Page 16 of Bite Me Alpha Cole

I laugh lightly, delighted.

“I mean I’d have moredecencythanthat,” Nadia snaps, throwing out a hand to the center of the camp where Rose and the rest of her group have disappeared. “What a prideless –“

“Oh, come on,” I say, shrugging, casual. “Rose just has a very particular verve for life. She’s fun.”

“She’s certainly got a verve for something,” Nadia growls, flicking her eyes deliberately up and down my body. “And I’m not sure it’slife, unless life is a six-five jackass with -”

I burst out laughing, not hearing the rest, tilting my head back to the sky as my shoulders and my chest shake with it.God, please don’t let her be funny, I think to myself, burying a hand deep in my wolf’s fur as he lets out another one of those long howls.If she’s funny too, I’ll never be able to survive this –

I clench my hand in my pocket, pulling myself together and returning my gaze to Nadia’s face. She’s taken up her favorite hobby again - glaring at me like she hopes I drop dead. I shake my head at her because that’s not happening anytime soon. Not while she’s in the world to keep things interesting.

“Do you want me to stay away from her, Nadia?” I lower my voice as I ask, my eyes moving over each of her features. Her vivid eyes, her pert nose, her mouth which I think is naturally red, like a berry.

She leans closer, rage radiating off her in a wave. “You can do whatever youwantwith her, Cole Kincaid,” she snaps, eyes flashing. “Pick her up and carry her around with her ass perched on your arm like some kind of deranged blonde parrot all day, for all I care.”

I grin.

“Aw come on, Nadia,” I murmur, leaning closer like it’s a secret. “I thought getting picked up and carried around wasourthing.”

She flashes her teeth at me for a moment, staring at me like she wishes all the horrible things imaginable would happen to me all at once. And then she turns, sharp, and storms away.

I sigh, watching her go, well aware that my wolf has collapsed into a puddle of fur in my soul, his tongue lolling, panting like he’s just run a race.She’s so great. She’s so pretty. She’s so ferocious. Let’s go chase her down and mark her right now -

But I just sigh, watching as Nadia wraps her hand around her brown-haired friend’s elbow, tugging on it and clearly begging her to go back to the tent with her.

No, I say with a sigh, nudging my wolf with a foot.We upset her. We went too far. We…have to be better.

My wolf howls, sullen.But she’s so pretty when she’s all pissed off.

She’s our mate, I snarl, giving him another nudge, guilt pulsing through my veins as my heartbeat begins to slow.Doesn’t matter what we like. She comes first and we acted poorly tonight. Selfish.

My wolf sighs and picks himself up, admitting that I’m right and willing himself to behave better in the future.

I watch as Nadia and her friend start through the woods, that nice Shayne girl turning and then following after them. A little peace settles in my soul at the sight, because even if she hates me right now – and perhaps rightfully so – it does my heart good to know that Nadia’s at least got some good friends by her side.

Nadia

I frown as I wake, confused, because the light on my eyelids – and the noise –

My eyes blink open and I sit up, disoriented for a second. But then I realize that I’m not at home, or in my dorm room at school. That I’m in this stupid tent with twenty other nurses, which means I may never sleep properly again…

“Morning, Nadi,” Grace says. I turn to see her smiling softly, rubbing one eye, peering at me with the other. “Did you sleep okay?”

I sigh, wrapping my arms around my legs and resting my head down on my knees. “Not really.”

She purses her mouth together in pity, perfectly aware of why I didn’t.

Shayne groans, pulling her pillow over her head. “Would you two please shutup!”

We both turn to her and I can’t help but smile as I pull my pillow from behind my back, throwing it at her. She gives a shriek of outrage but does not emerge.

“Your fault, Shay,” Grace calls, grinning over at our friend. “Wetoldyou not to go back out last night.”

“But they’re so cuttte,” she groans. I laugh a little, remembering the moment last night when my friend stumbled in quite late, most of her tequila stash gone.

“Are they all in love with you, Shaney?” I ask, genuinely curious.

“Of course they are,” she sighs. “But theywon’tbe if I arrive at breakfast all haggard –“

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