Accidentally Bitten by The Alpha

Chapter 10

[Felicity]

Zane looks like a sexy nightmare, terrifyingly handsome with his brows pinched in anger as he steps forward and glares at me with his impossibly green eyes. A sudden flush of warmth washes over me as my core tightens and I hold my breath, unable to look away. I have never felt so strongly attracted to another person in my entire life and that fact alone is enough to scare me. As he reaches me, blocking my view of the school, I am overwhelmed by his rich scent, like salt and sandalwood mixed with his own unique masculine musk.

Closing my eyes, I fight the urge to press my face into his chest as his unique aroma rolls around on the back of my tongue, reminding me of what he tastes like.

“I don’t want you to get the wrong idea, Felicity,” he breathes my name, our bodies separated by only a few short inches. I should feel intimidated, but instead I feel comforted and annoyed simultaneously. “I don’t care about you.”

Zane tilts my head and I bite my lip as I struggle not to shiver beneath his touch. The sensation of his fingertips against my skin feels so good as my body comes to life with little electric pulses everywhere he touches. His hand reaches around to cup my cheek, and I want to melt into him and do exactly what he wants.

Finding a spark of courage deep inside of me, I somehow manage to open my eyes and say, “If you don't care about me or what I do, then let me go, Zane." I pull away from his grasp before my body betrays me again. "People might get the wrong idea."

My mind flits to the angry face of his beautiful girlfriend. Why is he bothering me when he has her? He can't tell me he doesn't want her, they were together just last night in the middle of a room where anyone could see and hear.

“You aren’t leaving this school,” Zane insists broodily, grabbing my arm possessively as I try to back away. "It’s too dangerous for someone like you. You’ll just get hurt. It isn’t safe out there.”

“Someone like me?" I raise my eyebrow, challenging him. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? I'm not a child, despite what you or Jake might think, and I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. " I growl as I try to yank my arm out of his steel-tight grasp but he just grips harder, refusing to let me go.

“It looked like you needed more than a little help dealing with your boyfriend last night," he reminds me as his lips twist around the word "boyfriend," spitting it out like poison. "You should be glad that I'm even offering to help you."

My cheeks are burning with anger and embarrassment as I remember the night before. Zane makes it sound like he was there defending me when he was nowhere to be seen. He has no right to chastise me. “How dare you say that?” My chest heaves and my eyes water at the memory of my defilement. "Is this some kind of joke for you? Do you get your kicks causing me pain?"

He startles, as if my words stung his pride. “You’re my responsibility, and I can’t have you wandering off and getting lost on my island," he explains, as if he's the king of this place and not just some popular jock with delusions of grandeur, "Someone needs to watch over you since you are unable to defend yourself."

"Why would that person need to be you?" Taking a step forward, I lean in as I wiggle my arm free. “I never asked you to be my babysitter, Zane Rivers. Why don't you go back to your girlfriend? I'm sure she's worried about you."

He opens his mouth, and then closes it, before saying, "You know what, fine. Suit yourself. But don't say I didn't warn you."

"Don't worry," I huff, getting one last dig in before marching swiftly toards the campus entrance. "I won't."

Looking over my shoulder one last time, I discover Zane hasn't moved. He is still watching me from the same place, his eyes bright with frustration as he mumbles something under his breath. I’m sure that whatever he's grumbling about is about me. Not that it matters, there's no one hear to listen to him nag. Turning away once more, I walk faster, until I'm past the gate and onto the main street.

Sleeping with that man was the dumbest idea I’ve ever had. Now, instead of dealing with one controlling asshole-ex, I’m dealing with two. If I had just left the island on the last night ferry after finding Jake literally inside of someone else, I wouldn't be in this stupid predicament. But no, I had to make a point to Jake by sleeping with some random stranger for revenge, and now I'm knee-deep in a mess I can't fix.

Thank God I was able to find someone willing to take my vouchers. After all of those rejections I was starting to lose hope. I was running out of options, other than staying at one of the resorts. But what if the only resort with available rooms was Seaglass? Or, what if I was stuck at Marshwood on the other end of a swamp? This place may be my last chance, I need this to work, otherwise I might be stuck camping out in one of the campus bathroom stalls tonight.

"101 Marshwood Lane, near the scenic Artemisia Marsh," I read the add again. "Deluxe one bedroom suite with private entrance. Vouchers accepted." Thank God they got back to me, I can only imagine how many other college students would be vying for a similar spot. Even if the room is the size of a closet, I don't care--it sounds perfect.

Typing the address into my phone's GPS, I let it guide me along the mostly rural pathways leading off the main road, but after 30 minutes of hiking, it doesn't feel like I'm getting any closer. Maybe the GPS got the address location wrong. On an island this remote, maybe the satellites didn't do a good enough job of scanning. The ad had said it was "walking distance to campus" but I guess they must have a different definition of what that means than I do because I feel I've been walking forever and I haven't come any closer to 101 Marshwood Lane.

The sun overhead is overwhelmingly bright. I wish I had brought a hat. Or worn less layers. Tying my sweater around my waist, I'm stuck in a small tank top and a pair of jeans I am starting to wish were shorts. Rolling them up as high as I can, I feel a bit of relief from the heat as the cool ocean breeze soothes my overheated skin.

"TURN RIGHT," my GPS insists, but when I turn, there isn't any road, or house, or any other indication that there might be a house. All I can see is a small trail leading to a bigger trailhead with a large white sign. To the right of the sign a car is parked in a small, empty field where three men sit, chatting with one another. As I walk closer, one of them turns my way and grins, leering.

Feeling a bit exposed, I almost turn around when I hear someone shout. "Hey, are you Felicity Dawson?"

The hairs on the back of my neck rise in warning as I turn to face the three men who are now exiting the car. They are surprisingly, impossibly large, their massive forearms covered in ragged, homemade tattoos, like the kind some people do in prison, and extremely tall, well over 6 feet. Their skin is dark, and their clothes loose and faded as if they've been living on the beach all summer.

Behind them, on the trail, is a sign that says "MARSHWOOD NATURE RESERVE, DO NOT ENTER."

The address was a fake. There is no rental. I was tricked and now I'm in the middle of nowhere with three men I do not know, each one more than capable of killing me and leaving my body to rot in the marsh behind us.

"You got our money?" one of them asks, his lips curling, revealing sharp, white teeth which he picks at with a long, pointed nail that is yellow, thick, and pointed. "How should we make you pay for stepping onto our territory?"

As they stalk me, their eyes glazed with lust, I feel myself freeze in panic.

I should have listened to Zane.

These guys are going to rape me and kill me, leaving my body to rot. All because I'm too stupid to accept help when it's offered, and nobody will even know or care that I'm gone.

"I'm sorry to bother you," I squeak, my voice high with fear. "I'll just..."

"Not so fast, b***h," their leader laughs as he rushes forward. "We're not done with you yet."