahead like it’s some sort of medieval prison.

“Well?” I raise an eyebrow, nodding toward the front door. “Are you coming in, or are you planning on sleeping out here?”

She lets out a dramatic sigh, finally unbuckles her seatbelt, and climbs out, casting the house one last disdainful look before following me up the steps. Every step she takes is heavy and deliberate, like she’s being marched to her doom.

Inside, she barely glances at the grand entryway before she drops her coat onto a nearby chair and wheels around to face me. I can’t help but notice the way she stands, with her chin lifted and her back ramrod-straight—defiant, even now.

“Just so we’re clear, Alec, I’m not staying here because I want to. I’m staying here because you’ve strong-armed me into it.”

“Right.” I give her a dry smile. “And it’ll stay that way until you see reason.”

“See reason?” She lets out a disbelieving laugh. “Alec, reason went out the window the second you dragged me down the aisle. I don’t want to be here, and you know it.”

I shrug, leaning casually against the doorframe, trying to keep my own frustration in check. “Guess what, Isadora? Neither do I. But we both have people counting on us. People who would benefit from us… getting along.”

“Getting along?” she repeats, looking at me like I’ve just suggested she dance in the middle of the forest. “Alec, if you wanted us to get along, maybe you should have started by not forcing me into your house.”

“Oh, that’s rich.” I take a step toward her, my voice lowering as I feel my temper flare. “Do you think I’m exactly thrilled to have you here, either? You think this is what I wanted?”

She bristles, and for a second, I wonder if she’s about to throw something at me. Her eyes flash with anger, and her jaw sets in a way that I recognize all too well. She’s about to blow.

“Then why force it, Alec? Why drag me here just to keep up appearances?”

“Because appearances matter,” I shoot back. “They matter to the council, to the pack, and to the alliance. If we don’t show a united front, this whole thing—our marriage, this alliance—it’s pointless.”

She rolls her eyes, huffing out a breath. “You know, Alec, maybe if you worried less about what everyone else thought, you’d actually be a decent leader.”

Her words hit harder than they should, like a stone thrown right at my pride, but I force myself to stay steady. I take another step closer. “And maybe if you stopped trying torun every time things got complicated, you’d actually be a decent luna.”

She freezes, but only for a heartbeat before her eyes narrow into slits of fury. “Run? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, come on, Isadora. Are we really doing this?” I cross my arms, holding her glare, feeling the anger I’ve tried to suppress finally breaking free. “You left. When things got rough, you went off on some ‘self-discovery’ mission while the pack was here fighting for its life. While you were off ‘finding yourself,’ demons were tearing through East Hills and the neighboring packs. We lost good people—hell, people who died trying to keep this place standing while you were off halfway across the country.”

She barks out a short laugh, like she’s trying to mask the hint of guilt I just saw flicker in her eyes. “I had my reasons, Alec. Just because I left doesn’t mean I abandoned my family. Or the pack.”

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