Page 33 of Brutal Alpha

“Did you hit your head?” she joked. I was glad she’d gotten a little of her moxie back, but I was trying, for once, to be nice.

“Julia—” I tried, but she was giggling now, and she barely heard me.

“How many fingers am I holding up?”

“I mean it,” I said, grasping her wrist. Instantly, I felt that undeniable pull, that spark that began in my chest and traveled quickly through every inch of my body, settling hot and urgent in my groin. Her eyes widened, her single pupil dilating until there was only a thin halo of blue surrounding its blackness. I felt her breath hitch, and I felt a thrill of satisfaction at the thought that she was just as affected by my touch as I was by hers.

“Ethan,” she breathed, and I couldn’t stop myself from leaning forward into her space. Beneath her usual bittersweet scent, Julia’s lips smelled of strawberries. I could feel her breath against my cheek, and I wanted so badly to close that space, even knowing that once I did, I wouldn’t be able to stop until I had her again.

Click, click, click. The sound of claws on stone pulled me back—I’d been so caught up in her scent that the new one had gone unacknowledged, and I whirled around to see a jet-black wolf emerging from the shadows. He was so massive that he seemed to take up the whole width of the bridge, blending into the growing darkness. When he opened his mouth, his teethwere long and sharp and white, capable of ripping me in half where I stood.

His tongue lashed out, licking a long stripe up the side of my face, and I sputtered in protest, smacking him on his wet nose.

“Hello, Xander.”

Chapter 15 - Julia

There were no nice Jeeps, or even a beat-up truck to take us from the bridge to the town on Ensign. Using cars was, apparently, a sign of weakness, so it would have been offensive in the extreme to offer such transportation to a visiting Alpha. I personally would have preferred to be grievously offended and not have to lean on Ethan the rest of the way to Ensign town.

With every step, I was pressed more into Ethan’s warm torso, his arm tight around my waist to help me along, and I knew that by the time we arrived, I would be covered in his steel and leather scent. My wolf purred at the thought, the stupid slut. Maybe we were both stupid sluts, because if he’d kissed me on the bridge, I would’ve let him, even after all his bullshit. A few kind words and I’d be putty in his hands. It was embarrassing.

I should have insisted that Xander helped me back to the house, but Ethan had made it clear how he felt about that option. I didn’t think I’d ever seen Xander so taken aback, but thankfully, he didn’t take offence at Ethan’s bared teeth and harsh growl, only said,

“Don’t let any of my guys see you doing that. They’ll take offense.”

It seemed there were a lot of ways to offend the people of Ensign, and I got the distinct impression that offending someone meant getting ripped to shreds for your mistake. It was difficult to imagine that Xander, who was always cracking jokes and who never seemed to take anything seriously, could be the Alpha of such a brutal place.

All in all, I was grateful that it was nearly midnight by the time we reached Xander’s home in the center of town: the streets were dark, and the people on Ensign had mostly retired to theirhomes for the night. I was desperate for a bed myself, but one thing still took priority.

“Hey, Xander?” I said as I sorted through the pile of women’s clothing he’d dumped in front of me, trying to find something suitable for sleep.

“A High Witch? What do you need a High Witch for?” Xander asked, not bothering to cover his mouth as he yawned. It was late, and we all wanted to go to bed, but I was going looking for that witch first thing in the morning if I had my way.

“I… might have a few powers of my own—recently discovered,” I confessed, and Xander’s eyebrows shot up. He glanced at Ethan for confirmation, who nodded.

“Oh, wow.”

“It’s been an intense few days,” I said, fishing a large, soft tee from out of the pile; that would do for a warm night.

“I bet,” Xander agreed. “Look, let me check with Damien in the morning. I’m pretty sure we’ve got a High Witch still kicking around somewhere, but I’m not sure where. He’ll know—his mate’s pregnant.”

“What’s that got to do with the witch?” I asked.

“The females all go to her if they suspect they might be—” Xander made a motion like he was holding a big belly “—there’s an energy shift or something. I don’t know how it works. She’s good to have around for difficult births, too. Usually, the midwives can handle it, but we’ve called on her a couple of times this year.”

That was news to me. From what Sybil told me, I would have imagined that Hedge Witches were more equipped for stuff like that. I hoped I hadn’t made the journey only to find another herbalist healer who knew nothing about Shadow Magic. I wouldonly find out by going, and if I was going to go, then I needed to rest.

As my head hit the pillow, I found myself thankful for the exhaustion that weighed down my every limb; without it, I might have spent all night tossing and turning with nerves and excitement. Instead, I slipped quickly into a heavy, dreamless sleep, waking late the following morning. By the time I stumbled down to breakfast, Xander had already located the witch and was busy drawing me a mostly legible map on the back of a napkin, Xander watching over his shoulder like a belligerent schoolmistress.

“Thanks,” I said between mouthfuls of egg and bacon. “I’ll set off when I’m done and be back by dinner.”

“You’re not going anywhere by yourself,” Ethan cut in, scowling.

“I am perfectly capable—” I began, but Xander cut me off.

“Ensign isn’t the place for a lone female,” he said. Traitor. “Ethan will go with you.”

I never appreciated being babysat, and every moment I spent with Ethan was another moment I risked losing my entire mind because my wolf was horny. I’d have preferred to go alone, but the looks on both their faces told me that my options were going with Ethan or not going at all. I chose not to argue, instead concentrating on stuffing as much breakfast into my mouth as possible. After my huge magic expenditure the previous day, I was absolutely ravenous. Xander looked impressed as I reached for a third slice of toast, and Ethan slid me a pot of dark jam. I sniffed it. Blackberry? Blueberry? I didn’t care.

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