Page 14 of The Alpha's Forced Bullied Mate

Thunder cracked once more outside, the sound so threateningly loud through the open doors that it almost sounded like someone had dropped a bowling ball on the roof of the car. Rain pattered the earth, the smell swirling into my nostrils and intoxicating me. Rain, soothing rain. It always came when I was distressed. It just made me feel a little better.

Though, right now, it wasn’t doing much for me. So much for having some amazing powers. My foresight was rusty because I hadn’t predicted my own kidnapping, and my powers were in need of a recharge, considering the only thing I could truly do was change the weather a little bit.

Yay, now I’m stuck with the guy who thinks I’m his mate just because he used to pick on me as a kid.

I whimpered when his fingers left my chin. “You really think I’m your mate?”

“There’s no telling, honestly,” he replied as he held my shoulders, “but I’m choosing you regardless of that. You’re the only one who can handle the duties of being an alpha’s mate.”

I furrowed my brows. “Wait just a second! You didn’t even give me the option to say—”

The door slammed shut. Sheer indignation bubbled inside me as my mouth dropped open. “You didn’t—”

Another door slammed. This one must have been the driver’s side door. It dulled the sound of the rain and the cars flying past us. “I did, and if you don’t chill out, I’ll gag you.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

But I knew he would dare. He was willing to pin me, tie me up, and steal me from my home. Shoving a cloth in my mouth would be the least intimidating thing even as my body shuddered at the possible side effects. To what lengths was he willing to go past this point?

Arousal slithered through my core; a sensation that made me wiggle again. I could feel his eyes on me. I couldn’t see past the cloth covering my eyes, but I knew that the ripple of goosebumps flushing my arms had nothing to do with the cool rain and muggy humidity dancing over my skin. I could feel him, and that made me want tofeelhim.

The leather squeaked. I braced for his touch, wondering what he might do first. He seemed fond of commanding me by grabbing my chin. The suggestion alone was enough to make me quake, sending a shiver right to my slit that made me arch in my seat as I tried to squeeze the feeling away.

But squeezing my thighs together only worsened my arousal.

Get it together, Faye, I thought.You’re losing it over a bully—a muscular and dominant bully who seems to know exactly how to handle you.

Despite my expectations, nothing happened. Hector didn’t touch me.

That almost seemed to be a worse punishment than having him cover my mouth.

When the leather seat creaked again, he cranked the engine. The seatbelt squealed as he drew it across his lap, capped by the distinctclickof it popping into its proper place. The gear shiftthunkednext, and I felt the car jerk shakily back onto the highway. Within seconds, our speed increased and we were cruising along with the other cars around us.

Could they see me? Could they tell I was in danger?

I blinked at the hot tears stinging my eyes. The tip of my nose ballooned like it was getting ready to burst and cotton filled my throat. All signs of a hard cry incoming—and I was helpless to stop it.

Crap, I didn’t want to look weak in front of him. I didn’t want him to know how his intimidating tactics had worked. I had to steady my senses, cope with my current situation, and put on a brave face just like I did back then. It wasn’t hard at all. I just had to swallow the feeling of cotton blocking up my throat and press my warm nose to the cool window.

But even that didn’t stop me from crying quietly out of frustration. The way the tears soaked the fabric of my blindfold made it weigh heavy on the bridge of my nose, sticking it to my cheeks that were now soaked. It slid down, giving me a glimpse of the world beyond the rain-spattered window.

Night still. I had to guess that we were just hours away from my home at this point. I sat back, took a deep breath, and shook my head to loosen the blindfold even more. Using my right shoulder to push away the fabric helped, giving me thechance to let it hang loosely around my neck. My eyes burned as I blinked rapidly to clear my vision.

This would probably be my darkest night to date. Not only was Hector yanking me out of a loving pack, but he was about to drop me in the middle of the pack that chased me away after torturing me emotionally. I sucked air into my lungs, the sound shaky enough to draw Hector’s attention from the front seat. His eyes appeared in the rearview mirror, cloudy yet pensive.

After a long inspection, he returned his gaze to the road, ticking the handle for the wipers. Long streaks erupted on the windshield, taking away the rain that threatened to block his view of the highway. “I get it.”

“I don’t think you do.”

“Idoget it, Faye. I was thrown into the ring to be alpha. I didn’t want to do this.”

I frowned hard. “Why didn’t you just say no?”

“How could I?” His brows dipped slightly, turning his concentrated gaze into one of sorrow. “Adrian trusts me. I’m the only one in the pack who doesn’t have parents. I can’t let them think I turned out to be a failure just because my aunt raised me.”

My heart twitched at the sound of his admission. Probably a manipulative ploy given the circumstances. But it still prompted my curiosity. “Are you… worried about being alpha?”

“I’m concerned for my pack, and I need someone who understands that concern.”

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