Page 13 of Alpha's Rise

“Keep on talking shit, Romi.” Tobias couldn’t help but get riled up. It was all her doing with that sassy tone and smart-ass comebacks. Everything about her was sexy and whatever she was, it caused her to have a soft, radiant glow. Whey there were outside, Tobias hadn’t noticed it, but here inside the room, with the muted sunlight coming through the windows, it was so clear. “Fuck, baby. Do you know who you are to me? Can you tell what you do to me?”

She stared at him for a moment before slowly shaking her head. “Should I care who I am to you?”

“Yes. Yes, the fuck you should.” If only she knew what her presence here meant to him, and to his pack, she’d understand the control he was exerting right now.

A knock sounded on the door, interrupting the moment.

“I think you’re being summoned,” she said with a head nod toward the door.

If only he could ignore whoever was waiting for him on the other side. Tobias knew whatever they were coming to him about wasn’t something he wanted to deal with right now. “I don’t care.”

All he cared about was getting to know Romi. Tasting her lips. Showing her his wolf. Then again, it was too early for that. Once the time came for him to reveal himself to her, she would be ready to accept her role in his life and her future role within the pack.

As he watched her raise her hands and place them on his chest, Tobias couldn’t help but feel the frisson of electricity shoot through his body. She jumped at the contact, which meant she felt it too. Placing her arms back down, she tilted her head towards the door again. “Yeah, this is no good. You need to go.”

“I’ll be back.”

She nodded. “I’m sure you will.”

“I’m locking the door when I leave. We can’t have you roaming around, especially when you won’t share what you are.”

“Lock the door all you want. I’ve already said that I’ll stay here for the agreed upon time. I’m good for now, but I’m hungry.”

“I’ll have some food brought up for you,” he tossed over his shoulder as he walked to the door.

“I’ll be here waiting.”

“You will.” Exiting the room, Tobias locked the door before he made his way downstairs. His mother, the pack Luna, was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs.

“Is it true? Have you found your true mate? Tell me now, or I’ll go in that room myself,” she demanded in a tone befitting the Alpha Bitch of the largest, most powerful pack east of the Mississippi.

Save him from bossy women who hated to stay within the boundaries set for them. Then again, Romi and his mother had more in common than they thought. If they weren’t careful, the two women would probably get together and take over.

He put his hand up in front of her. “Stop, Mother. Don’t you do anything but stay down here. Actually, where’s Dad? I’m sure Brayden is around here somewhere looking for you. Don’t you have some stuff to do to keep our people safe?” Tobias tried to keep walking around her, but no matter how much he tried to avoid this conversation, she was still fast on her feet. Plus, he would never forcefully move her out of the way. She was his mother, after all.

“Tobias Murray. You are my firstborn son, and I love you, but I will get my way. I know she’s your mate. You and I both know what that means. Stop running from your future.”

“I’m not doing this with you, Mom. I have to get ready for tonight as well. I still need to meet with the guards. We need to get ready for all the guests coming into the compound. There’s still too much to do for me to stand here talking.” If he could escape this impromptu interrogation, Tobias knew there would be at least a few hours of freedom. And no matter how much his mother liked to interfere, she would not enter his wing or any of the rooms on his side of the estate without permission.

“You can’t avoid this conversation forever,” she said, a look of glee in her eyes.

Hugging her around the shoulders, Tobias turned his mother around, back toward the main room. “I don’t plan to, but now is not the time. Someone is missing and you know better than anyone how important that is. I promise, I will tell you everything you need to know when it’s time.”

Seven

Romi fumed as she sat in the spacious, decked out room they’d locked her in. She should have known they’d try some bullshit to keep her here with them. The leader, Tobias, never intended to help her find Layla and Christopher. Sighing deeply, she focused on her surroundings. When they brought her into the large house, she noticed there were guards all around the house, looking all intimidating and shit.

Walking into an enormous pack of wolf-shifters was not something she had on her Bingo card for the day. Glancing down at her watch, she noticed the time. Grunting in frustration, she paced the room, trying to not let her emotions overcome her. She was scared for her friend and wanted to get this party on the road. That she was being held up for reasons she didn’t understand had her feeling some type of way.

Then there was Tobias. Whoever the fuck he was.

When he’d shown up in the woods, along with his men, the breath left her lungs. Not only was he fine as hell with a big ass… ego, but when she looked into his eyes, it was difficult for her to look away. It took everything inside of her not to walk over and climb on top of him right in front of his men. Pack. Whatever the hell they were.

Romi didn’t like the feeling of being trapped. When she felt the walls closing in on her, it made her skin itch with the need to escape. To run away as fast as she could. Memories from her childhood would try to break free in her mind. Growing up in foster care had never been ideal, and most people were only out for themselves. The money. The cruelty. The power. She was who she was because of the experiences she had living in those houses.

Only her friendship with Layla saved her. Stopped her from completely going down the road of self-hate and destruction. They become best friends and ultimately sisters by choice. That she was stuck here in this gilded cage, when she should be out there searching for her family, was pissing her off.

Looking at her watch again, she grimaced when she saw that only fifteen minutes had passed.

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