Page 44 of Rejected Bullied Mate

Samson nodded, giving me a slight smile. He didn't even look nervous, damn him. "Yes, I want you to decide what to do about these four. If you don't want to, though, I'll—"

I shook my head, "No, I want to..." I searched his face, so sure that I would find some sort of animosity there. Like he was waiting for me to mess up, so he could put me back in my place.

Instead, Samson's expression was entirely genuine. He really did want me to make the call, right there in front of a good portion of his pack. I swallowed, nerves tangling with the restless heat simmering beneath my skin. This was terrible timing—I was already feeling unstable, my emotions unpredictable. But I couldn’t back down now. When would this opportunity come up again?

Okay. I could do this. Omegas helped their Alphas all the time, just usually more behind the scenes. Or quietly, standing behind them. Not at their sides, like Samson did now. I thought about Nayeli and how she yearned for equality in the pack. Then I thought about Kit and how I didn't want him raised in a pack where women were only as important as their partners were.

I could do this.

I looked at the two parties over—Mason, who was spilling over with dark, dominant energy, desperate to be in charge. Then, the bully trio, hurt and tired, who had put their pride aside to ask me for help, but who still had a long way to go if they wanted to ditch their abysmal reputation. I needed to be fair but not violent in my judgment. Samson was my brawn, and he needed me to be the brains.

The answer came easily once I thought about it that way. Taking a breath, I squared my shoulders. “Mason needs an outlet for all that dominance. Instead of letting him take it out on others, he should be responsible for training younger wolves. Teach them discipline, control. If he wants respect, he should earn it by helping the pack, not by pushing others down.”

A murmur rippled through the gathered wolves. Mason stiffened, glaring at me, but I pushed forward. “And Pete, Curt, and Francine—they’re always looking for an easy target. They need to learn what it’s like to care for someone other than themselves. They can help the elders with daily tasks for the next few weeks. Maybe then they’ll understand what real strength looks like.”

Silence. Heavy, choking silence. Had I messed up? Been too soft? Gone too far? Egged on by my rising emotions, heat pumped through me, making me dizzy and hot all over. It was the worst possible time. I should have just let Samson handle it—

Then, my mate stepped forward, his hand coming to rest on the back of my neck, a warm lifeline. "You heard her." His voice was unshakeable. "What Kiera says goes."

I looked up at him in shock, but Samson just smirked at me before turning his gaze towards his pack, "And that's final. If you don't like it, you can leave."

With that, he started walking away, not waiting for them to follow. I scrambled after him, not sure what had just happened, but also too tired to question it. My whole body felt heavy from the magic I'd used, and I was desperate for someplace dark and cool to hide in. Preferably curled up against Samson, the only person on the planet who could calm my heat.

"Are you alright?" Samson asked, pulling me closer. I hadn't realized how hard I was panting until he put his arm around me, his big body shading me from the sun. "You look pale."

"I'm...fine," I managed. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the truth either.

The truth was that I needed a knot, and I needed one now. But I couldn't tell Samson that. Even though I knew he wanted me, it wouldn't be right to just use him. Especially since he had no idea why I was so needy, and I refused to tell him.

"Well, we'll get you home, and then you can rest," Samson said. He looked concerned, his eyes searching mine for something I couldn't place. I knew my eyes were getting brighter by the second, though, and I ducked my head in embarrassment.

"Yeah, that sounds good," I mumbled, and Samson tightened his arm around my shoulders. It felt like he was trying to give me a comforting hug, which I appreciated, but it also made my insides clench. I leaned into him, trying to take deep, calming breaths as we drove home, barely believing what had just happened.

He supported me and told the pack that my opinion mattered. Not just a woman, but an Omega. It was unheard of, but for me, Samson had broken the mold.

Back at the house, I could barely walk the short distance from the driveway to the front door. I was already slick, and while Samson's hand around my waist kept the pain at bay, the lust was a different story. Once we were inside, he turned to me and dragged his knuckles over my cheekbone.

"I'm proud of you, you know. You did a damn good job back there, Kiera."

I swallowed, my throat dry, face flushed. "You've got to stop being so sweet to me, or I'm going to lose it."

When he smiled, it was wicked, and I knew that Samson must have been able to scent the intensifying of my heat long before we got inside. "Maybe that's my plan."

I couldn't help but smile back, and the tension in my stomach unraveled a little bit. I'd never known a side of Samson like this, and it made my insides warm in a way that had nothing to do with my heat. I could feel myself leaning into his touch, wanting more of it.

And that's when it hit me. The full force of my heat slammed into me, and I staggered back, falling into the wall with a groan.

Samson was there in a second, his body pressing me up against the cool surface of the wall. "I've got you, Kiera," he murmured, and his voice was so deep and soothing that my eyes rolled back in my head. His hand slid down to my waist, pulling me closer, and I could feel his cock pressing into my stomach. It was big, and I wanted it inside of me so bad that I almost begged for it.

"You're so good to me," I whispered, my hands coming up to wrap around his neck. Samson's lips curved in a smile, and I was just about to pull him down to kiss me when he bent his head and sucked my earlobe into his mouth, making me shiver. He chuckled, low and deep, his hands sliding under my ass and lifting me up so that our faces were level.

I wrapped my legs around his waist, feeling the thick length of his cock against my core. I hummed with need, grinding against him. "Samson...please."

"Hold onto me," he rumbled, "I'm taking you to the bed this time. We've got all night."

Chapter 18 - Samson

Kiera weighed nothing to me as I carried her to my bedroom, but I'd never had anything more important in my arms. She smelled like heat and sun-warmed lemons, and I wanted to bury myself in her, taste every inch of her skin.

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