ALPHA BIKER WHO CLAIMED HIS BROTHER'S MATE

19

RAFE’S POV:

The morning light was an unwanted intrusion, filtering through the curtains and hitting my face. I shifted, my arm feeling a heavy, warm weight that made my wolf purr with a satisfaction I hadn't felt in years. I opened my eyes to see Maya.

She was curled into my side, her breathing deep and even. The scent of our shared night was everywhere. Thinking of it made my heart skip a beat. I had crashed in her bed last night after what we had. She made me vulnerable in a dangerous way. This wasn’t what I wanted, and I knew I had to leave before she would wake up and get the wrong impression.

I wanted to stand up, but she shifted instantly. That movement alone made my heart warm. I hated it and liked it at the same time. I let out a sigh, deciding to stay put; no one was going to chastise me. She had been through a lot, and that was why I had always wanted to protect her as kids. But Jalen took the spotlight and married her, even when he knew that I loved her.

I needed to deal with Rourke first. After that, I would come for Jalen. He would crumble, and the Iron Fang MC will rule this goddess-forsaken pack one day.

The vibration of my phone on the nightstand broke the silence. It brought me back to the present, and I cursed under my breath, carefully sliding my arm from beneath Maya’s neck. She stirred, let out a tiny sound, and settled back into the pillows. She was gorgeous, even with her messy hair and her unwashed face.

I grabbed the phone and slipped out of the room, naked and unbothered, as I pressed it to my ear.

“This better be a matter of life or death,” I growled, my voice thick with sleep as I picked up Delinda’s call.

“I am downstairs,” Delinda’s voice chirped, sounding far too energetic for this hour. “I figured you’d still be asleep. I saw you cozying up with your butt out on the bed with your ‘I only f**k women’ friend. It looked more than f*****g to me, but what do I know?”

My jaw tightened, and I felt a strange feeling down my chest. Even if no one else was there to chastise me, Delinda would. How could I forget?

“Delinda, get the hell out of my head. And out of my house, too.”

“Hard to avoid when your thoughts are practically screaming ‘mine, mine, mine,’” she teased. “Just admit you like the chick and it is more than f*****g. Every hard guy is bound to eventually meet the woman that would undo them, and she could be the one.”

I didn't answer. Instead, I walked back to the room and pulled on my sweats. I ended the call and marched towards the stairs with my brows furrowed in a deep V. I needed to see her face to know exactly how much trouble she was about to stir up.

When I reached the living room, Delinda was already lounging on the sofa, a beer in her hand. She looked like she hadn’t slept a wink, her eyes bright with that chaotic witch energy. She was a witch, so she could zap away the sleep.

“What do you want?” I demanded, standing at the base of the stairs. “And how many times have I asked you to stop breaking into my house?”

She shrugged, taking a long pull from the bottle.

“You never mean what you say these days. I mean, you said you aren’t in love with her, but clearly, you are. I can already see the love shapes in your eyes,” she chuckled, chugging the bottle for another second. “You should have seen yourself this morning. It looked like Cupid had a f*****g party in here.”

I groaned, rubbing my face with both hands.

“Delinda, what do you want? It is barely seven in the morning, and who said you could touch my beer?”

She finished the bottle in one go and set it down on the coffee table with a definitive thud.

“There, you can have the bottle back.” The playful look vanished, replaced by her mischievous witchy look. I could tell she was here for serious business, and that was exactly what I wanted.

“Hart is dead,” she said flatly.

“You are late to the party,” I blurted out. “Already took care of that.”

She rolled her eyes. “And he was usually the man for the job. But since you were the one who put a bullet in him, you, as the boss, have to take charge.”

I leaned against the doorframe. “I’m aware of my responsibilities and, like I said, I have done my part.”

“Good. Now you need to do more.” I raised a brow as she said this. “Because there’s a party going on in the upside of the pack territory tonight. A formal affair. It would be nice if you could dress up and show face. I have reason to believe Rourke’s men will be there, lurking in the shadows.”

I opened my mouth to protest—the last thing I wanted was to spend a night in a suit surrounded by wealthy pack members—but she stood up before I could get a word out.

“I am not here to protest, but to advise you as the official witch of the club.”

“Go with your woman,” she said, her eyes flickering toward the ceiling where Maya was still sleeping. “She would love it. Get her out of this house, Rafe. The woman could use an actual high-society party—like the ones she was used to before this cage.”

I knew it, but she didn’t want to see Jalen, and he might be there.

She stepped forward and gave me a stinging pat on the back. “Goodbye, boss.”

“Wait, I didn’t agree to—”

Before I could finish, the air around us came out in a wave. In a blink, she was gone, leaving only the faint scent of the beer behind.

“Bastard,” I muttered to the empty room.

“I can still hear you!” her voice echoed out of thin air, seemingly coming from the kitchen and the ceiling at the same time.