Page 41 of Fated to the Alpha

Kimberly smiled and strode through the rows of weight-training equipment. “You’ll see.”

She caught the sound of Shane chuckling as they parted ways. Kimberly ducked into the empty room. The wall of mirrors across from the door and the floor blanketed in foam tiles made the room perfect for classes and workout sessions. She knew the room was rented out for martial arts students twice a week, but she fell outside the age bracket for registration, and she had no interest in trying to learn self-defense alongside middle school kids. On other days, she knew a few of the shifters met for a Zumba session with other human Tolstonians. Dancing was not going to help her, except in the way of shaking off some stress. Luckily, that Friday night, the room was unoccupied and unlocked, free for anyone to use.

Kimberly dropped her bag against the wall and slipped off her shoes and socks so the ridges of her soles wouldn’t make marks on the foam mats.

While she anxiously waited for Shane to join her, she paced with her hands on her hips, taking deep breaths to expel the jitters. Once they got started, it’d be hard to avoid the truth. Shane might put two and two together all by himself, and he’d come to his own conclusions. She knew, no matter how hard he imagined, he couldn’t fathom all the details, but he’d get close enough. He’d know that someone did something to her to make her feel unsafe, and he’d want to rip that someone to shreds. Then, she’d have to tell him everything to hold back the wave of alpha rage.

Shane walked through the door and closed it behind him, bringing with him his delicious, raw scent. Old sweat from the workday, faded body wash, but a fresh application of deodorant that she recognized as the mate to his bodywash. Delicious.

“Do we need to close the shades for this?” He pointed to the vinyl blinds collapsed at the top of the window of the door.

Kimberly gave Shane the once-over and bit her lip. Loose gym shorts reached to his knees and his sleeveless shirt showed off the smooth, thick muscles of his arms and the curve of his broad chest. Every inch of him, even his calves, proclaimed him a man who could hold his own in a fight and protect those who couldn’t. Totally alpha. Totally mouthwatering.

Her brain sputtered back into the present, and she shook her head. “No need. Just stand here and do what I tell you.”

Shane gave her a peculiar look and went to stand at the spot she pointed to next to her.

“Grab my wrist.” Kimberly held out her left arm, hand balled into a fist.

Shane’s expression hardened. “Ummm … no.”

“Why not?”

“What is this about?”

There was no way he could catch on that quickly.

“If I told you, this wouldn’t work. Just grab my wrist and make an effort not to let go, like you mean it.”

He grimaced and sighed before he reached out and wrapped his fingers around her thin wrist. His grip squeezed her bones, but not painfully, and the heat of his palms warmed her skin.

She collected herself, mentally reviewed what she needed to do, and jumped into it.

She turned her wrist, but the hard friction only managed to burn the skin under his fingers. Kimberly stepped into his space, planting her right foot between his legs, her knee against the back of his, and pressing her hip against his pelvis. Her right hand levered underneath his bicep, and with her left hand still trapped in his hold, she used every bit of strength she had to throw him off balance.

Shane didn’t budge.

Kimberly had lost much of her momentum, but tried again, wedging herself against his torso so she could throw him over her hip. It was hard not to think about how close they were, and how what she did, in another context, would signal something else.

Again, he didn’t move. Not even her shifter strength could drag him across her leg or hip.

“Kim…” She was pushing so hard into Shane that she could feel the timbre of his voice, so feathered with amusement that he seemed on the verge of laughter. “As much as I’m really enjoying this … what the hell are you trying to do?”

Kimberly groaned, and they separated, her wrist released. “They made it look so easy in the videos!”

“What videos?”

She went to her bag and pulled out her phone to bring up the YouTube app. “I’ve been watching these self-defense videos, and I wanted to try out some of the moves.”

She made a few taps and turned the phone around to let him watch the demonstration of what she just tried to do to him.

Shane shook his head. “For one thing, the guy is ready for it and just keels over like a trained dog. It’s not realistic. And both of these guys are almost equal in size and weight class. It’s not fair for you to try something like that on me.”

She pressed her fingers between her eyes and blew out a long, frustrated breath before taking her phone back. “Okay. Fine. Let me try another one, okay?”

“Or you can let me show you some stuff that will actually work.”

Kimberly paused. “Really?”