Page 54 of Brutal Alpha's Forced Mate

The corner of my mouth quirks up. “Protecting me from the big, bad witch hunters, Alpha?”

“More like protecting the witch hunters from you,” he shoots back.

Jade rolls her eyes. “If you two are done flirting, we have work to do.”

“Don’t be jealous, Jade,” I say sweetly. “Just because your husband had to keep watch doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t enjoy ourselves.”

That earns a chuckle from Isadora, and Jade shoots me a mock glare before turning back to her supplies. As they set up for the scrying ritual, Gray and I move to the edge of the camp, taking up a position where we can see both the witches and the surrounding forest.

The quiet stretches between us, comfortable but charged. Gray leans against a tree with his arms crossed while I sit on a fallen log, keeping my eyes on the witches as they begin their work. The air comes alive with magic as Jade and Isadora chant softly, their voices blending into a rhythmic cadence that’s both soothing and unnerving.

“Do you ever get used to it?” Gray asks after a while.

“To what?” I glance at him, noting the way the firelight dances across his features.

“The magic. The way it feels. Like the air’s buzzing with electricity.”

I tilt my head, considering. “You don’t feel it the same way I do. For me, it’s… personal. Like a part of me waking up and stretching its limbs.”

“It’s impressive. Watching you control it, use it. I can’t imagine what it’s like to have that kind of power.”

“Exhausting,” I admit with a wry smile. “It’s not all fireworks and glowing hands, you know. Half the time, it feels like wrangling a wild animal. One wrong move, and it all goes to hell.”

“Sounds like being an alpha,” he notes. His tone is teasing, but there’s an edge of truth in there.

“Guess we’re not so different after all.”

“Guess not.”

We fall silent again, but this time, it’s a companionable quiet. I catch him watching me out of the corner of my eye, and when I turn to meet his gaze, he doesn’t look away.

“What?” I ask, raising a brow.

“Just thinking,” he says, his voice lower now. “About everything you said to Malcolm.”

My stomach twists at the mention of his name, but Gray’s steady gaze keeps me grounded. “What about it?”

“You were incredible. The way you stood up to him, the way you put him in his place. I’ve never seen anyone make the object of their fear back down like that.”

Heat rises to my cheeks, and I glance away, feeling strangely self-conscious. “I didn’t have a choice. If I didn’t stand up to him, he would’ve taken me. Or worse, taken someone else.”

“Doesn’t make it any less impressive.” His voice is soft now, almost reverent. “You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for.”

I swallow hard as his words settle deep in my chest. “Thanks. For being there. For having my back.”

“Always,” he replies without hesitation, and the sincerity in his voice makes something in me crack.

For a moment, I let myself just look at him—the sharp angles of his face, the strength in his posture, the way his blue eyes hold mine like they can see straight through me. He’s infuriating and impossible, but he’s also… everything. Solid and steady and unshakable in a way I never thought I’d need.

“You’re staring,” he comments with a smug grin.

“So are you,” I counter, leaning back on my hands. “What’s your excuse?”

“Admiring the view.”

The comment is so unexpected that I laugh, and the sound is startlingly loud in the quiet night. “Smooth, Alpha. Real smooth.”

“What can I say? You bring out the worst in me.”

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