Page 68 of Tempted By the Alpha Outlaw

Mom doesn’t turn around, but Dad nods. As I step out into the cool night air, the tension in my chest eases slightly. But I know this is only the beginning. Because now, this is about so much more than me and Colt.

It’s about proving to the pack that he belongs…and that we belong together.

24

COLT

The soft creak of the workshop door pulls me out of a restless haze. My wolf stirs immediately, tense and alert, every hair on edge. I sit up in the narrow cot, the blanket pooling at my waist, and listen. Someone’s here.

The sound of footsteps against the concrete floor are quiet, but not quiet enough. My lip curls. Frankie. Of course. She’s been sniffing around since the second I stepped foot in this den, waiting for me to slip up.

Well, she’s not gonna find shit.

“Can’t even leave me alone at night, huh?” My voice is a low growl, rough with the edge of sleep. I swing my legs over the side of the cot, standing. “Whatever you’re looking for, Frankie, you’re not gonna find it.”

But then I catch it—a scent so sweet it knocks the wind out of me.

Wildflowers and honey.

Magnolia.

My wolf settles instantly, the snarl dying in my throat.Shit.I rub a hand over my face, trying to clear my head, but her scent is already curling around me, sinking in deep.

“Magnolia?” I call out.

She steps into view in the doorway from the shop, the moonlight from the window catching the curve of her cheek, her wild and unkempt curls. She’s wearing the same thing she was when we parted ways earlier tonight, and our mingled scents wash over me, soothing me and making me want her all over again.

I should’ve known it was her. No one else moves like that, so quiet and sure at the same time.

“Sorry,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

I shake my head, still trying to get my bearings. “You didn’t,” I lie, my voice rougher than I’d like. “What are you doing here?”

I cross the small room in a few steps, standing close enough to see the faint flush on her cheeks in the moonlight. Her hands are tangled together, her fingers twisting nervously. It’s not like her to look so unsure, and it sends a strange pang through my chest.

“I’ve just been…” She glances down, her voice soft and hesitant. “Walking. Since I left my parents’ house.”

My brow furrows, my wolf shifting uneasily at the idea of her wandering around alone. Of course, she thinks it’s safe, but I know the Gulf Pack is out there–and that they’re getting antsy. The idea of my mate, an omega, walking outside alone in the middle of the night… “Walking? Magnolia, it’s the middle of the night. What the hell are you doing out by yourself?”

She shrugs, her gaze still fixed on the floor. “I couldn’t stay there. Not after—” She cuts herself off, shaking her head, and her voice drops even lower. “It didn’t go well.”

I study her, the tight line of her shoulders, the way she’s hugging herself like she’s trying to keep from falling apart. I didn’t expect it to go well, but I hate seeing her hurt. The thought of her parents giving her a hard time—because of me—makes my wolf growl low in my chest. I take a step closer, resisting the urge to reach out and touch her.

“What happened?” I ask, keeping my voice soft, even though my blood is already simmering. “What did they say?”

She finally looks up at me, and the pain in her eyes makes my stomach twist. “They think I’m making a mistake,” she says quietly. “They think you’re…dangerous. That I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Her voice wavers, and I hate it. I hate that I’m the reason she’s standing here looking like the weight of the world is crushing her. I drag a hand through my hair, frustration buzzing under my skin.

“Magnolia…” I start, but I don’t know how to finish. I can’t tell her they’re wrong. Hell, they’re not. I am dangerous, and if she knew the whole truth, she’d be running the other way.

She shakes her head, cutting me off. “I tried to tell them they were wrong,” she says. “I told them I trust you. That I know you’d never hurt me.”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, stealing the air from my lungs. Trust.

She said she trusts me. And I don’t deserve it.

“Magnolia…” I take a step back, rubbing the back of my neck, trying to figure out how to fix this without breaking her. “You shouldn’t have to fight with them because of me. They’re your family.”

---