ALPHA BIKER WHO CLAIMED HIS BROTHER'S MATE

8

MAYA'S POV:

The sound of Rafe’s motorcycle was the only thing loud enough to drown out the screaming questions in my head. I was plastered against his back, my fingers locked together over his stomach, holding on for dear life as he rode through the late-night traffic.

I was wearing his leather jacket, and it was huge on me. It smelled exactly like him—a little bit of cedar and that expensive tobacco. The wind whipped around us, but I was burning up. With every turn and gear shift, my chest pressed firmly against his muscular back. I felt a lot of things I shouldn’t feel, and it brought a lot of thoughts to my head. Thoughts no one should hear or could hear about.

Can he feel them? I asked myself as my breasts kept pressing into him. I squeezed my eyes shut, thanking the goddess that we weren't mind-linked like some wolves. If he could sense the traitorous way my body was reacting to him while I was simultaneously terrified of the monster inside me, I’d never hear the end of it.

To my left, Delinda rode her own bike with a reckless grace, her violet eyes fixated on the road. She looked at home in the chaos, and it made me wonder if I would ever be like her. I imagined myself riding on Rafe’s bike—or a bike of my own—in the near future.

“We are here,” Rafe said, cutting my thoughts short as we pulled up to the bikers’ quarters.

It was a sprawling compound that looked like a fortress of rust and iron. The exterior was plastered with graffiti and guarded by men who looked like they chewed glass for breakfast. Rafe stopped the bike, and the sudden silence rang in my ears.

He didn’t wait. He slid off the bike, reached back, and practically hauled me off by my waist. His hand lingered on my hips for a second longer.

“Stay close,” he growled.

He grabbed my hand like I was some kind of possession as we headed inside the club. The air inside was thick with the scent of stale beer, sweat, and maybe magic from stray witches like Delinda. It was packed. Every head turned as Rafe walked in. He was their boss, and it should be this way, but it made me shy, and I had to keep my head down.

He led me to a shadowed corner of the bar, away from the rowdier tables.

“Sit here,” he commanded, but his voice was low. “This side serves non-alcoholic drinks. Don’t speak to anyone unless they speak to you first. I’ll be quick.”

I nodded, feeling smaller than usual in his oversized jacket.

Delinda leaned against the bar next to me, watching Rafe’s retreating back with a smirk.

“Yep,” she muttered, loud enough for only me to hear. “Still definitely in love. Look at him—he’s practically marking his territory without even lifting a leg.”

Rafe ignored her, but I saw his jaw tighten. He gave me one last look before turning to head toward a back room to find what he was looking for.

“Hook the lady up with some lemonade,” Delinda said, reaching for her pocket and tossing the bartender some loose coins.

Then she patted me on the back like a kid before leaving.

The man behind the bar didn’t move for a long beat. He glared at me, his eyes flicking from my face to the jacket I was wearing. I knew that look. He had probably seen the headlines on Snapface about the omega who cheated on Jalen Cross, the Alpha of the pack. I could be a slut to them, but I didn’t care. I just wanted the cold drink to soothe the fire in my throat. I drained half the glass in one go, staring at the condensation.

I tapped my foot silently, looking at the door Rafe had disappeared through, hoping he would walk back out, but he never did.

“Hello there, beautiful,” I heard a thick voice say.

I looked to my right as a man slid onto the stool next to me, ordering a bottled lemonade of his own. He looked like he belonged here. There were scars across his knuckles and a predatory glint in his eyes.

“Hey,” I muttered, looking away.

“Pretty late for someone so pretty to be sitting out here all by herself,” he said, leaning into my space. “A girl like you shouldn’t be left unattended.”

I forced a smile at him as my heart began to pick up speed. “I’m not alone.”

His eyes darkened with interest, but I did not give him a name.

“Your man must be busy, and in this place, bad things could really happen to girls who don’t know their place. We share our women.”

The threat was thick in the air, and I felt disgusted at the last sentence. I didn’t like the way he was looking at me, and it made my skin prickle. I gulped down the rest of my lemonade, and the cold ran down to my fingers.

“I have to go,” I said, standing up abruptly.

I turned to walk toward the back where Rafe had gone, but I only made it three steps before a hand clamped around my wrist.

“I am talking to you!” he roared, his sudden rage vibrating through the bar.

Before I could scream, he lunged, shoving me hard against the wood-paneled wall. The impact knocked the breath out of me. He loomed over me, his face inches from mine, smelling of cheap gin.

“You aren’t even a biker,” he hissed, his grip tightening until I winced. “You’re probably just a stray omega wolf, and you have the nerve to disrespect me?”

He spun me around with a violent jerk, pinning my face to the wall. I felt his hand roam downward, his intentions turning sickeningly clear.

“Let’s see if you’re as loud in bed as you are with your disrespect,” he whispered into my ear.