THE ALPHA’S ABOMINATION: BOUND TO MY STEPDAD

Chapter 6

The darkness of the movie theater was heavy, thick with the smell of buttery popcorn and the low-frequency rumble of the action sequence on screen. I wasn't watching the movie. Every time the screen flickered with a bright explosion, I caught the silhouette of Williams sitting next to me. He was close—so close I could feel the radiant heat from his shoulder.

My phone buzzed in my lap, the screen illuminating my face for a split second.

[Alpha Daddy]: You are playing a dangerous game, kitten. I know exactly whose hand is an inch away from yours.

A shiver that was half-fear and half-pure, unadulterated defiance raced down my spine. I didn't reply. I tilted my phone away so Williams couldn't see the contact name and shoved it deep into my purse. I was tired of being the secret kept in the dark; I was tired of being ignored while he played house with my mother.

I shifted in my seat, purposefully brushing my thigh against Williams’. I felt him stiffen, his breath hitching in the quiet theater. Emboldened, I let my hand fall from the armrest, my fingers grazing his. Williams didn't pull away. Instead, he turned his hand over, interlacing his fingers with mine. His palm was warm and slightly calloused, a sharp contrast to the cold, clinical distance I had been receiving at home.

I looked at him, and even in the shadows, I saw the deep flush creeping up his neck. He was hot—genuinely attractive in a way that felt safe, yet exciting. But as he squeezed my hand, my wolf paced in the back of my mind, whining for a scent that wasn't there. I ignored her. I needed to feel something else.

"It’s getting a little warm in here, don't you think?" I whispered, leaning close to his ear. I could smell his scent—clean, like citrus and soap. It was a "boy" smell, not the heavy, intoxicating musk of a primal Alpha, and for a moment, it was a relief.

Williams swallowed hard, his eyes darting to mine. "Yeah. It is."

"Can you follow me to the restroom?" I asked. My voice was a low purr, the kind of tone I’d spent years practicing on a man who refused to listen.

Stella and Adams were completely absorbed in the movie, their heads leaning together. We slipped out of the row quietly. The lobby was nearly empty, the neon lights of the concession stand casting long, distorted shadows on the carpet. Williams followed me toward the back hallway where the restrooms were tucked away.

He stopped at the entrance, looking hesitant. "I probably shouldn't go into the ladies' room, Bella," he said, his voice echoing slightly in the tiled hallway. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking around to see if any security guards were lurking. "I'll just wait right—"

I didn't let him finish. I reached out, grabbing the front of his shirt and yanking him toward me. Before he could protest, I crashed my lips against his.

Williams froze, his eyes widening in total shock. His hands hovered in the air for a heartbeat, unsure of where to land. But the moment I flicked my tongue against his bottom lip, a low groan escaped his throat. The "nice guy" mask shattered. He grabbed my waist, his fingers digging into my hips as he hauled me flush against his chest, returning the kiss with a sudden, desperate hunger.

He backed me into the small alcove leading to the family restroom, his body acting as a shield. He pinned me hard against the cold tile wall, his weight pressing into me, making me gasp into his mouth. The kiss became frantic—a messy, intense struggle for dominance. Williams wasn't a master like Collins; he was young and fueled by raw, unbridled adrenaline. He kissed me like he was starving, his hands moving from my waist to my hair, tilting my head back to gain better access to my throat.

"Bella," he rasped against my skin, his breath hot and ragged. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that."

I arched my back, my hands roaming over his shoulders, feeling the firm muscle beneath his shirt. I wanted to drown out the memory of the shower. I wanted to erase the feeling of Collins' mark. I moved my hands lower, gripping the back of Williams' head, pulling him back to my lips. I wanted to feel a different fire.

Williams grew bolder, his knee sliding between my legs, pinning me even firmer to the wall. The friction sent a jolt of electricity through me, but it was shallow. It was a spark, not a wildfire. I tried to lean into it, tried to make myself feel the soul-deep connection I knew I was supposed to have with my mate, but the more Williams kissed me, the more I realized I was just using him as a shield against the man who really owned me.

He started to trail kisses down my jawline, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin just below my ear. "You smell so good," he muttered, his voice thick with arousal. "Like... like something I can't put my finger on. Something powerful."

I stiffened. He was smelling the Alpha. He was smelling the mark that hadn't fully faded.

Suddenly, the heavy door to the hallway swung open with a bang that sounded like a gunshot. The air in the small alcove turned ice-cold instantly. The scent of citrus and soap was obliterated, replaced by the suffocating, thunderous smell of a mountain storm.

"Williams, was it?"

The voice didn't come from a boy. It was a deep, predatory rumble that made my knees go weak.

Williams jumped back, spinning around to face the intruder. I stayed pinned against the wall, my chest heaving, my lips swollen and red.

Alpha Collins stood in the doorway. He wasn't in his suit anymore; he was wearing a black leather jacket, his hair slightly disheveled, and his eyes... they weren't brown. They were glowing a lethal, brilliant gold that illuminated the dim hallway.

"Who the hell are you?" Williams demanded, trying to find his courage, stepping in front of me to "protect" me.

Collins didn't even look at the boy. His gaze was locked on me, his nostrils flaring as he took in the sight of my messed-up hair and the way Williams' scent was smeared all over my neck. The growl that started in his chest wasn't human. It was the sound of a beast that had finally reached its breaking point.

"I am the man who is going to give you three seconds to run," Collins said, his voice terrifyingly calm. "One."

"Bella, do you know this guy?" Williams asked, looking back at me, his face pale as he realized the sheer size of the man in front of him.

"Two."

The Alpha took a step forward, and the floor seemed to vibrate under the weight of his power.

"Three."

Collins didn't wait. He moved faster than the human eye could follow. He grabbed Williams by the collar, lifting him nearly off his feet, and shoved him toward the exit. "Go. Now. Before I forget that there are cameras in this building."

Williams didn't need to be told again. He looked at the glowing eyes of the Alpha and bolted, the sound of his sneakers hitting the floor fading as he ran back toward the theater.

Then, the silence returned, heavy and suffocating. Collins turned back to me, his presence filling every inch of the hallway. He stepped into my space, his hands slamming against the wall on either side of my head, trapping me exactly where Williams had just had me.

"You really thought," he hissed, his face inches from mine, his breath smelling of dark coffee and rage, "that you could use a pup like that to get to me? You thought I'd let another male put his mouth on what belongs to me?"