Page 16 of Rejected Bullied Mate

"Only because youkidnappedme!" The audacity of this Alpha was going to drive me up the wall.

"I like to call it a strategic acquisition."

"Of course you do," I groaned, rubbing the heels of my hands over my eyes, "Fucking Alphas."

"Believe it or not, my making you stay isn't about my ego. It's about tradition."

I stared up at Samson's stupid, handsome face and scowled. I was starting to wonder if there was anything he looked bad at doing, including smirking. He was still acting weird, his tone more playful and the tension between us lighter.

I made an exasperated noise in the back of my throat, "A tradition where everyone but me gets to go feral under a creepy red moon and eat a bunch of forest creatures, right?"

He shrugged his massive shoulders, and the action rippled under his tight t-shirt, making my mouth go dry. "If you want to make the attempt to shift, I won't stop you."

"Yeah, that's never gonna happen. My wolf is basically non-existent. Besides, if I tried that now, I'd end up on my ass. My powers are barely functional." I sighed and glanced up at the sky.

The full moon was blood red, tinting the clouds around it and bathing the sky in its warm, rusty light. It hadn't hit its peak in the sky, but there wasn't much time left. As much as I wanted to deny it, the odd light favored Samson. It made him look so strong and so intimidating. The contrast of his powerful frame against the delicate trees behind him made the space feel smaller, as if it was only big enough for him, and like everything else was just here for his amusement.

Samson cocked his head, "When was the last time you even tried?"

"Years," I admitted. "Sometimes I feel the shifter part of me pacing inside, but it's never powerful or demanding enough to really bother me. I figured that I could ignore it until..."

I trailed off, but Samson seemed to be able to read my mind. "Until Kit started showing signs of the shift. It's good that I brought you home. It's much safer for him to go through that here instead of being separated from his pack with a shifter that can't shift."

I didn't argue or tell him I still had no plans to stay in Crystal Creek. With each passing day, it seemed like I was more and more stuck. Hell, we planned for Kit to start normal school with the rest of the pack kids, which he'd wanted to do forever. I didn't want to be here, but little by little, this was becoming Kit's home. "Yeah, I guess..."

"You know I'm right." I didn't see him move, but suddenly Samson was all I could see, all I could feel. All I would have to do was raise my hand, and I'd be touching him. "You and Kit belong here, with the pack, with me."

"Are we talking about my favorite new little cousin?" A feminine voice came from behind Samson, and when he turned to look, I could see Nayeli heading towards us. She looked more put together than usual in a pair of dark jeans and a crop top, but she still wore the same smile she had every time I'd seen her. She was one of the few people that I had a good time talking to since coming home to Crystal Creek, but we hadn't spoken for more than a few minutes. I tried to keep it at the forefront of my mind that she was in Samson's corner, but she was so friendly, and I was so starved for friendship that it was hard.

"We are," Samson confirmed, stepping to the side and allowing me a view of his cousin. Having some space from him made me feel like I could breathe again. "But I don't remember inviting you to the conversation."

"I have an open invitation," Nayeli quipped, coming to stand beside us. To my surprise, she linked her arm with mine. "Plus, it seemed like you were harassing my new friend Kiera here. I thought she might want some company."

My fondness for Nayeli grew tenfold in an instant. I had never thought that she and I would ever be friends. The most I'd expected was an ally, but this felt so much more real.

Samson didn't look angry or upset about our closeness, but the expression on his face did darken, "I'm not harassing her. She's my mate."

Nayeli's perfectly manicured brows arched up, "No? You sure?" When Samson didn't answer, only scowled, she started to pull me away. "Come on, Kiera. Let's go get some snacks before everyone turns into a wild beast."

I almost laughed when Samson let us go, not bothering to follow as Nayeli led me towards the fire. "I can't believe that worked."

"I don't buy into the men-rule-all bullshit the rest of the pack seems to love, and Sam knows better than to try and force it on me. Besides, I wanted to ask how you and Kit are doing without listening ears."

"Oh," I bit my lip and shrugged. "It's not horrible? Samson has been busy, which I like, so Kit and I get to just...be. He's kind of an asshole, but something tells me that's normal for him."

"That sounds about right, yeah. I wouldn't expect Sam to change his whole personality for you. At least he's giving you some space to adjust."

That was about as much as I was willing to hope for from the Alpha.

We joined the rest of the crowd that had formed near the fire. They all stood in small groups; some were dancing, but most were chatting with drinks in their hands. Nayeli asked about Kit, wanting to know if he was excited about his first day at school. Kit was with my coworker and Nayeli's friend, Gwen, a part-time waitress at the cafe that I got along with well. Knowing that Nayeli trusted her helped convince me to leave my boy behind, even if I didn't want to be at the cookout anyway.

Samson's cousin introduced me to a few members of the pack, and while they respected her for being Samson's cousin, it was clear a number of them found the quirky, non-submissive she-wolf strange. To Nayeli's credit, she didn't seem to mind anyone's opinion, and I found myself having a good time with her despite myself. She was a nice change from my normal social interactions in the pack, and being around her made it way easier to snag a few chicken kabobs, which were delicious.

As the evening grew darker and the moon higher, people began to drift away. Some of the pack left, going somewhere private to shift and celebrate in their own way, while others moved toward the edge of the trees. Nayeli had left to get us drinks a few moments ago, but she was taking longer than usual to return, and I was getting antsy. Samson was nowhere in sight; if I wanted to disappear, it would be the best time to do so.

Before I could make a move, the moon overhead hit its peak, and the shift began.

A pulse of something hit me, almost making me fall over from the impact of it. I gasped, bracing myself on the back of one of the empty chairs nearby to steady myself as a ripple of energy went through the pack. I didn't need to have a connection to the pack like they did to feel the change. All I needed to do was open my eyes, and I would see it for myself.

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