Page 48 of The Alpha Under My Bed

A violent shudder tore through me, heat flooding my face, my stomach flipping in a mix of fury and something darker. My breathing shallowed, hands trembling as I tried to focus on the book in front of me.

Then the vibrator roared back to life.

Before I could even process what was happening, another text arrived.

Unknown Number: I hope you’re wearing the underwear I bought you, baby. Otherwise, I’ll have to track down every alpha who caught your scent and make sure they never breathe again.

I nearly dropped the book. My thighs clenched involuntarily, a strangled sound catching in my throat. My fingers dug into the book spine, my whole body going tense as I fought to keep my face neutral, my breaths steady.

Me: I swear to God, STOP IT.

Unknown Number: Not until you say please.

The vibration pulsed through me, deep and insistent. Every shift of my weight made it worse, the friction pushing me closer and closer to the edge. I glanced around wildly, praying no one could hear, no one could tell what was happening.

My vision blurred as I forced myself to keep moving, heart hammering as I made my way toward the register, desperate to escape.

My phone buzzed again.

Unknown Number: Poor thing. You’re close, aren’t you? I bet you’re trying so hard to keep quiet.

My hands clenched. My pulse roared in my ears.

And then?—

I came.

Right there in the middle of the bookstore.

The world swam, my knees threatening to buckle as I slammed my book onto the counter, avoiding the cashier’s gaze, praying they couldn’t see the way my whole body trembled.

I forced a breath through my nose, gripping the edge of the counter, and cleared my throat. “It’s under Cross.”

The cashier glanced at me, then at the register, nodding slightly as they typed something in. I barely heard their response over the blood roaring in my ears, my body still locked in a war between fury, humiliation, and something far more dangerous. My fingers gripped the edge of the counter like a lifeline, my breath coming in short, shallow pants as I willed myself to stay upright.

Unknown Number: Good girl. Now, did you pick up something useful? Or were you too busy trying not to make a scene?

I huffed and threw my phone in my pocket. He could go fuck himself.

There was nothing anyone could do for me—not really. The books had confirmed what I already suspected. A bond like this wasn’t something that could be severed with a simple act or a magic word. It was permanent, a lock with no key.

But the chastity belt? That was a whole different beast.

Mal worked with bikes. With cars. With metal. If anyone had a tool that could cut through this fucking thing, it was him.

I sucked in a sharp breath, my pulse still erratic, my mind spinning in a whirlwind of frustration. I grabbed the book, my fingers trembling as I stormed out of the bookstore, shoving the door open harder than necessary. The cool night air hit my flushed skin like a slap, the sharp contrast doing nothing to clear the fog of frustration and humiliation clouding my thoughts.

I needed to get home. I needed to get this belt off, the pressure and confinement unbearable. And for the first time in days, something else gnawed at me—a deeper, more urgent need.

I needed Mal.

Fourteen

ELEANOR

I stormedinto Mal’s garage, my heart still pounding from the bookstore, my legs weak from everything he had put me through. I shouldn’t have come here. I should have locked myself in my apartment and found another way.

But I didn’t.

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