Page 1 of Forced Alpha Bride
Chapter 1 - Winnie
Afternoon light flickers through the leaves above my head, making dappled shadows across the dark wood picnic table. A swift, chill breeze lifts my hair off my neck, and I shiver as I’m reminded that night is coming soon.
And I’m going to bed alone. As usual.
I look up from my plate, eyes following Galen and Nico as they play in the far corner of the yard. Clara is not far away, sitting in the grass and watching them as she enjoys the sunlight. I lean forward to prop my chin in my hand, and a deep, rattling sigh rumbles through my chest.
“Dear God, girl, are we keeping you up?” Mother asks.
Fuck, I forgot she was there!
“Sorry, Mom,” I said. “Just tired.”
“It doesn’t sound like you’re tired. It sounds like you’ve got the weight of the world on top of you. Do you want to talk about it?”
Yes.
“No,” I said instead. “It’s okay, Mom.”
She goes quiet, and I’m forced to look up at her so I can try to gauge her mood by her expression. Her eyes are narrowed with a suspicious glare, and her lips press together as she nibbles her lip.
“Don’t try to figure me out, Mom.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t dare,” she chuckles. “I stopped trying when you were about fourteen. The only thing I’m trying to figure out is how long it’s going to be before you crack and go on a serious date.”
“Mom!”
“Oh, come on. We both know it’s true. Seeing your brother settle down has affected you, hasn’t it?”
I let out another long sigh, and Mother chuckles.
“You can say you don’t want to talk,” she says, “but those sighs speak volumes.”
“Okay, look,” I sigh. “It has affected me. They just look so happy. We went over to Cyan Lock last week, and I saw Kit with Lexa. Matches made by Iris Porter seem to be… I don’t know, magical.”
Mom nods, smiling as her gaze follows Nico and Galen around the yard. “I have to admit, I wasn’t thrilled about this initially. It was a relief when Clara left town, because we all wanted him to marry into the first families. It was a shock to see her return. After I got to know Nico, though, and I saw the change in Galen… well. I couldn’t be happier.”
I nod slowly, not looking over at her. The tangle of problems Clara and Galen had to deal with just to be together isn’t something I want to get into right now. I still don’t like how my family treated Clara back in high school. My mother wasn’t innocent in that, either.
When she reaches over and touches my hand, I jump so high, I almost land on the table.
Mother chuckles softly. “Jumpier than usual?”
“Yeah, Mom. Sorry.”
“I’m not going to tell you what to do, but I can’t handle another family gathering where you just stare miserably at Clara and Galen and sigh like an old workhorse. I know you’ve had trouble finding a steady boyfriend—”
“Enough, Mom,” I grumble, my cheeks burning red.
“—so maybe Porter’s is exactly what you need to find the right man.”
“Stop, please,” I groan, my chest closing as the breath is forced out of my lungs.
I love my Mom, but I’m not talking to her about this.
The icy breeze whispers through the leaves again, making the light dance across the table and cooling my cheeks. There’s a reason why I’ve never dated seriously, and I’ve never revealed it to anyone except Krista.
I have complete and utter sexual dysfunction. I’m dead on a sensory level. Ultimate ice queen, destined for a life of celibacy.
