Page 9 of The Demon's Pet

I should have known from his silver fur.

He was tall and thickly muscled, with short dark hair, grey eyes, and freckles on his plain but handsome face.

He kept his hands on my shoulders as he started to frog-march me back in the direction of town.

I fought him, trying to kick out at his shin or throw my hand back to hit his groin, but he simply sighed as if this were a huge annoyance and threw me over his shoulder like I weighed no more than a sack of beans.

“Stay there,” he said. “I don’t want to have to hurt you.”

As the pack alpha’s son, second in command of the whole village, I hadn’t seen Bran that often.

“I was assigned to your residence tonight because I was told you would probably run.”

“You were there the whole time, and it took you this long to catch me?” I snarked. “I guess alphas aren’t that fast after all.”

He was quiet, unbothered by my barbs, but let out a little grunt. “Why can’t you omegas just make it easier on yourselves by accepting the rules? If you wouldn’t make trouble, it wouldn’t follow you.”

I ignored him, hanging limply over his shoulder, pretending acquiescence while I plotted my next move.

“You didn’t have to be such a hellion, Cleo. And yes, I know of you. You refuse to be groomed or polite in a way that would give credit to the gods.”

“I don’t know why the gods would care if I’m hot or not,” I grumbled.

“It is the way things are,” he said. “The system works the way it is. Most omegas are really happy with the current system.”

“Maybe because they know complaints lead to beatings.”

He let out a snarl. “I’ve never beaten an omega.”

“You’re a unique alpha, then,” I muttered.

He stopped moving for a moment, as if I’d given him something to think about, then continued walking again, carrying me like a sack of flour.

Gods, I hated alphas.

“It’s not exactly easy being an alpha. I have a lot of responsibilities, and—”

“I’d trade you in a second,” I said.

He was quiet for a few more steps. “I believe you.” He let out a sigh. “Nevertheless, we are what we are, and as long as we stay this way, the celestials will bless us. You don’t want to be selfish, do you, Cleo? The whole haven could be destroyed if we lose the celestials’ blessing. You don’t want us to be attacked and tainted by demons the way humans and other creatures disloyal to the celestials have been, do you?”

It was my turn to stay silent. I had nothing good to say about the celestials. At this point, I might as well take a chance on some demons.

I grimaced at that because I’d been told my whole life the horror of what demons could do, and it far superseded the abuses I suffered here.

So far.

“Please, just try,” Bran said, upping his pace to a jog as he pulled me off his shoulder and carried me in his arms like a princess.

I hated it. I still felt like a piece of baggage. Something others could move from one place to another without any regard for what I would want.

But I was aware of how many other girls and women in the village would be jealous to be in the arms of the son of the alpha of the pack.

He wasn’t half as bad as Zane, but I still couldn’t stand him.

Anyone who went along with this system without resistance was on my bad side.

“You never know,” he said, looking down at me. “You might find a very powerful mate, and things might change in your world.”

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