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“Keep your hands off what’s mine,” I told Cole. “We've been friends a long time. Don’t let that make you forget who is alpha.”
“I can never forget that,” Cole told me.
“Good.”
I went into the house, but I could feel Amelia chasing me down without even having to look. Her angry energy radiated toward me like a furious little bunny. No matter how much Cole trained her, I’d never be able to see her as dangerous. She was strong, but that strength shone through sweetness. There was nothing hard and cruel about her like so many of us shifters.
I loved that about her, but it also made me want to wrap her up in my arms and shield her, to make sure no one ever got the chance to hurt her.
“What the hell are you doing?” she demanded.
I turned on her and said mildly, “Tone.”
“No, I’ll talk to you with whatever tone I want. Don’t talk to me like I’m just a child. You were just a raging dickhead to Cole.”
“He’s used to it.” That was probably true enough.
“It doesn’t matter! He’s so loyal to you. He deserves better, Stone.”
I moved closer to her, dominating her with my size, although really, I just wanted to breathe in her scent. “Let's be honest here, Amelia. My warning to him wouldn’t have meant anything if, deep down, you didn’t want to fuck him.”
Her blazing eyes met mine. “Oh, it’s notdeep down. I do want to, and sooner or later, if I choose to, I will.”
“You are mine,” I warned her.
“No.” She shook her head. “I’m my own. But I might choose to love Cole, and Shaw, and Liam, and…” her eyes met mine. “I think maybe I could love you, Stone. If you could be worthy of it.”
I’d been playing a game with Cole, but now my temper flared for real. “I’m not going to try to prove myself worthy to you.”
“You don’t have to prove yourself to anyone. You already proved yourself. You’re the alpha.”
“Fantastic. For once, something you’re saying makes sense.”
“But you do have to be worthy,” she said. “and a man who can’t apologize, a man who acts like a dickhead to the people who love him best, a man who has to control everything because he can’t deal with feelings of uncertainty or fear—”
“I don’t feel fear,” I cut in.
“Of course you do,” she said. “You think I’m terrified of everything? I’m not nearly as afraid as you are, Stone.”
Even when I was furious at her, part of me still wanted to grab her and kiss her. I reached out and took her chin and two fingers, and she pushed my hand away, slamming my arm with enough force to jerk it away. I could have captured her again, but I didn’t as her fierce eyes blazed up at me. “I already told you I don’t forgive you.”
“You made that clear. Don’t be tedious.”
“I’m not just going to sweep your shitty behavior under the rug and pretend like it’s okay like everyone else in this pack does. I don’t forgive you.”
“Oh? It’s interesting that you’re saying you don’t want me to touch you when you’re wearingthis…”I pulled the neck of her shirt aside to see her mark, but I almost lost the train of thought when I saw it. My mark on her skin. Pride sung through my body.
She yanked away, pushing my hand as she scoffed up at me.
“You wanted my mark. And we agreed we would talk about it now—”
In return, the Amelia that I had once thought was mousey and scared turned her back on me and walked away, but she did raise two middle fingers over her shoulders.
“Be glad it’s just the two of us,” I called after her.
Karissa wandered out of the kitchen. My jaw flexed as I realized she had heard our argument and seen Amelia disrespect me.
“I really like that girl. I think you finally did find your mate, the one woman who can stand up to you. If you can win her back.”
