Page 35 of Bite Me Alpha Cole

Anger swells in me, vivid and bright, and for the first time in my life, I wish I had fangs of my own.

But not to extend – to fucking bite her with.

“Those are vulnerable people!” I growl, pointing over at the small fire. “And you’re out here takingpicturesof them for your own damned greedy article or whatever it is you’re doing out here –“

Rose gasps, offended, holding the camera close as she steps away. “I am aseriousjournalist! This is important information that the people of Clythera have a right to! It can do a great deal of good to bringawarenessto these people’s plight!”

“It is going to do Ivy and Jade absolutelynogood to flash their faces over some magazine as part of a sob story!”

“Ivy and Jade,” Rose says, leaning towards me, her brows knitted together. “Great. Glad I’ve got somenamesfor my caption now. Any surname you’d like to share?”

My eyes flash.

This girl is…

Well. She is damned lucky I can’t grow claws.

“Delete thefuckingpictures, Rose,” I snarl, leaning toward her, not evenconsideringthe fact that this girl could shift into her wolf and tear me to shreds at a thought.

“No way!”

“Do it! You don’thavetheir consent!”

Cole steps forward, his mouth open, sticking a hand between us, but I smack it away.

“I don’tneedtheir consent,nurse,” Rose says, smooth and condescending, crossing her arms and glaring at me. “I have eyes, I have a camera – I have arightto take pictures of whatever Iwant–“

I blink at her because…is that true?

“You’re on ethically shaky ground, Rose,” Cole says, his voice low with warning. We both look at him. He shakes his head. “You may be able to take the photos, but you wouldn’t want to print them if it brought pain or stress to your subjects.”

“Those two women are suffering one of the hardest days of their lives,” I snap, building on Cole’s argument. “And you want to take advantage of their pain and their confusion? Delete the photos!”

“No!”

“Delete it!”

“Godie,you –“

Cole snarls, cutting Rose’s words short. She stares up at him, totally shocked. He stands silently for a long moment, baring his teeth at the girl.

“Delete the photograph, Rose.” His voice rumbles low, thick with command.

Rose scoffs, stumbling back a step, realizing that she doesn’t even have her boyfriend to protect her anymore. “I have arightto be here and to document the goings-on of this camp, Cole. Yourdadgave me express permission.”

“And he will back me,” Cole says, taking a step towards her, clearly letting her know who is in charge, “if I tell him that you’re detrimental to our efforts. And Iwilltell him that if you don’tlistento the experts in command. This is a military operation, Rose – you don’t have carte blanche to do what you want.”

Her mouth falls open and I wonder if anyone, ever, has put her in her place like this.

Cole raises his eyebrows and then looks to me. I nod to him, letting him know I’m sure.

He moves his eyes back to her. “Delete the pictures, Rose.”

She stares between us for a moment, and then her teeth flash as she realizes she’s lost this battle.

Chapter 19 – To Know

Nadia

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