Page 23 of The Alpha's Bargain
She smiled, shaking her head, and thenweleft.
Entering the house, greetings came from all around. The family bond here was strong onallends.
“I’m getting something to eat,” Sage said just as my stomachgrowled.
“That sounds likeaplan.”
We sat at the kitchen counter, inhaling some leftover meatloaf from the night before. I swore meatloaf tasted better the second day, but that wasjustme.
“Anyone seen Luca?” I asked the room atlarge.
“Last I saw him, he was upstairs.” This came from Gary, a packmember.
A smile grew onmyface.
Hauling ass upstairs, I looked in the office, but there was no Luca. Opening the door to our bedroom next, Istoppeddead.
Movement came from the bed, but the sheet blocked my view, except for the blonde hair poking out atthetop.
“Luca, hurry up before she gets home,” Natalie said, and my wolf snarled as anger mixed with shockenvelopedme.
I turned and raced out of the room, down the stairs, happy I had my purse on me still and the car keys insidemybag.
That had been my one stipulation with Luca—no women in his bed. None. And he’d had her when I wasn’t home tohideit.
Pain sliced though my heart at the betrayal. Two and a half months, I’d been giving this relationship everything. Living it real. And now there was a woman in his bed. A woman who despised me. At least now I really knew why. She wanted Luca. Lucky for her. She could have him. He had broken thebargain.
Charging through the living room, Jonas stepped in front of me, hands out. “Slow down, Caleigh. What’swrong?”
My wolf snarled, wanting to shift. I could feel her pushing to the surface. Fur was sprouting from my face and arms, and my nose was elongating. It took everything inside of me to holdherback.
“Move out of way,” I growled from deep in my chest, the sound reverberating throughtheroom.
“Caleigh, talktome.”
I stepped closer and snapped my teeth. “Get out of my way!” I screeched this time, and Jonas stepped aside, but that didn’t mean that all eyes weren’tonme.
I didn’t have a lot of time. I needed to get in my car and get out of herequickly.
With a quick gait, I got out of there, got in my car, and took off like a shot, thankful that the smell of exhaust would cover up my scentabit.
Fumbling through the center console, I swerved off the road a bit, but regained myself. I grabbed the spray that was only for emergencies and began to coat my body with it. It masked scents long enough for me to get the hell out ofthistown.
Holding on to the steering wheel at ten and two, the pain hit, and it hit hard. It felt like a knife stabbing me right in the heart, and I was bleeding all over myself. My soul tore in half and felt as if it were on fire. Tears slid down my face as racking sobs clamored deep in mychest.
I had fallen for him. He’d wanted me to live it real, and I had one hundred percent. Sad thing was, I had known this would happen. I had known I’d be shredded. I just never thought it would be because of another woman in his bed, or the betrayal I feltfromhim.
My cell rang, but Iignoredit.
I couldn’t go to my parents because I’d have to explain everything, and I didn’t have it in me. I needed space and time to myself to gather my thoughts and figure out what to do next. Hell, I just neededtobe.
Driving for hours, I pulled into a Holiday Inn. It took a bit of talking for them not to use my credit card, but an extra hundred bucks to the manager got me under radar. My dad hadn’t raised a stupid woman. If I used my credit card, anyone could find me, and I didn’t want to befound.
I fell to the bed, burying myself in the white comforter and pillows,andwept.
* * *
My bodystirred.
