Page 10 of The Alpha

I was gasping, adrenaline starting to crash inside me, when Knox reached for me.

“Kelsie?” He gently cupped my chin and turned my head to the side. I knew he was looking at what happened back in the parking lot. The side of my face felt swollen, was no doubt bruised, and I felt the blood drying on my flesh.

His grip was firm but careful as he scanned me with wild, murderous eyes. “Who did this? Who the fuck dared lay their hands on you?”

I exhaled and squeezed my eyes shut. “It was…” I gathered my composure. “It was a few members of the Black Death MC.” I knew I’d been strong back in that parking lot, but I was wilting from my emotions and beginning to shiver uncontrollably.

He crushed me to him, cradling me like he thought I’d mentally break. Maybe I was acting like I would? My face waspressed into his chest, and the scent of everything that was Knox filled me… calmed me.

His whole body was tight, as if his rage had turned him to solid rock.

“The things I knew they’d do to me….” I trailed off.

“They’re dead,” he ground out. “And I’m gonna make it fucking hurt before it’s over with.”

I held him as tightly as he held me. I wanted to argue, to say I didn’t want him to go after them for me. Wasn’t that the reason I left? Because this life was too messy, too violent and gritty? I’d seen it before but had never experienced it firsthand, and I made the decision to leave before it inevitably would. But now here I was.

This was who Knox was. This was who my brother and the MC were. I had always known that. Known that this world was inherently ingrained in me, as I was sewn into the make-up of its culture.

There was no running again. There was no pretending this wasn’t the life I was supposed to lead and that this wasn’t the man I was supposed to be with.

Knox pulled back, his thumb stroking over my cheek, before he tipped my chin up. “Come on, baby.” And then he led me inside and right to his room.

6

KELSIE

Ididn’t realize I was crying until Knox wiped a stray tear from my cheek.

The lights were dim, and the air was thick with all sorts of unspoken things. My hands were still trembling, but so were his.

I knew it wasn’t from fear. But from fury.

Every muscle in his body was tight with that barely restrained violence toward his enemies that I knew all too well.

“They put their hands on you?” he asked, wanting clarification this time, his voice guttural. When I didn’t answer right away, he growled, “Baby, did they fuckingtouchyou?”

I knew he didn’t just mean aggressively. He meant sexually.

I swallowed and shook my head. “They didn’t get far.”

I saw a muscle tic in his jaw, saw his body become slightly less rigid. “What did they do? What did they fucking say?”

The look in his eyes was one I knew well, and he rose to his feet. He needed to go hunting.

And I realized then that I needed him to do it.

I sat on the bed as he paced the length of the room. When he was close enough, I reached out, catching his wrist. “Knox.”

He froze and faced me, his chest heaving. The expression taking over his handsome features was crazed, frantic. His breath was ragged as he gritted out, “I’ll fucking kill them, sweetheart. I’ll bury them so no one ever finds their remains.”

“I know.” And I did. Without a doubt. And as I stared into his eyes, seeing the rage and concern and…lovefor me, I knew I could never leave this man. Not again.

It had been a mistake all those years ago. It had been the biggest mistake of my life.

His jaw was clenched, and I could see a storm of emotions wash across his face. Without saying a word, Knox hauled me off the bed, spun us around, and took me back down onto the bed so I was straddling his lap.

When his mouth claimed mine, it was a bruising, desperate kiss, and I was all for it.

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