Page 51 of Rejected Bullied Mate

I knew what she really meant.

I'd missed her too. I'd missed her for years. But I couldn't tell her that. Not now. Not when there were still so many things between us that we hadn't addressed yet. So, instead, I just held her tight and breathed in her scent.

"You're here now," I murmured. "That's all that matters."

"Mhm," she hummed, nuzzling closer. "Stay with me tonight?"

"Of course," I whispered, pressing a kiss to her temple. I didn't bother to point out that she was in my bed. "Whatever you want."

"Anything?" She pulled back to look at me, a teasing glint in her eyes.

I chuckled, pressing a kiss to her sweet mouth. "Within reason, mate. Within reason."

Chapter 21 - Kiera

The bell above the door chimed, and I looked up from the succulent I was potting, expecting to see a customer. It was a Tuesday afternoon, which meant it was slow as hell, so I was about to jump at the opportunity to help someone.

Instead, I saw Samson, and my stomach did a little flip-flop.

Joe wasn't in the store often, so the place didn't reek of Alpha energy, but Samson's presence was quick to change that. I was surprised to find that I didn't consider his specific brand of Alphaness to be entirely unpleasant anymore. In fact, I loved it.

"Hey, handsome," I said, stepping out from behind the counter."What are you doing here?"

Samson stepped around a shelf of air plants, his hands in his pockets. He was dressed in a pair of faded jeans and a gray henley shirt that hugged his muscles perfectly. Lucky shirt. "I just came to check on you," he said, his voice low. "Make sure you are safe."

I raised an eyebrow. "Don't I have a protection detail for that?" Ever since the attack, Samson had wolves patrolling the street outside the shop almost constantly. It was annoying, but I understood. What we'd experienced was terrifying.

Samson smirked, leaning against the counter. His eyes darted toward the front door, and he lowered his voice. "You deserve the best."

"And I suppose that's you?"

He nodded, a playful gleam in his eye. "Of course. No one else is good enough."

I couldn't help the smile he pulled out of me. It was strange, flirting with Samson. I'd been attracted to him from the moment I laid eyes on him, but we'd always had such bad blood between us that I'd never thought I'd get to have a chance at being with him. Now, I belonged to him, and the ties that bound us together weren't chafing at all anymore.

Samson reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. His fingers lingered on my cheek, his thumb tracing along the line of my jaw. I shivered at the contact, eyes fluttering closed.

"So, you're off work now, right?" he asked.

I huffed. "You know good, and well, I'm not. I hung my schedule on the fridge. I'd like to believe that you can read."

Samson grinned, taking a step closer to me. He smelled like the forest cut through with a peppery note, his scent filling my lungs with every breath. "I can. I was just hoping to steal you away sooner."

It was tempting. Damn, it was really tempting. The store was empty, and I'd been a model employee. I wouldn't get in too much trouble...but no. My Alpha would have to be patient.

"You'll have to wait a few hours," I said, taking a step back. "I've got a few more things to do around here."

His arms wrapped around me, and he slid his nose over my scent gland, making my knees weak. "I could kill Joe. Would that change anything?"

I laughed, squirming out of his grip. "Joe's your friend. Don't ruin that for a few hours alone with me."

“You're right, even if I don't want you to be."

"I know," I teased, patting his cheek. "Why did you want me home so early anyway?"

Samson shrugged, finally giving up on his make-me-abandon-my-job seduction. "I thought we'd go on another date."

"Really?" I asked, fingers twirling the strings of my apron absently. "Just...out of nowhere?"

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