Page 4 of Alpha Wolf's Arranged Bride
“I know,” she whispers against my lips, giggling. “Your eyes almost popped right out of your head.”
“Was it that obvious?”
“Uh-huh. The whole group has started to get frustrated as hell over the last week, watching us do our little back-and-forth dance, wondering when we’ll finally make it official.”
I almost groan with dismay. I’ve mismanaged this mission so badly—I didn’t even realize I’d been spending so much time with her. Suddenly, her excuses to hang out with me every afternoon take on a new light.
“Oh,” I say, truly surprised.
“Ah-ha! You finally got it. I’ve been practically throwing myself in your lap the last week, wondering when you were going to make a move.”
“Why didn’t you make a move?”
“I was about to—truly. But there’s something about you, James. Something kind of intimidating. Like you have a secret.”
Jesus fucking Christ, no.
“I’m just me,” I answer, laughing a little. “Coming to discover my heritage. I have felt out of place here, though.”
“Now you’ve found it,” she says, squeezing me and wriggling against me so I can feel the heat of her body and smell her arousal. “Thisis your place, right here.”
I kiss her again, pain ripping my chest in two. I know I’m a complete asshole for what I’m about to do, but I can’t stop myself. The idea that I’ll never see her again makes me desperate. I press my mouth to hers as if I’m drowning and only she can keep me alive.
When Scarlett pulls back, her cheeks are bright pink from excitement, and her lips are flushed with red from tangling with mine. Chest heaving, she gulps, trying to get herself back under control.
“My place?” she gasps.
I nod, not giving myself time to think. “Your place. Let’s go.”
***
Hours later, I wake before dawn. The sky is at its darkest, and this is the perfect time for Shadows to move and go completely unseen.
Gently, I let go of Scarlett, my chest aching with regret as I slip out of her bed and fold the covers back over her. She murmurs softly, smiling in her sleep, and I step back quickly, knowing that if I pause for too long, I’ll never leave.
And then what? I’ll be discovered, for sure. We’d be in danger here. I couldn’t go back to my pack or the agency. I’d be a rogue Shadow!
I let my eyes linger on her for another few minutes, imprinting her loveliness into my memory so it will never fade. I know I shouldn’t have made love to her when I can’t stay. But my wolf would not be denied, and neither would she.
I hope I have given you enough to satisfy your body and your heart. You’ll love again and forget me. Just a brief fling with a strange drifter, and nothing more.
I leave the house without a sound and shift as I move into the woods, loping into the low hills that surround Eccles. I leave no trace—no pawprints, no sent, no trail. I am a Shadow, stealthy in the night, returning to the darkness from which I came.
Chapter 1 - Scarlett
The market is noisy with shouting voices, the rattling of wares, and constantly shifting footsteps. In the stall next to me, old lady Mazra is hollering loudly about her handmade jewelry and herbal concoctions. On the other side, Jeremy tries to draw the crowd over to inspect his wooden furniture and custom tools.
I don’t bother to yell. It won’t do any good. The more noise I make, the more people try to ignore me.
That thought hits hard enough to crack my heart in two, but I swallow down my tears, stand up straight, and start shaking out a beautiful, deep blue dress with silver embroidery lining the sleeves and hem. Across the bodice, a delicate pattern of leaves and stars traces up the midsection and frames the neckline.
It’s one of the best I’ve ever made, and it’s worth hundreds—but I’ll be lucky to make fifty dollars for it.
Even though I should be looking up, at least trying to entice customers, I keep my eyes down. I’ve been an outcast for years now, slowly pushed out to the edge of the pack until I had no friends and no support.
I wipe my cheek angrily, hating the tears.
I’m done being sad. I didn’t ask for any of this, and I’d rather be angry!
