Heard what?I wanted to ask, my mind fracturing beneath the heady scent of man and wolf.
Andwhydid it always sound like sex when he said my name? My nipples stiffened, and electricity buzzed over my skin.What iswrongwith me?This alpha caveman bullshit should not make me wet and desperate to take him up on his multiple offers for a ride.
Alaric inhaled, his chuckle dark and not one of amusement but one of a man who knew his prey wanted what he had to offer.
I quivered in response, hating that my body gave me away.
But his did as well, his arousal a heavy weight against my lower abdomen as he leaned into me to ensure I felt every hard inch of him.
“What’s it going to be, Makayla?” he asked, his lips grazing mine. “Because I’m not interested in seeing, hearing, or fucking smelling you unless you are here toconsoleme like a good, obedient little mate. So either fuck off or kneel and put that sharp tongue of yours to better use.”
I almost pointed out that I hadn’t spoken much since walking out here, but I couldn’t think beyond the pounding of my heart.
His words were abrasive, but my wolf didn’t understand anything except his need to dominate. The large, prominent bulge in his jeans pushed into the apex between my thighs, and my inner animal started panting. I fought to keep her intrigue from showing in my own breathing patterns and cleared my throat while silently commanding my wolf toback off. For the love of all that is holy, he’s grieving his brother!She snarled at my tone, then marched to a dark corner and curled up to pout.
Alaric’s body vibrated with unchecked emotion, needing an outlet before he exploded. I had no intention of being the thing he used as an outlet for his grief. A quick, angry fuck sounded hot, but it would only further complicate this situation. Something we definitely didn’t need.
A smirk tipped up the corners of my mouth. “Can you see the ‘fuck you’ in my smile? No? That’s because it’s not fucking happening, jackass. I just came out here to tell you what I know about the silver poisoning. This shifter Neo—”
In the blink of an eye, I could no longer breathe or speak because Alaric had his hand wrapped around my throat—the hand of his good arm.Shit.
His blue irises smoldered with accusation, the aggression coming from Alaric—the man—just as much as from his wolf.
“You know something about the poisoning?” he demanded in a deadly voice. “And you are just telling me this now,why?”
I tried to respond, but his hold still cut off my flow of oxygen. Clawing at his fingers, my body twisted this way and that, trying to free myself. But he had pressed himself so tightly against me that I could barely move.
Fortunately, he seemed to realize I couldn’t talk and loosened his grip just enough to allow me to gulp in a lungful of air. I coughed and sucked in a few more deep breaths before croaking out, “If you stop trying to choke me, I might tell you. But right now…” I paused to inhale, the oxygen burning my raw throat. “You might as well finish the job because if I get free”—another breath—“ I’m going to fucking kill you.”
He ignored my threat. “Tell me about the silver.”
Bitten wolves didn’t possess compulsion, which meant that even as an alpha, Alaric couldn’t force my will. And yet, both my wolf and I were drawn to his commanding presence. Which really pissed me the hell off.
“Are you a part of this, Makayla?”
“What?” Was he fucking high? “Are you seriously asking me that?”
His hand tightened again, not enough to cut off all of my air but enough to make a point. “You weren’t exactly trapped in that cell. And you did fucking stab me, after all. Your actions don’t exactly scream innocence,Makayla.”
“I took you home,” I wheezed as he loosened his grip again, allowing me to speak once more. “Fixed you up. Brought you to your brother so you could say goodbye.” Each reminder came out in a rasp of sound, but the point remained. “Ihelpedyou.”
Alaric shook his head as if trying to clear it of clutter. “Something’s not right,” he muttered. He considered me for a beat before his eyes narrowed to slits. “Are you even my fated mate? Or have you figured out some way to trick me? Did you—”
Not only did I find myself unable to breathe again, but my feet also left the ground as Alaric lifted me up. The expression on his face held so much hate and bitterness that I could smell it tainting his normally intoxicating scent.
Black dots danced in front of my eyes, clouding my vision.Shit!I choked and dug my claws into his arms as hypoxia began to crawl toward my brain. My wolf slammed into me repeatedly, trying to keep me from passing out and to force a shift so she could protect us.
“The distraction at Blood Thirteen. Were you part of that ambush, Makayla? Because if you had anything to do with Violet almost being killed—”
I didn’t understand why, but his protective tone at the mention of Violet—while accusing his supposed fated mate of trying to kill her—tipped me over the edge I’d been teetering on.
Enough of this bullshit.
He still had a weakness I could exploit.
I reached for his damaged shoulder and pressed my thumb into the wound I’d created earlier. Oh, he’d healed some, but not nearly enough, and his wince and resulting growl told me it still hurt like a son of a bitch.
Dick move, yes. But so was choking me.
