Page 11 of Claimed By the Alpha Wolves

I run to the railing, sucking in air, finally feeling my heartbeat calm. My temperature slowly decreases as the cool air sweeps across my flesh. I focus on the trees all around me, and the beautiful sight of a lake.ThisI can handle. Finally being alone.

“Well, hello there,” someone says, and I jump, spinning around, my hand to my chest. I get a quick glance of the man before lowering my gaze.

He has a shock of dirty blonde hair that’s been neatly styled and stands tall. His thick eyebrows give him a serious look, but the grin on his face quickly undoes it. His jaw is chiseled, his dimples inviting, in a face that screams “pretty boy.” Despite his good looks, my body tells me to get as far from him as I possibly can, even as his delicious scent of wood and smoke flows over me.

“Who are you hiding from, little omega?” he asks, and I see his boots as they take a step nearer to me. I back up, sliding away along the railing.How quickly can I make it back into the party if I bolt for the doors? Would he try to stop me?

“I’m not hiding from anybody,” I say, hearing how my voice wavers. “I just wanted a breath of fresh air.”

“You’re a breath of fresh air yourself, aren’t you?” he flirts.

I don’t respond. I don’t even know what to say. Flirting isn’t one of my limited skills, even if I wanted to. And Ireallydon’t want to.

“Be honest—who are you hiding from?” he asks, and a little of the humor leaves his voice.

I decide to be honest. “Everybody. I don’t like parties.”

“Well, that’s new. Most of the girls I’ve met love parties. They’ll dance and drink all night long, not stopping for anyone or anything.” He pauses, and I can feel him studying me. “Are you from around here?”

He knows you’re not from around here.

I think of the stark contrast between my grandparent’s cabin, so far removed, and the bustling opulence of the city we passed through and this castle. I’m obviously not from around here and haven’t been operating in society for quite some time.Is it that easy to tell when you look at me?

“I get the feeling you don’t like to talk much,” he says, taking another step toward me. I match him with another step away. “Aren’t you here to find a mate? Standing out here on the balcony isn’t going to do you much good.”

“I’m not interested in finding mates,” slips from my lips before I can stop it.

“Not interested?” I hear him sniff audibly. “What omega isn’t interested in finding a mate? You have to find a mate. Did your mother teach you nothing?”

I cross my arms over my chest. “She taught me not to talk to strange men.”

“Luckily, I’m rather normal and completely safe,” he says, laughing as he advances on me. “There’s no need to run from me.”

“I’m not running.”

“I promise I won’t bite.”

“Biting is not what I’m afraid of.”

“What are you afraid of?”

My back hits the wall and I suck in a breath, my eyes darting up to meet his as he steps closer. Now that I have nowhere to go, he leans down, inhaling, his dark eyes roaming over my body in a strangely possessive way. A way I’m pretty sure the alphas shouldn’t be looking at any of us omegas just yet.

I feel my core heat in response, and a blush bursts over my cheeks when he raises his eyebrows at me. He’s ridiculously attractive, in a way that rivals every other man at this ball.How had I not noticed him before?

Maybe because I was too terrified. Or because I don’t want a mate and don’t want this man’s attention.But even though I remind myself of these things, I feel weird. Tingly and alive.

Tentatively, I breathe in, smelling his scent, something like cedar and dark, smokey ash.He’sthe one who smells like a breath of fresh air… if you were trying to get it in the middle of a forest fire.Which has to be a warning. Right?

My skin lights up with pleasure when his nose touches the base of my neck, skimming along my collarbone, tracing up toward my ear. Slowly, he brings his other hand to my head, tipping it back, and I’m affronted when my traitorous body complies immediately, allowing him access.

All at once, my brain and body are at war—my brain telling me again and again that this is the exact scenario I was trying to avoid, my body stuck, paralyzed, vibrating with the pure,simple pleasure of having him this close, knowing he wants me. Knowing that he’s an alpha, and I’m an omega, and this is a dance as old as time. A dance I don’t want to participate in.

“Cayson!” someone shouts, stumbling out through the open balcony doors. The man, Cayson, freezes, his nose pressed to the side of my neck, my chest brushing his as it rises and falls rapidly. Apparently not realizing Cayson is busy, the person laughs, stumbling forward and grabbing his shoulder.

“Aye, bro, come on! There’s a chick inside letting people do shots off her!”

Cayson spins around, pushing the other person hard in the chest with two hands. The guy stumbles back, but keeps laughing, and after a moment, two more guys appear at the door, also clearly inebriated. I get the impression they’re all friends, but Cayson doesn’t seem to be in the mood to talk to them right now. Maybe because of me, maybe because he just doesn’t want to deal with a bunch of drunk assholes, I don’t know.

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