Page 25 of My Bad Boy Alpha

Once she finally calmed down, she lifted her head from my shoulder, stared up at me, and whispered, “Do you hate me?”

After setting her on the bed, I gently cupped her chin in my hand.“I could never.”

“But I?—”

“I.Could.Never,” I repeated.

She pressed her lips together and swallowed hard, nodding softly.“I’m s?—”

Before she could finish her sentence, I snapped her pretty mouth closed.“Stop apologizing for something that you haven’t done, especially willingly.You’re my mate and the luna of this pack.You need to be strong and confident in yourself.”

“That’s not who I am,” she whispered.

“Yes, it is.”

“No, it’s not.”

“You’re stronger than any she-wolf in my pack,” I said.

“You’re just saying that.”

“You were able to hold me back the first time I was about to attack Derrit,” I said, honestly never having felt that strength and that power before.If she worked on becoming stronger both mentally and physically, she’d be takingmeon soon.

I sank to my knees in front of her, my body between her legs and my arms on her thighs.“You’re stronger than you even imagine, Zuri.And one day, you’re going to have to come to terms with that.Do you understand me?”I asked, cupping her jaw.“It might not be today, but someday soon.”

Because soon, she would have to lead this pack while I went to war against Derrit.She needed to be strong for the wolves who stayed behind, for the children who would lose parents and loved ones, and for the family that I would give her before I left.

CHAPTERSEVENTEEN

ZURI

The next day,I stood somewhere in the forest that surrounded Durnbone with Maxine, Sina, Carve, and Stone.The guys chatted tensely with each other a ways away from us, Carve juggling his knives.

“I’m still so confused,” I whispered.“Are Stone and Carve really brothers?”

Sina furrowed her brow and glanced over at me.“Who said that?”

“Stone called Carve his brother the other day,” I said, watching Stone and Carve have the most intense conversation that I had seen.

Stone clenched his sharp jaw and shook his head, hands balled into fists.

“As far as I know, they aren’t brothers,” Maxine said.“Warriors who train and fight in battle together sometimes call each other that around here.And I think Carve fought alongside Stone in battle years ago.”

“Yeah,” Sina agreed.“I don’t know Stone well, but I thought he only had one brother.”

“Derrit?”

Maxine grimaced.“Derrit.Dirt.Same thing.Same person.”

“You both don’t like him either?”I asked.

“I used to work at the tavern downtown, and he would … visit a couple of years ago.”She shivered and looked toward the guys.“More than once, I had to close while he was still at the bar, drinking.”

Sina frowned.“From what I gathered, my mates don’t like him either.Especially Darius.”

“Darius?”Maxine questioned.“But he’s so nice.What did Derrit do to him?”

She shrugged.“I don’t know.He seemed pissed when Carve was talking to them last night about the coming war …” She glanced over at me.“And about what happened yesterday.That must’ve been so terrifying for you.”

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