Page 56 of Brutal Alpha's Forced Mate

“Jaslyn, we—” I start, but she cuts me off with another kiss, her lips demanding and insistent. I can feel her smile against my mouth, and it’s maddening and perfect all at once.

“Keep quiet,” she urges against my lips. “Unless you want everyone out there to know what we’re doing.”

Her words send a rush of heat through me, and my hand slides higher, tracing the outline of her waist. She shivers under my touch, her body responding to me in a way that makes it damn near impossible to think straight.

I’m about two seconds away from forgetting where we are entirely when a loud shout cuts through the air outside the tent.

“Gray! Jaslyn! Get out here now!”

The moment shatters, and we both freeze. Our breathing is heavy and uneven as reality comes crashing back. Jaslyn pulls back just enough to meet my gaze. Her cheeks are flushed, and her lips are swollen from kissing.

“What the hell?” she complains, clearly just as annoyed as I am.

I take a deep breath, trying to rein in the frustration—and the lingering heat—before I answer. “Sounds like Theo.”

Her brow furrows, and she sits up, tugging her shirt back into place. “This better be good.”

Reluctantly, I follow her lead, adjusting myself as discreetly as possible before stepping out of the tent. Outside, I spot Theo near the campfire, waving us over.

“What’s so urgent?” I call out as we approach.

Theo doesn’t seem to notice the tension, or maybe he’s just too excited to care. “Jade got something. A vision.”

“What kind of vision?” Jaslyn questions.

“Mountain range,” Jade announces with triumph. “I saw a mountain range with three peaks and a narrow pass between them. It felt… close. Familiar.”

“Familiar how?” I ask, crossing my arms.

“Like I’ve been there before,” Jade replies. “Or near it, at least. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s within a day’s travel.”

Jaslyn glances at me. “Looks like we’ve got our next move.”

I nod as the tension from earlier melts into something sharper, more purposeful. “Let’s gear up. We’ve got a portal to find.”

The closer we get to the mountains, the more Jaslyn withdraws into herself. She’s walking just ahead of me with her shoulders stiff and her movements sharp, like her body’s ready to spring into action at any moment. She doesn’t say much, and when she does, her tone is clipped. Focused.

“Are you going to tell me what’s got you wound up, or do I have to guess?” I ask, stepping closer so we’re walking side by side.

“I’m fine,” she replies without looking at me.

“You’re not fine,” I counter, keeping my voice low so the others can’t hear. “You’re about as fine as a wolf caught in a trap.”

Her jaw tightens, but she doesn’t respond.

“Jaslyn,” I press, “talk to me.”

She stops abruptly, and I nearly bump into her. “What do you want me to say, Gray? That I’m nervous? That I can feel the magic in these mountains clawing at me like it’s alive? That this whole thing feels wrong?”

“Yes,” I say simply. “That’s exactly what I want you to say if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“We’re close. Let’s just get this over with.”

The others don’t seem to notice the shift in her mood. Jade and Isadora are quietly discussing the logistics of the sealing ritual, while Theo and the warriors scout ahead. But I can’t shake the unease creeping through me, mirroring Jaslyn’s.

By the time we reach the base of the mountains, the energy in the air is almost suffocating. The familiar scent of pine and earth is replaced by something putrid and acrid, like burning sulfur. My wolf snarls in protest, and I catch the faintest flicker of movement out of the corner of my eye, though when I turn, there’s nothing there.

“This is it,” Jade announces, pointing to the mouth of a cave nestled between two jagged peaks. The entrance is wide and dark, and the shadows inside seem to writhe like living things.

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