Page 14 of Alpha Bully

Realizing he might have overstepped, he bows his head, and I can feel his wolf’s submission. The truth is, I know he’s right. Everything I’m pissed off at him about is just a reflection of my own shortcomings in this situation. And that just pisses me off even more.

We walk on in silence, though I’m reassured Charlie will at least try to make amends with Ava, if she’ll let him. I think it would help if the pack saw that her own brother was more welcoming of her return. None of that helps my deeper sense of frustration, though—how we’ve been avoiding each other since I kissed her. Nothing has changed regarding her status in the pack. It’s actually worse than ever. Even her wolf has abandoned her. Kissing her, wanting her, is more pointless than it was then.

Sometimes, I think I should just offer her and Harper safe passage to the mainland, maybe give her some money, and tell her not to look back. But even the thought of doing that makes my gut twist, and my wolf gets angsty. I know what that means. I know my wolf senses the mate bond. Which is actually the most ridiculous part of all this, as my wolf should know better than any that the pack won’t accept her.

Charlie doesn’t attempt to talk to me again as we reach the town, and I issue orders about the prisoners before heading back to the house. I was so fired up from the fight, and now I just feel weary, worn out by my own thoughts and regrets. Not to mention, my wolf is riding me hard about every wrong step I’ve made where Ava is concerned.

When I enter, the house is quiet—too quiet. I think for a moment that my senses are on high alert until I hear the gentle sound of a lullaby from somewhere upstairs. Following the sound, I find myself outside Ava’s room, listening at the door. The scent of the vanilla bath salts fills the air, and I see that she’s tucking Harper into bed for the night. She’s singing quietly to Harper, an old pack lullaby I remember from when I was a pup.

My heart swells at the sight of her kneeling next to Harper in the enormous bed, her long blonde hair cascading over one shoulder as she gently strokes Harper’s cheek. She's wearing a soft pink nightgown that clings to her body just right. It’s simple but shows off every curve, and my hands itch to touch her. Ava’s voice is raspy but soothing, and I can hear the love behind every word.

I shouldn't be here, but something inside me won't let me walk away. I can't help but feel like this is my world now—Ava and Harper are part of it. Maybe it's selfish or stupid, but for a moment after talking to Charlie, after I’d walked in silence stewing on every aspect of this mess, I thought about telling her everything. How much I care for her and want her and Harper to stay with me. How much my wolf demands it.

But then reality sets back in when I remember what would happen if I did that. The pack would never stand for it; they’d never accept her. What about Harper’s father? Will he return and lay claim on both of them? The thought fills me with rage and bitter jealousy. As much as I can pretend it isn’t so, standing here and watching this family scene play out in front of me, I can’t hide from the truth—it’s notmyfamily. And beyond these walls, I have a pack who won’t let me play pretend. But that doesn’t stop me from craving everything I can’t have.

I should leave, but my feet are rooted to the spot. I watch her finish singing and then lean in to kiss Harper’s forehead, tucking her in one last time. The click of the lamp as Ava turns to walk away leaves me in near darkness, only a faint sliver of moonlight filtering through the window. I can barely make out Ava's form as she stands and walks toward the door, but before she notices me, I grab her wrist, pulling her forcefully into my arms.

Her breath hitches as she gasps in surprise, her body stiffening against mine. "Callum," she whispers, her voice shaky with fear or anger—I can't even tell which, and right now, I don’t care.

"I'm sorry," I whisper back, my mouth brushing against her earlobe as I pull her closer still. "I can't stay away."

Her heart is really racing fast now, and I feel it pounding against my chest through our clothing. Desire flares between us like wildfire caught in the wind. She tries to pull away slightly, but she doesn’t fight me when I don’t relent. Maybe because she feels it too, or maybe because she knows there's no escaping me this time.

I lead her toward my room, careful not to turn on any lights so that we remain shrouded by darkness. I kick the door shut behind us and push her against the wall, crashing my lips onto hers. It's a rough kiss, demanding and hungry, not like when we were kids. There’s no gentleness or exploration here, just need. She responds by tangling her hands in my hair as she clings to me desperately. We're both panting heavily when we finally break apart for air.

"I want you," I murmur against her earlobe before trailing kisses down her neck toward her more sensitive areas. "God, I want you so much."

Her breath is ragged as she nods against my shoulder. "Callum…we shouldn't be doing this." But there's no conviction in her voice. There's only desperate need echoing between us.

We stumble toward the bed. The sound of fabric ripping fills the air as I shred Ava’s flimsy nightgown, and our skin finally touches. It's electric, sending shockwaves through my body that make me shudder. Her nipples are hard against my chest, and I groan in anticipation as I bend down slightly and take one into my mouth. She arches her back, gasping and pushing herself further into the sensation.

"Fuck," I mumble against her breast, my other hand moving down to where she's already damp with arousal. My fingers part her folds and find her clit, rubbing firm circles around the sensitive nub before dipping inside her wetness. She cries out softly at the pleasure coursing through her body and grinds down onto my hand in response.

I can’t wait any longer. Standing up straight and pulling off the rest of my clothes, I gently push her back onto the bed. She’s panting heavily as I hover over her naked form, kissing along her jawbone and down her neck, nudging her thighs open further. My cock throbs painfully against my stomach as I position myself between her legs and slide inside her in one swift motion.

Her walls clench tightly around me as she gasps out loud and grips my shoulders almost painfully. She’s tight, almost too tight, and I have to close my eyes to steady myself before I start to move. I want to go gently for her. Ishouldgo gently, but I can’t. The need for release is too great. I start thrusting into her with long, hard strokes, each one hitting harder than the last.

I know we’re both trying to be quiet, but we’re close to losing control. Everywhere I touch sends my magic sparking—her nails dig into my back as she pulls me closer, and my hand finds its way to her breast, massaging it roughly while I grab her hip with my other hand so I can drive into her even harder.

Our breathing is heavy as we speed toward our climaxes—finally, overwhelmed by pleasure, Ava’s body tenses up underneath mine, and she cries out as she comes undone first, her walls gripping me tightly as I continue to pound into her relentlessly through her orgasm until I lose control and explode inside of her, groaning out loud as my hot cum fills her.

We collapse together, and I pull her against my side. She seems to sink into me for a moment, but as our breathing returns to normal, I feel her tensing. Releasing her slightly, my eyes having adjusted to the darkness, I look into hers but see only uncertainty and doubt.

“Ava,” I begin, not really knowing what to say. “I-”

She pushes back slightly. “D-don’t,” she whispers, “don’t say anything. I just need to get back to Harper. If she wakes up and I’m not there…”

“We should talk about this,” I say, but she shakes her head and pulls away from me.

“No, that’s the last thing we should do,” she replies before standing, grabbing the blanket from the end of the bed, and rushing out the door.

I lie on my back, surrounded by her scent, my cock already hard again. My wolf almost demands I drag her back here, but I hear her bedroom door click shut and groan with the frustration I feel in every part of me.

Chapter 9 - Ava

Standing under the hot water, I close my eyes and allow the steam to envelop me for a moment, shutting my eyes against the world and trying to block out the way my body appears to remember Callum’s every lingering touch on my body from last night. The memory of last night is so vivid it feels almost real again. Echoes of years ago fill my senses, and the longing for him that never went away feels reignited. I can almost feel him inside me now, hot and hard, thrusting—

My eyes fly open as I hear movement from the bedroom: Harper.

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