My Alpha Mate is a bully

r 5 -

ms wrapped tight around my stomach, and not because I was cold. My body was filled with tension. Was this a horrible idea? Possibly,

ls of the forest were tantalizing, and I almost shifted to run out some of my tension until he got there

. I honestly hadn’t thought he would. The smell of smok

ng, and I remembered why I’d com

e strong arms. A bag was slung over one shoulder. His dark hair looked even blacker in the inky nigh

aintest hint of whisky on his breath, but it was

d. “I heard you com

you’re right. I’m pretty sure I was crashing through

laugh. “A James

g widely. “Can we sit down? Standing mak

, he plopped down on the soft gra

gh Jameson hadn’t picked on me much the last couple of years, those early pranks were still etched into my mind. But

the party

what you’d expect. Oh, but

been carrying and pulled out a

as I read the labe

a joke. I brought wine, too

ly prefer

ute. “I knew there was a re

t that was nowhere near enough to soothe my nerves. I downed the cup in one, th

hat two reaso

usly. I just drank the whisky, but I could see

un if you were there,” he

olled my eyes.

ade it more interesting. When it’s just the same old group,

r the briefest moment before leaning in a bit. This whole thing was absurd. I couldn’t believe any of this was h

an down my neck to my collarbone, then back up. Shivers shot from

ldn’t have been lo

aid, you’re pretty chill.

mor behind the words. “I wouldn’t have

round his finger. I expected my wolf to growl or snap at the familiarity—neither of us had ever liked anyone playing wit

y talk to

over at me. “Of course I talk to you

one to talk. I hadn’t eaten much today, especially not aft

I admitt

in the moonlight. He was staring intently back at me. Hi

now that?” His hand slid

ing between my legs began to intensify. Right then, all I

id. My voice was soft, and I knew my face was growing

stopping myself mid-sentence. The fire intensified. My wolf

nd knew exactly what my body was feeling. He tugged my hair experimentally, gently but firmly. The casual confidence in it,

hand still wrapped in my hair, he pulled

ment the rest of his drunk friends would burst out of the woods and begin laughing. But his kis

lowering me to the ground. He br

okay?”

y lips back to his. “I

rm wrapped casually around me, his shirt still crumpled on one side of the clearing. I marveled at how perfectly his arm fit

g?” I asked. I hated how

course,”

down at him. A faint blush that had nothin

aving tomorrow,” I said. “And I definitely woul

ha

said it rapidly, as though saying it qu

loof and stay away from him, hating myself for having such strong feelings about a shifter who had bullied me. But I couldn’t deny the pull he had, or the way I felt when his h

s, drinking in every word. And I

f my chest. But the words died in my throat when I saw the stunned and uneasy ex

hit…” h

much distance between the two of us as p

tain he could smell the anxiety and embarrassment pouring off m

ed was a cheap one-night stand, and then he was out of my life. He’d used me, and I should have known he would aft

t I didn’t want to hear

ish, my canines sharpening to fangs. “I can’

f-expected him to come after me, half-hoped he would. It would have been easy enough to follow my scent. But there was no