Page 62 of Brutal Alpha's Sold Mate
Then I catch a trace of her scent on the breeze. My entire body goes rigid. Could it be? I set the coffee down and step awayfrom the porch. My wolf perks up, ears almost pricking as if to confirm.
And then she’s there, standing beside my old, beat-up pick-up truck. My breath hitches, and my heart pounds in disbelief. She came after all.
She clears her throat, looking like she’s unsure whether to stand tall or shrink back. “We need to talk,” she says, voice laced with something I can’t quite define.
I stare at her as every emotion comes flooding back, leaving me dizzy with relief, regret, and a spark of hope I dare not allow to ignite.
Chapter 25 - Kai
I’m not here to make small talk, so I blurt out what brought me back. “The alphas want an alliance. River Valley, Red Arrow, East Hills—they all see what you did for us. They’re grateful and think we should unite for whatever comes next, especially regarding the demons.”
Theo stands in front of his cabin, a cautious look etched on his face. I watch his posture—tense but curious—while my wolf nudges me to get it all out fast. He moves his gaze over me, like he’s trying to decide if I’m really here for a formal pitch or something more.
“That’s what brought you all the way from East Hills to my place?” he asks. “A political offer? You could’ve sent a messenger for that.”
I draw a long breath, hating how my pulse leaps with every word he says. “Yes and no. They sent me because I know you best. And because,” I pause, swallowing, “I volunteered.”
His brows lift. “You volunteered to be my messenger?”
I force my voice to steady. “They want you to stick around, to team up once we track down the main source of these demons. A bigger threat is brewing, and they figure a united front is smarter than acting alone. You did save a lot of shifters’ lives, after all, taking down Malcolm and Wiley’s operation.”
He shifts his weight from foot to foot, keeping his eyes on the ground. “Right. I appreciate the invitation. But is that all?” He hesitates for a beat. “Or did you come for another reason?”
My wolf huffs inside me. I realize I’m about to show every piece of my heart, and I have no idea how this is going to go. “I love you, Theo.” The words shake loose from somewhere deepin my chest, and once they’re out, it feels as though I can finally breathe after days of suffocating. “I tried to ignore it, tried to believe you’d never listen to me. But losing you… it hurt more than I can describe. I couldn’t stay away.”
He stares, speechless, and my heart threatens to leap right out of my throat. “I was afraid you’d changed your mind,” I continue. “About what you said before, I mean. About loving me.”
His expression shifts from guarded to something much warmer. In the next instant, he closes the distance and gathers me into his arms, holding me so tight that it almost hurts. “Of course I haven’t changed my mind, Kai. I miss you. I left because I wanted you to be free. I knew I’d drag you into my war with Reed and Jacob, or bury you under my pack’s endless problems. It killed me to walk away.”
My eyes sting. “I realized my freedom doesn’t mean anything if I’m miserable. I felt more alive with you, even when you were driving me nuts.”
He laughs, a broken, relieved sound. “I’m not interested in that old conquering plan anymore, if that’s what you’re worried about. Watching how we all came together against those demons changed my perspective. I’d rather form a real alliance than risk everything over a sibling feud.”
I pull back just enough to see his face. “Really? No more single-minded campaign to subdue your brothers?”
He shakes his head. “I see the bigger picture. My pack will be stronger with allies, not conquered neighbors. We’ll find a different path.”
My chest feels lighter than it has in weeks. “That’s what I hoped you’d say.”
A faint grin tugs at his lips. “But I do have other ideas. Better ones, I promise.” He entwines his fingers with mine. “Starting with bringing you back to my cabin.”
A little thrill zips up my spine. I let him guide me toward the cabin’s worn front door, a place I once thought was too rustic for me. Now, it feels like coming home. We step inside, and memories flood me: cooking together, sparring in the yard, sneaking glances over the table when we were too stubborn to talk.
He closes the door behind us, then turns, pressing me against the wooden frame in one swift motion. Our lips meet, and everything else fades. My fingers tangle in his hair, pulling him closer, hungry for the taste I convinced myself I’d never have again. He holds me like I’m the only thing that matters. I realize that this is what I wanted all along: to stand at his side, forging a new direction neither of us could have imagined before.
Our kiss deepens, and the fire between us ignites. In one motion, he picks me up, cradling me against his broad chest. I wrap my legs around him as he carries me up the stairs and into his bedroom. He sets me down gently, then strips his shirt over his head, revealing the muscles I spent so many days dreaming of.
I strip off my own shirt, savoring the look in his eyes. Then I pull him close and lose myself in his kiss, his touch, his everything.
He guides me onto the bed, tracing his fingertips across every inch of skin, and it takes every ounce of my self-control not to pounce on him and beg him to take me. His dark gaze burns with hunger as he peels my pants off. He takes his time, worshipping every curve, until I’m practically pleading.
His smirk tells me he knows exactly what he’s doing, but he gives in, slipping off the last of his clothes. He crawls up the bed, covering my body with his own, and I can feel how ready he is. “I missed you,” he rumbles, and the depth of feeling in his words makes me shiver.
“I’m right here,” I tell him, and he presses a trail of kisses from my mouth to my jaw, all the way down to my hips. His tongue flicks across my skin, teasing, then his fingers spread me apart, and the world stops. I gasp as his tongue darts inside me, circling, tasting, sending shockwaves of pleasure through my entire body.
I dig my nails into his back, moaning his name as he works his magic. He slides one hand under my ass, lifting me higher, and his tongue moves faster, more insistent. My breaths turn to panting gasps as heat rises inside me. He grips my thighs, keeping me spread wide, and I lose control. My back arches, and an explosion of ecstasy rips through me, leaving me limp.
He pulls back, smirking. “Don’t tell me you’re done already?”
