Brutal Couple

Chapter 2

Five years ago, Phoenix Marshall had entered a bar for the first time. It was the same bar that he had been frequenting for the previous eight years, or possibly even longer. The fact that he was the leader of the pack when he entered that bar was the only thing that had ever significantly altered his life. During that time, he had witnessed various groups rejoicing in their transition. There are some large groups and some small groups. He frequently shared a drink with them, patted each of their backs as a sign of congratulations, and waited a couple of days before moving on to the next group.

On that particular evening, things had been different. As soon as he stepped foot inside that bar, he caught a whiff of her and immediately recognized her. His soul mate, the woman he was destined to spend his life with.

He had witnessed her finish her beer, scrunch up her nose, and leave the establishment where they were drinking. Phoenix hadn't been able to control his actions at that point. He'd been captivated and intrigued by the woman, so he'd followed her. There was absolutely no way to avoid it. Absolutely none of them. She had just started out. Young. 18 years of age, for crying out loud!

He was a wandering nomad. He had solemnly vowed to lead a solitary existence. But he loved the town, adored the people, and when he came to them in their time of need, he'd kept his word in protecting them even though he broke that bastard vow every time he came back to this f*****g pack. They were all decent people and formed a strong community that worked together.

This woman, this young girl—because that was what she really was—had jolted his entire world into motion. To him, the experience of kissing her had been a living hell. In his entire life, the only things he'd ever required were his motorcycle and an open road. Not women. Not anyone.

That is, until he caught her scent.

He had no choice but to be cruel. She had previously been aware of who he was and had experienced that pull. He had no choice but to dismiss her. Rebecca was too young, too... new, and too shiny to be taken seriously. He would never have considered her to be the type of woman he would want to spend the rest of his life with. He had become too cynical. Phoenix had experienced the cruelties of the world, and he was certain beyond all reasonable doubt that Rebecca was not prepared. It was necessary that she be safeguarded.

Being cruel was intrinsic to who he was as a person. That was how he picked up the skills he needed to survive. Therefore, over the course of the past five years, he had consistently persuaded himself not to go back, in order to maintain the greatest possible distance from her. Only thing was, he found that he kept coming back, and doing so more frequently than he ever had before, in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the woman he couldn't have.

Rebecca Simpkin was like waking up in a f****d-up dream. A stunning woman with full, rounded hips, large, juicy t**s, and damn, her a*s. She is a beauty. Even though he hadn't seen it in such a long time, he loved her behind. After that initial year, it was obvious that the subsequent four would not be possible. She was never in the vicinity. When he had inquired about her in a manner that did not attract attention, he had been told that she had gone hiking, camping, or running an errand. He had been very courteous in his inquiry. She steered clear of him. Like now. He saw her emerge from the forest, and she wasn't by herself at that point.

Daniel was the man's name, he thought to himself as he looked at him. After their run, they changed into their clothes. The sky had been illuminated by the bright glow of the full moon. He was aware that Daniel had developed feelings for her. Daniel had been his right-hand man during the few times he had visited, and he had talked about her nonstop during those visits. It didn't bother him one bit. He picked up a lot of knowledge from the other guy.

Rebecca was a member of the pack who was very well liked. She was always a kind and pleasant person, even before she changed. Sweet, kind, loving. She is the kind of person who would help anyone in need. She was employed at the hardware store, despite the fact that, according to Daniel, she despised working there. She detested the idea of having to decorate or fix anything. Reading and baking were two of her favorite hobbies.

Daniel called out "Alpha" in order to get his attention.

Where have the two of you been all this time? Phoenix asked.

Rebecca c****d her head to the side. "There is a full moon, and we just emerged from the woods; I'm fairly certain you can deduce what's going on from that."

She attempted to get around him, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Rebecca doesn't mean no disrespect, Alpha," Daniel said.

He abhorred being referred to as Alpha.

"Do you, Rebecca?"

"No, this is not the case at all." She shifted her focus to look at him. "No, Alpha." She extricated herself from his hold, knelt in front of him, and offered him a polite curtsy. "I'm overjoyed that you were able to bestow the honor of your presence upon us."

She bowed her head slightly to the front, and he clenched his teeth together.

Rebecca smelled amazing. His saliva began to flow in anticipation of tasting her. He desired to draw her in close and press his entire body against hers. She was his ultimate goal. to feel her wrapped around him, and damn it, he wanted to feel her wrapped around his d**k. he wanted to feel her wrapped around him. He felt himself getting hard.

The next five years Even though it had been longer in reality, just over five years had passed since he had been with another woman. He was at such a loss for words that he couldn't even look at anyone else. She was the master of his f*****g universe. He desired her and was preoccupied with thoughts of her constantly.

"Alpha, do you require anything else at this time? It was not brought to my attention that you needed anything.

He looked toward Daniel. "You may go home. I hope you enjoyed your run."

“I did. Rebecca was going to get home with my assistance."

"I'm capable of getting home on foot. It's something I've been doing for a very long time. Have faith in me, I'll get you there." She stood up and was about to walk past him once more when he grabbed her arm and did not let her go.

She gave him an angry look while pressing her lips together in a pout. He returned her gaze without breaking eye contact. Despite the fact that she despised him so deeply, she possessed such stunning beauty. Did she understand the consequences of her actions? How challenging was she making it for him?

Daniel showed some signs of reluctance.

Phoenix stated, "I'll make sure she makes it home safely."

“O-okay.”

Another reason why Daniel was never going to be able to win her over was because of this. He had asked for his counsel on how to win Rebecca over so that he could become her mate. That was not going to occur under any circumstances. He was the one who owned her. Ashely was his mate, and regardless of what the men did to try to win, they were doomed to fail. They shared a connection that could not be severed by anything or anyone.

Phoenix didn't let Rebecca go. Instead, he sat there and watched Daniel leave until it was just the two of them.

Rebecca took hold of his wrist and dug her nails into the flesh of his forearm. "Let me go!"

He was adamantly opposed to it. He easily outclassed her in every way. To cause him any pain would require more than just a few nails to be driven into his flesh. He drew her in close and gazed into her chocolate brown eyes as he did so. They were beautiful and mysterious, but he could see the glint of her wolf that was hiding just below the surface. She was a courageous woman who had a special connection with the wolf she kept. That was to his liking.

His question was, "How have you been?"

"I'm sorry, but you're not allowed to ask me that question. I am able to find my way home on my own." She moved her hand up to his fingers, and this time, as she pulled them back to get him to release her grip, he complied with her request and let her go.

He didn't want his fingers to get broken, and something told him to be careful. He was Rebecca's sworn enemy. Because he'd been so cruel to her five years prior, he couldn't say that he blamed her. In his defense, she'd been such a baby when they met. A baby. 18 years old at this point. A newbie. She still had her whole life ahead of her, and he... well, let's just say that he'd seen things that would make her want to scream. He bore the physical evidence of it on his body in the form of scars. He had no choice but to give her the space and time she needed to adjust and mature.

When he looked at her now, he couldn't believe how foolish he'd been before. She had been stunning back then, in fact, she had been just as breathtaking as she was now when she was younger. She was still on the younger side at the age of twenty-three, but... It was impossible for him to pay another visit without catching a glimpse of her or a whiff of her scent. He probably sounded so f*****g weird, but he didn't care one bit about how he came across. When it came to her, he experienced an intense desire. The novelty of riding his bike had worn off. The freedom road had become overgrown and now appeared to be a trap for travelers rather than a road to freedom. The only time he experienced a sense of liberation was when he came to visit this f*****g pack. The group that he led as the alpha. The family that had taken care of his mate.

He had such a strong desire for her. This requirement was still present.

She moved his arm out of the way to make room for herself, but if she even for an instant believed that he was going to leave, she was in for a rude awakening. He was staying put in that spot.

Phoenix took a few steps in beside her, and then she stopped and turned to face him after he had taken those steps. "What exactly are you up to?"

"I'm walking you home."

"No, you're not. I am able to find my way back home on my own. You are not required to follow in my footsteps. He followed her after she relocated a second time.

"I promised your parents that I would locate you and bring you back. I am currently engaging in this activity.

"I have no idea what game you're playing, but you should just leave me out of it." She continued walking, and he, well, he continued following in her footsteps.