Mated to the Alpha

10

We start walking together and I look up at the stars as I breathe in the crisp autumn air. He’s only looking at me.

“So, you’re a fireman?”

He nods. “In Blackcloud Point.”

I know that place. It’s a small town in the mountains about half an hour away. I’ve always thought about living there. It’s so cute and looks very peaceful. Not to mention, there are a ton of hot muscular guys always around. There must be something in the water.

We talk about his job and his friends who work there as we walk over to the pub. He smiles easily and is quick and witty, which I like. I already feel at home by the time we arrive.

“After you,” he says as he opens the door.

There’s a band playing tonight so the place is busy. Heads turn as we walk in and I swear I hear his bear growling.

“You okay?” I ask as I turn around and look up at him. His jaw is clenched and he looks tight all over, like he’s fighting something back. Maybe he’s in pain from his accident. Shifter or no, it’s going to be a while before he’s completely pain-free.

His eyes look dark and fierce as they dart around the room, quickly glaring at every guy who’s checking me out.

Suddenly, Rylan’s big protective arm is around me, pulling me a little closer to him. It feels pretty nice so I lean in a little closer.

“Let’s just go somewhere private,” he hisses through clenched teeth.

I bring him to an empty table in the back where we’re mostly hidden by the giant cigarette machine. He seems a bit better as he settles in, but not by much.

“What’s going on?” I ask softly as I lean over the table. It dawns on me how well I can already read him, how concerned I am with his feelings.

“My bear is making this… difficult,” he says as he looks around.

I don’t know what to say to that, so I just wait for him to volunteer more information.

“He’s trying to get out.”

My eyes must go as big as the coasters on the table because he chuckles. A strained chuckle, but still. “He’s trying to get out?” I ask. Even I can hear the panic in my voice.

“Yeah, but I’m not letting him.”

He suddenly grits his teeth and lets out a low grunt as his whole body tightens. Every muscle—and believe me there’s a lot of them—is flexed to the max.

“f**k off,” he hisses through his tight jaw. “I got it.”

“You got what?” I ask when his body loosens.

“He doesn’t like all of these guys looking at you,” he says as he looks around with a vicious edge to his eyes. “Either do I.”

“They’re just looking,” I say, trying to get back to the lovey-dovey part of the date like we were doing outside. “It happens all the time.”

His eyes flare as they dart back to me. Oops! Wrong thing to say.

“I mean… It happens. Sometimes.”

“Not with my girl it doesn’t.” I feel waves of protectiveness flowing off him and wrapping around me. He’s staring at me with a territorial look and my body responds to it in a strong way. Heat blooms within me. It travels south and pools between my legs.

“Shifters can be possessive,” he says in a low voice.

“Yeah,” I say, swallowing hard. “I’m kinda getting that.”

“It won’t be so bad once I claim you,” he says, like it’s no big thing. “And once I mark your neck. That will take the edge off, I think. At least it did for my friends.”

I’m unable to breathe as I stare at him. There’s a lot to unpack there.

“Um, claim me?” I say with a gulp. “What does that mean?”

“I told you,” he says in an absolutely shameless way. “Your body was made for me. It’s mine to claim.”

God, my heart is pounding so fast.

“The intensity should settle once I claim that ripe little p***y with my cock.”

The waiter arrives just as he finishes.

“Tequila!” I quickly say. “A lot of it.”

“Okay,” the waiter says with a laugh. “Like a shot?”

“Bigger.”

“A glass?”

“Bigger.”

“All right,” he says with a laugh. “How about I just bring out a big bucket full of Tequila?”

I nod as my cheeks burn hot. “That would be great, thank you.”

He looks at me funny and then turns to Rylan.

“Just bring us two beers for now,” Rylan says, never taking his eyes off me. “Save the bucket of Tequila for later.”

The waiter wanders off and Rylan’s gaze intensifies. Is it hot in here?? Can someone open a freaking window?

“And what was that about you claiming my neck?” I ask with my heart racing. “Did I hear that correctly.”

He nods. “You did.”

“Like a tattoo? Or, maybe a nice necklace?” I like diamonds, I almost add.

He shakes his head as his eyes drop down to the tingling spot under my ear. It’s been tingling all day.

“Bear shifters like to mark their mates with our teeth,” he says. He says it like it’s perfectly normal and not like he’s just driven us into Crazytown at a thousand miles per hour. “That way every shifter who sees her will know that she’s taken. It’s a territorial dominance thing.”

“It’s a psychotic thing,” I say without thinking.

He jerks his head back, looking hurt. “Are you telling me you don’t want me to mark your neck?”

Is this guy freaking serious? I want to drag him back into the MRI machine and do another test. I must have missed something. This guy must have brain damage.