Page 66 of Tempted By the Alpha Outlaw

It’s not a command, but it’s not quite a request either. There’s a quiet authority to it, the kind that doesn’t need to be loud to make itself known. I take a seat, my shoulders stiff.

“You’re not a kid anymore,” my dad says. “You’ve lived through things most people couldn’t imagine. You’ve taken care of your siblings, this pack…you’ve done more than your fair share. We know that.”

My throat tightens. “Then why—why does it feel like you don’t trust me?” I ask. “Why does it feel like no matter what I do, I’m still just?—”

“You’re not,” he interrupts gently, his tone firm but not harsh. “You’re not just anything, Magnolia. You’re our daughter. And that means it’s our job to worry about you. To protect you.”

I open my mouth to respond, but he holds up a hand to stop me. “Let me finish,” he says. “Your mom’s scared. We both are. Because we’ve seen what happens when people like Colt show up and take an interest in someone like you.”

“Someone like me,” I echo bitterly, the words tasting sour on my tongue. “You keep saying that like it’s some kind of curse.”

“It’s not a curse,” my dad says firmly, his eyes meeting mine. “It’s who you are. It’s part of you, and it’s a beautiful thing. But it also makes you a target.”

I shake my head, frustration bubbling up inside me. “Colt isn’t like that,” I insist. “He’s not some predator waiting to pounce, Dad. He—he cares about me.”

Bruce’s gaze softens, but there’s still a hint of doubt in his expression. “I hope you’re right,” he says quietly. “But you have to understand where we’re coming from. Your mom and I—when you were little, we almost lost you.”

I blink at him, caught off guard. “What are you talking about?”

He glances at my mom, but she doesn’t turn around. Her shoulders are rigid, her head bowed as she stares down at the dough. After a long moment, he looks back at me. “There was an alpha,” he says. “Years ago, when we were still stuck in the Heavenly Host compound. He came through, looking for omegas. Your mom was with you working outside the walls…and he caught your scent.”

My stomach twists, cold dread creeping over me. “What…what happened?” I whisper.

“He tried to take you,” my dad says simply–but I can tell he’s working hard to keep it together. My head spins, heart racing. I have no memory of any of this. “Said you belonged to him. Said it didn’t matter that you were just a little girl. He didn’t care about any of that. He just wanted you.”

I feel like the ground has been pulled out from under me. “What—how—” The words stick in my throat, my mind racing.

“We fought him off,” Bruce says, his tone hardening. “The pack came together, and we got you back inside, and the Angels…they didn’t like that kind of thing anyway. But it still…we’ve worried about you ever since. Being betas ourselves, we don’t know what it’s like.”

I glance at my mom, her silence suddenly making more sense. She’s not just angry—she’s terrified. And it’s not just about me leaving.

It’s about what I represent.

What I could lose.

“I didn’t know,” I say.

My dad nods. “We didn’t want you to,” he says. “We wanted you to grow up feeling safe. Feeling like you had a place here. But you’re not a kid anymore, Magnolia. And the world out there hasn’t changed. It’s still dangerous. And your mom and I—we’re just trying to protect you.”

“I can protect myself,” I say, though the words feel hollow. “And Colt…he wouldn’t let anything happen to me.”

Mom makes scoffs and finally turns from the counter. “You keep saying that like you know him, Magnolia,” she says, her voice shaking with controlled frustration. “Like you’ve known him your whole life. But you don’t. You’ve known him for a few weeks. That’s not enough time to trust anyone. Not out there.”

Her words make my chest tighten, anger flaring up beneath my ribs. “It is,” I snap. “It’s enough because he’s my?—”

I stop myself too late, the words hanging in the air like a live wire. Dad straightens in his chair, his brow furrowing, and Mom’s face hardens, her hands still trembling at her sides.

“He’s your what?” she demands.

I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks, my heart pounding in my chest. There’s no going back now. “He’s my mate,” I blurt, the words tumbling out before I can think better of it. “I marked him last night. And he’s…he’s mine.”

The silence that follows is deafening.

I feel like an idiot–blurting it out like that, when I was going to try to make them think I was so mature. And yet, here I am, essentially saying “I licked it, so it’s mine.” I don’t even know why the words came out like that; it was impulsive, like some strange creature was talking through me.

My wolf…a beast my parents can never understand.

Mom stares at me like I’ve just slapped her, her face pale and drawn. “You…what?” she whispers, her voice barely audible.

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