Page 23 of The Alpha's Forced Pregnant Mate

“No,” Laura screamed behind her gag, shaking her head as tears filled her eyes.

“Get her out of here,” I told Claudio. He grabbed Laura’s arm and lifted her roughly to her feet.

“If you hurt her,” she whispered, turning to me with fire in her eyes, “I will kill you.”

“Calm down, Sweetheart,” I said with a grin. “Laura won’t be hurt, as long as you stay true to your word. You run, and we release her. Easy.”

A million emotions played over her beautiful face, the firelight painting her pale skin in colors like a sunset. Whitney didn’t cry, but I could tell she was agonized. I briefly wished that it didn’t have to be this way, but the slight guilt was eclipsed by the fact that I was about to complete the mating ritual. Finally, finally, she would be mine.

“I hate you,” she said simply, undoing her blade belt and letting the weapons fall to the ground. “You might catch me, Julian Payne, but I’m not going to make it easy on you.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

With that, she sucked in a shaky breath, turned, and took off into the woods. I gave her the traditional ten count before taking off after her, my wolf snarling with excitement.

This was it. All I had to do was catch her. Catch Whitney, my mate, and make her mine.

Chapter 9 - Whitney

I couldn’t see the damned fire in the distance, and the magic of the mating ritual was so heavy in the air that my body was reacting even as my mind raged against the impossible position I’d been put into.

I would do anything for Laura, including sacrificing my freedom. But I wasn’t about to make it easy on Julian. No matter how much I wanted to jump his bones and feel him inside me, I knew that giving in to the desire would be the biggest mistake of my life.

My body ached with want for him, though. The scent of him filled my nose and made my blood sing as I ran through the forest, but there was no way in hell that I could give in to it. Julian was bad news, a criminal, and now my worst enemy. He had hurt my friend, trapped her, and used her as bait. I’d killed people for less.

So why did the idea of him catching me make my heart pound?

It was the mating magic, I told myself, pushing aside the fantasies of Julian’s strong body, his hands pinning mine down, and the look in his eyes when he saw me naked for the first time.

No, I couldn’t let him catch me. No matter how badly my body wanted it.

The moon was full and bright, but the trees were tall and thick and blocked out much of the light, so I could see little in front of me. I had three options and they all sucked—reach the fire and potentially be shunned, even if the ritual had been forced on me, fight him, maybe even to the death, or let him catch me, fight, but eventually give in to the bite. Only the last one guaranteed Laura’s freedom, but if I reached the fire maybe I’d have time to circle back and rescue my friend.

But Julian would be expecting that. The forest seemed to go on forever, but I knew that there was no way I would reach the fire. Even if I was allowed to shift, I’d never be able to outrun the massive wolf behind me, and the change would zap a massive amount of my energy.

I heard his footfalls coming up behind me, and I put on another burst of speed, my heart hammering in my chest. My legs were already burning with exertion, and I’d lost my bearings long ago. I had no idea where Laura was being held, or even which direction I needed to run to get back to the cabins.

If I gave in to the mating bond, would I really be so much worse off than I was now? It wasn’t as if my current position was ideal. I was living with the constant threat of death at my door. What if giving in to the bond meant more strength, more power, more ability to kill the demons and save my friends?

A mate bond would make me stronger and offer me more protection, there was no denying that. I’d receive some of Julian’s power and strength through it, and even if he was a new Alpha, the boost would be significant.

Maybe it didn’t have to be forever, maybe once the demon threat was handled Faye might be able to find some way to sever the ties—

Just then, Julian’s hand clamped down on my shoulder, his fingers biting into my skin as he pulled me to a stop.

“Got you,” he growled, pushing me up against a nearby tree.

I didn’t hesitate. I lashed out with my fists, slamming my elbow into his side, but he blocked it, shoving me hard against the trunk. “Let me go!” I hissed, trying to wriggle out of his grasp.

His breath was hot against my neck, and his hands went to the hem of my shirt, tearing it right down the middle. I kicked out, but he grabbed my leg and forced it down.

I twisted out of his grasp and spun away, my back slamming against the rough bark of another tree. “You don’t want this, Julian,” I warned him, my eyes scanning the ground for anything I could use as a weapon. “If you do this, we’re bound together for the rest of our lives. This is your last chance to back out.”

“I’ve never wanted anything more.” His voice was low and dark, the look in his eyes so hungry and feral that I felt my stomach flip-flop. He reached out and grabbed my wrist, yanking me against him so fast that I couldn’t stop myself from falling into his arms.

“Even if it makes me despise you?” I whispered, meeting his gaze. My heart was hammering in my chest, and my throat was dry, but my core ached with want. I could feel my panties growing damp as I pressed against his hard body, my breasts crushed against his chest.

“Even then,” he growled, grabbing the back of my neck and pulling my face up to meet his.

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