Page 21 of Claimed By the Alpha Wolves

“Hey, hey, calm down. It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you.”

I recognize that voice.

I promise I won’t bite.

When I look up, it’s not Kurt standing in front of me, but the man from the party last night. The one who cornered me on the balcony. His scent is suddenly all around me, like fresh cedar thrown on a fire, and I feel dizzy with it. I remember that drunk man calling out to him.

Cayson.

He squeezes my hand, a small smile on his lips. “You’re either a really good actress or you take your games really seriously.”

I just nod, not knowing what to say.

“And I don’t think climbing trees was part of the activity,” he says, raising his eyebrows at me.

It’s hard to think clearly. To calm my racing heart. I’d thought… I’d thought Kurt had caught me. I’d thought I mightdie. My whole body is trembling, and he’s staring at me like he can’t quite figure me out.

What can I possibly say to explain this?

“There’s someone out here who wants to hurt me,” I say quickly, quietly, looking over my shoulder. “An alpha. If he catches me?—”

Cayson’s eyes darken, and I remember what the alpha from the night before said to me.

Any alpha that would put his hands on an omega is a coward.

“I understand,” he says, glancing around us. “I guess we let him come, and I handle him. It’s that easy.”

Blinking, I stare. “It’s not that easy.”

He lifts a brow. “It really is.”

“Not for me.” I bite my lip. “I’m an omega. I don’t want any trouble. I don’t want you to… handle him.”

He looks surprised. “But–”

“Please. It’ll only bring problems my way.”

After a second, he gives a nod, and then I can practically hear his wheels turning. “We’re alone now, but if he’s looking for you, he’ll catch your scent. Do you want me to help you get out of his reach?”

I stare at him.Where are these alphas coming from—asking what I want and taking care of me when I’m afraid?I don’t even realize I’m nodding until he turns around, crouching down on the ground and patting his back.

“Come on,” he says over his shoulder. “Make haste.”

“You’re going to give me…a piggyback ride?”

He can’t actually be suggesting that. It’d be ridiculous. No alpha would simply allow an omega to ride his back. They’d be too proud for something like that.

His grin is wicked. “Easiest way to carry you and run at the same time. Unlessyouplan on carryingme.”

Something about his whole attitude puts me at ease. It’s like my body is matching his level of calm. My heartbeat slows. The tension in my body eases.With an alpha at my side, maybe I’ll be safe.

“Okay,” I say, then take a deep breath and force a smile.

He pats his back again. “Go for it. I won’t break.”

I steady myself, then hop up onto his strong back. His hands sneak around under my ass, stabilizing me, and a blush creeps over my face. I snake my arms around his neck, and he stands like I weigh nothing at all, before taking off through the trees at lightning speed.

Branches and leaves are whipping around me, so I tuck my face down into the crook of his neck, where his scent is the strongest. I think of my grandma, and that fresh lavender, and wonder if his scent is having the same effect, because it makes me feel… unexpectedly different.

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