BETA: Her Alpha(5)

Jealousy hits me all over again as I think about him finding his mate. What if he meets his damsel in distress while like this? They’d kiss in the rain, dropping the umbrella because they’re so consumed with their kiss that they don’t care about getting wet. It was displayed in all those movies Cat and I watch and in all those Harlequin romances she lends me to read. My feelings are irrational along with my hatred for that future Mrs. Erik Smith. That’s it. I’m nuts about someone who isn’t even my mate. Shaking it off, I evaluate his appearance, hoping to find a flaw but I can’t.

He’s such a good looking man—built and all masculine. I think if he was a normal human, he would have women gracing his bed every night. All the women that pass through town always flirt with him. If he could fuck anyone, he probably would. Unfortunately for his personality, he’s shifter and can only fuck his fated mate. I try to shake it off again before he notices I’m upset.

“Hey, kitten, do you have enough shoes? I’m glad you’re not my mate. I don’t think I could afford your fancy heel collection,” he jokes, but I don’t find it funny as he points to my pile of extra shoes in my back seat. It hurt my feelings, but I can’t cry. I’m the sister of the Alpha and a grown woman. He looks at me after pulling my briefcase out of the back, and he understands I’m not happy.

“Damn it, kitten. Did I say something wrong?” I can see that he’s pained to know I’m hurt, but I can’t comprehend his pain when I hurt, too.

“No, you’re just being your usual arrogant self. I don’t want to mate with you either.” It’s not a nice thing to say and a complete lie, but my words are a challenge to him.

“Kitten, you’re lucky we’re not mates because I would be punishing you daily for that mouth of yours,” he snarls before he takes my things and dumps them angrily into the trunk. “Let’s go, Miss Grey. I don’t want you to miss your chance to meet your mate.”

“Don’t be a dick. You started it first,” I swore. I hate when he’s mean to me.

“Come on, Chloe. I’m sure you’re not the only one going to be stranded today.” I got into the squad car with him without another word.

When he drops me off in the front of the main building under the large protective valet area, I just wave him off. He waves back and leaves me standing in front of my big brother who meets me outside.

“What happened? Did you get stranded?” Hunter says, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

“Just about. He thought it was safer for me just to get a lift from him than try to make it in my car.”

“That’s good. We’ll get your car tomorrow,” he says before he walks me into the hotel like he’s got to protect me. My big brother’s a strong and powerful Alpha but still treats me like a delicate princess.





Chapter 4


The weather is making a marked improvement just as I leave the hotel. I guess she could have drove herself. I pull over to the side of the road to check on her vehicle. I notice she didn’t lock her car door, so I look inside to make sure everything is there. I think I just need an excuse to touch something that belongs to her. She has a light sweater resting on the back of her seat, and I snatch it up and press it to my nose.

“Fuck me,” I growl. I managed to piss her off, even though it wasn’t my intention. It’s never my intention, but I get so carried away with jealousy that I can’t contain the bile. Telling her I thought she was too skinny was an asshole thing to say, and a complete fucking lie. I love her body. If I was lucky enough to be her mate, I’d be in carnal bliss—pure heaven. The problem is we’re not fated to mate.

We’ve been fighting like cats and dogs for the past month or so. I know it’s my fault—again. We’ve called a truce at least ten times since we met because in truth we have a hard time staying away from each other.

I wanted to bite my own tongue off for telling Chloe that I don’t want her because of her shoe collection. What an idiot! She’s my obsession, the reason I smile. I know she hates me now…but maybe it’s for the best; she belongs to someone else. I’m irrationally jealous of this mysterious shifter who’s going to make love to her in every filthy and loving way. I used to watch porn because I wanted to learn for when I finally met my mate, but now I can’t even consider it. Visions of Chloe with a man that isn’t me get into my head. The more I think about her future life, the more irrational and angry I get. I’m getting to the point that my behavior is erratic and cruel. One second, I’m cool, fun, and playful with her. The next second, I’m rude, hot-headed, and cold.

I hate ever being rude to Chloe, but constantly being this close to her is destroying my sanity. I’m in love with her, but I don’t understand how it’s possible. If she was my mate, we would’ve gone at it once we scented each other, but we’ve known each other for over a year. Every single day, I battle with the choice of holding her close or pushing her away. I want to kiss her soft pink, glossy lips, but I know it would be wrong. She doesn’t belong to me. Her beautiful emerald eyes will brighten with hunger for someone else one day.

I growl at the thought of her finding her mate. Every time the subject comes up, I turn into a complete asshole. I know she will get mad at me for it, but it sucks to look at her long blonde hair and not be able to run my fingers through it. Whenever I see her I’m looking for a way to please her, but it’s been the opposite. I swear today she was on the verge of tears.

How much longer am I going to keep dealing with this is a mystery to me. I want to run from her, yet I want to chase after her. This fate thing is fucked up. She should be mine. I’m already twenty-eight and she’s twenty-four, making both of us past the start of mating age. In fact, we’re past our prime. We should have found our mates by now. That’s why I need to leave her, but every time I see her it gets harder and harder to do.

Today has been the hardest day yet. She looked so perfect in the coffee shop and I teased her for no real reason other than I couldn’t be with her like I wanted to be. Then seeing her on the side of the road—stranded—it angered me that I wasn’t the one for her. I should be her protector and hero.

Her shoes were just an excuse to push her away, but I didn’t expect her to toss out that she didn’t even want me as her mate. It burns just to even think about it.





“This place is sweet! Did you see all the hot men living in this town?” I hear some regular human whores talking about the men here.

“Hell, yeah! The sheriff…yum. I want to be arrested. I think I should steal something so he could pin me to his patrol car and frisk me.” I’m ready to howl in jealous rage. She’s talking about my Erik.

“Me, first. I’d like him to cuff me and take me wherever he’d like. Um…against his squad car.” I glare at them. I’m getting angrier and angrier by the moment.

“Did you see the owner? He’s hot, too. They’re tall, like really tall, but they don’t look bad. Sexy men that are itching to have their hands on some hot California pussy.” Oh, hell, no. Those broads are talking about my brother.

“We should try to talk to them, but the owner’s married.” At least one of them isn’t a complete whore.

“Who cares? I’ve seen her; she’s nothing special. I’m sure he’d enjoy a change in scenery.” They both start laughing. Fucking human sluts.

Hoping not to shift and rip their heads off, I step away from the hostess with whom I was discussing a dinner party for some special guests. It’s one thing to hit on a single man, but my brother is taken, and that’s something that I’m going to have to deal with. Just as I’m about to confront those bitches and escort them out of my family hotel, my sister-in-law walks right past me and up to the whores. I’m on her tail because shit’s about to go down.

“Excuse me, ladies. I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation, and I wanted to give you some advice. When you’re thinking about going after someone’s husband, make sure his wife can’t hear you. If either of your ugly, fake-ass heifers even approach my husband, I will make sure you never walk again.”

One of the whores stands up and gives Cat an arched brow. “Is that a threat?”

“No, you tramp. That’s a fucking promise.” I grab her arm before she loses it and jumps across the table.

The other one takes a drink, then warns, “Can’t keep your husband from all temptation, you know.”

Cat speaks through gritted teeth. “I know there are women who claim they’re temptation, but I know my husband, and he’d have no interest. So if I were you, I’d make your stay short. And if the sheriff wanted you, you’d know. Now get out of my face, and my hotel.”

We both walk out of the restaurant laughing. Damn, I’m proud of her for standing her ground even though we both know no one will ever attract Hunter. Now, Erik isn’t taken yet, but if he wanted to mate with one of them, they’d know. Thankfully he didn’t.

Just as we head to my office, Hunter walks quickly up to us and tosses Cat over his shoulder and carries her to their suite they christened where I’m sure he’ll deal with her the same way he does every day.