Page 13 of Forced Alpha Bride
“Just what?” I ask anxiously. I find her dreamy calm far more unsettling than her anger or even her fear.
“I want to ask Iris a couple of things,” she says casually. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Winnie gets up and walks away slowly. I watch her go. Since the picnic tables are a short distance away, I don’t worry too much.
She probably just wants to check the details… like if she has to sleep with me.
The thought hits me like a ton of bricks. Even while I was checking her out, I didn’t think about the reality of actually having sex with her. For a moment, I’m so excited that I can barely breathe.
It doesn’t matter what’s in Iris’s contract—everyone knows there has to be consummation by the first full moon after the ceremony, or it means bad luck for the entire Range!
I try to swallow down my excitement, but my mind is full of images of Winnie—her plump little curves, bouncy breasts, and bow-shaped red mouth. I can feel her silky, pink-tinted skin under my rough hands as I take her, squeezing her soft body against my hard muscles.
I blink hard, trying to bring myself back to reality. It takes a few long, slow breaths before I can get the images out of my mind and start to calm myself down. Suddenly, I realize how much time has passed.
Where is she?
I get up and race around the fountain, bolting for the picnic tables. Even from a distance, I can see all of them are empty.
Fuck!
I spin around, my keen eyes checking out every corner of the park. There’s no one here. No Iris, and definitely no Winnie.
She’s running!
The thought sends a bolt of pure terror through my blood. On the surface, it’s about losing my position and how much I need Winnie if I’m going to keep it. Far beneath that, there is a part of me that cracks and falls apart at the idea of never seeing her again.
A part of me I’ve kept hidden, and for good reason.
“Winnie!” I call, knowing it’s useless. I pull out my phone and text Iris, but I’m not surprised when she doesn’t reply.
Then, a movement at the corner of my eye grabs my attention. It’s a little car racing out of the parking lot and onto the main road. With the town locked down, there’s only one person it could possibly be.
Winnie.
I don’t even bother to go for my car. I just strip, shift, and start chasing after her.
Run if you like, sweet thing. You won’t get far.
Chapter 5 - Winnie
I can’t marry him!
The thought beats over and over again in my mind, pounding into my temples with every hard thump of my heart. I can barely keep my cool as I walk slowly around the fountain, desperate not to freak out.
It’s okay. All I have to do is explain to Iris what’s happening, and she’ll dissolve the contract. Maybe she didn’t know about his reputation. It’s not the kind of thing he’d share.
As I get to the other side of the fountain, I realize all the picnic tables are empty. My calm cracks like thin ice on a frozen pond, and I bolt into the trees, looking around wildly.
Where is she?
Pulling out my phone, I send her a quick text, but I know there won’t be a reply. Galen didn’t go into a lot of detail about his experience, but he did tell me Iris just disappeared after the match was made.
The same thing happened to Lexa and Kit. Maybe she’s just a dodgy business.
Even though I’d like to believe that, there are too many success stories rippling through the rumor mill. Images of Galen and Clara dance through my mind, then Lexa and Kit, and my heart hurts.
Maybe she just made a mistake this time. Happens to everybody, I guess.
