Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 70338 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70338 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
I don’t. I definitely don’t.
My brain whirls as I try to figure my way out of this. The truth is–I don’t know what happened. I don’t know what keeps drawing me to the Sterling mansion—the opulent monstrosity on Moongaze Hill that abuts pack land and has a view of our roaming ground. The house where Lauren and her twin moved for their senior year.
It doesn’t make sense that my wolf would be fascinated by a human.
All I know is I saw the ice princess from Manhattan—my stuck-up lab partner in chemistry—standing topless in her window.
Yes, topless.
I saw her gorgeous breasts, and I was unable to move or look away.
And then I realize–that’s the answer. The plain truth, minus the part where I lost control, and my wolf lunged for her.
“I’m sorry, sir—I don’t know what happened. I guess it was the hormones. I saw her naked in the window—”
“Naked?” My dad interrupts in disbelief.
“Yes, sir. She came to the window naked, and I don’t know what happened. It must’ve been the full moon bringing on my alpha aggression. The next thing I knew I had lunged at the window. But I wasn’t attacking her. I mean, I never meant to. I wouldn’t hurt a human.”
I might want to hold this particular one down and do dirty things to her, but I’m not going to tell my dad and the pack elders that.
“I see.” The boot shifts from my throat to my chest, and I drag in a full breath. Some of the tension and blast of judgment leaves Alpha Green. “Hormones can do that to an alpha.” There’s a note of pride in his tone. Like we’re talking, one alpha to another.
Suddenly, he’s my mentor instead of a punisher.
“Son, you need to work some of that hormonal aggression out on the football field. Or if you need to get with a few human girls–not when the moon is full, of course–just to release some of your pent-up frustration–then you do it. Using protection, of course. Doesn’t Coach Jamison talk to you boys about that sort of thing?”
“Yes, sir. Absolutely. But I don’t need to f– get with a human. I’ve got things under control.”
My dad would never forgive me for fucking a human. My whole life he’s been telling my brother Austin and me we have to secure and maintain the position as alpha of our classes, so we can mate the female alpha. Ensure the family defect is never passed on.
“Do you, son? It doesn’t seem that way from where I’m standing.”
“Yes, sir. I don’t know what happened tonight, but I swear it won’t happen again.”
“Make sure it doesn’t,” Alpha Green instructs. The boot eases back a little more.
“I will, sir.”
Alpha Green removes his boot from my chest. “Now get up and get dressed. I’ll sort out your problem with Sheriff Gleason.”
“Thank you, sir. I’m sorry for the trouble I caused you and the pack.”
I get up and give a dog-like shake before turning on my heel and walking out of the pack office.
My friends, Asher, J.J., Markley, and Sebs wait for me in the locker room. They’re already dressed, and they’re screwing around, playing the game where they throw a football as hard as they can at the other guy’s face.
All four of them look at me expectantly, but I shake my head. No way I’m saying anything while still on pack property. Every shifter here has superhuman hearing, and no conversation goes undetected.
Of course, they all want to know what happened. I disappeared on the pack run, and when they came back, I was in the alpha’s office.
I throw on shorts and a T-shirt, stuff my feet in a pair of flip-flops and head out to the dirt parking lot where my Range Rover is parked. The five of us pile in, and I start the truck. As soon as the last door slams shut, they’re all talking at once.
“What up, Abe?” Markley croons from the front passenger seat.
“We heard you were at the Sterling mansion, supposedly attacking the Ice Princess. What did you do to her?” J. J. wants to know. He’s the nice guy in our school pack. Senior Class President. Mr. Social. The guy I wish I could be. The guy I would be if I didn’t have to maintain my position as alpha–a requirement set by my dad, not me.
“Tell me she was screaming because you finally got the frigid bitch—”
My wolf snarls. Before I can stop myself, I swing my arm sideways to slam my fist into the center of Markley’s chest for disrespecting her.
Fuck.
Why would my wolf want to protect this human? She’s never been anything but a snob to me.
Markley wheezes at the impact. “Sorry, bro.”
In the rearview mirror, I see J.J. and Sebs exchange a look that makes me want to throat-punch both of them. I showed too much.