Page 26 of The Alpha's Forced Bullied Mate

“Would it have been better if I kissed you?”

My eyes were so wide that my vision went blurry from me staring hard at his boots. Now, why did I have to go and say something dumb about romance? It wasn’t like this was anywhere near being in love. In some packs, mates didn’t have tolove each other. They just had to be mated. And since he chose me out of the back of his mind, it wasn’t like we were fated to be together.

I took a deep breath and sighed, trying to resist touching him. “You know, back inmypack, we have our mates announced by our alphas.”

“Alphas?”

“We have two alphas, Troy and Blake.”

He was quiet for a minute, but then he burst into laughter. “Two alphas.”

“Ugh, here we go. Make fun of me for that, too.”

“Oh, I definitely will. I can’t think of anything more useless than that.”

I shrugged and reached for the mug of tea sitting on the table. Despite the fact that twenty minutes had passed, the liquid was still comfortably hot. I took a sip to calm myself down—though I found I didn’t have much trouble with that when Hector touched my bicep.

After a brief silence, I smiled tightly at my mug. “You know, they’re right.”

His thumb skated over my shoulder. “What are you talking about?”

“My parents—they’re right about me being chunky. I’ve always had an eating problem. I just don’t know when to quit.”

“That’s not fair for you to say.”

I huffed lightly, but I wasn’t amused by the realization. “I hike, swim, exercise. I do it all. And yet I still have this—” I grabbed my voluptuous hips—“I’m stillfat.”

He grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him. With his free hand, he took the mug of tea and leaned close. I was in his shadow now, protected by his figure from anything that might invade this space. Whether it was demons from beyond the wall or within the pack, I felt like he would keep me guarded.

I felt like he would keep me safe.

“I never want to hear you put yourself down again. Don’t ever act like you’re not the hottest woman in this entire pack,” he demanded in a gruff voice. “Do you understand me, Cherry Pie?”

I gulped. “Yes, sir…”

Every inch of me trembled as his lips crashed into mine. I felt something rise in my chest like a wave that refused to crash. It was like a rocket that just kept shooting higher and higher into the sky without ever wanting to come down. Goddess, this was something else. This was truly a vibrant event, him taking me like he was now with his hands coasting over my wide hips and plump bottom.

This was everything I had ever wanted from him. I hated thinking of it that way, pitting it as a guy showing affection by being a bully. But it made sense now. I got it now. I understood why he gave me so much attention. He did it in the way my parents had done it. He thought he was just fitting in.

Maybe, I thought.I don’t know that for sure. But maybe…

His tongue trailed my lower lip, prodding my mouth to open wider. Once he had me pliant, he plunged inside to explore the space over my tongue, diving in quick laps that made me think of how it might feel between my legs. That quickening feeling returned, hard enough to shoot my arms around his neck. Why was I awkward? Had I really been standing here with my hands stiff at my side like a toy soldier this whole time?

Now that I had leverage, I could steady myself on my toes and duel with his tongue, soft mews following each completed kiss cycle. I didn’t know when to stop. I didn’twantto stop. Even though I hadn’t exactly won against my parents, I felt like I was celebrating a victory. I survived again—with Hector at my side.

If we could do that, what else could we do together?

Bliss exploded in my center as I tried to climb him like a tree. I became desperate for him to crush me against his chest, mewling urgently as he lifted me by my bottom and planted me on the table. None of those waves I felt ever crashed. It was the impossible tide, the eternal rocket. It was fireworks shooting up, up, and away. It was my heart beating as loud as the thunder that I subconsciously summoned.

He propped my legs over his hips, shimmying between my thighs with a swift thrust that sent electric tingles throughout my body. I broke the kiss with a sound that could only be described as pleasurable defeat.

Because he was rock hard.

His firmness teased my slit through my spandex short, almost nothing separating us from experiencing the warmth of each other’s secrets. My head lolled back as his kisses grew heavier, demanding that I reveal my throat to him, demanding submission to his will. Each time he swept his stubble over my neck to nip my flesh, I felt my limbs weaken, and I grew tender with desire.

“Bite,” I whimpered. “Do it.”

I cradled his head as he plunged to my throat, where my main artery pumped vivaciously. The way it pulsed beckoned his mouth, coaxing his hips into slow, controlled thrusts that teased his hardness against my slit. My core ached for him to break me open, to take the one secret I had left and destroy it.

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