Alpha Dominated (The Dixon Brothers 3)

I turn to Easton and can’t help but wonder what sex with him would feel like. Having that hard body pressing down on me. Those strong capable hands turning me around in all sorts of positions. Those soft lips kissing trails down my hot skin.

I start to get warm all over and wet.

His nostrils flare for a second and it has me wondering just how well shifters can smell. It has me blushing too.

“So, are your brothers all shifters as well?”

He nods. “All Kodiak bear shifters, yeah.”

It’s kind of hot. I know some girls are obsessed with bear shifters and even have fan groups online, but I’ve never been one of them. To be honest, I’ve never given them much thought but today might change that.

“And their mates? Are they shifters too?”

He tells me everyone’s names and mentions that Mary and Bailey are humans.

“So, do they feel the mate’s bonding process? Or, is it just the guys who do?”

“They feel it,” he says as he studies me with curious eyes. “It’s not as intense for a human, but they definitely feel the pull to their other half. It’s usually always the case.”

We stare at each other for a long time and then I break my eyes away, looking at the bed. I feel a little bit of a pull to this man, but it’s probably because he’s gorgeous and because he saved my life. Any hot-blooded girl would feel the same, I’m sure.

“Are you feeling any of that?” he eventually asks in a low voice.

My eyes dart back to his and I raise an eyebrow. “Do I feel the need to throw my life away and hop into bed with you?”

He perks up. I bite back a laugh.

“No, I don’t,” I quickly tell him before he gets any ideas. “I feel the need for sleep. That’s it.”

But I know that’s a lie. It’s getting harder and harder to take my eyes off this man and I keep getting an intense urge to go over there and sit in his lap.

I keep thinking of how it felt so safe and comforting to have his big warm arms wrapped around me. I loved being carried by him. Being vulnerable to him. It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before and my body is craving more of it.

“You’re welcome to stay here as long as you want. You can stay the night, the week, forever.”

“Forever?” I say with a laugh. “Are you serious? You don’t even know my last name?”

“What is it?”

“If I tell you, you’ll probably stalk me once I leave.”

“I’m going to be stalking you anyway,” he says with a killer smile. “Might as well make it easier for me.”

I can’t help but smile too. “Irwin.”

“Ivy Irwin?”

“That’s me.”

I wouldn’t mind a little bit of stalking from him. I already know that I’m going to be thinking of him all the time if I leave. When I leave.

I take a deep breath and sigh as I stare up at the ceiling.

“I should call my friends. They might have a search party out looking for me.”

He brings me his phone and I call Kindrie. I really hope they don’t have half the town searching the forest. They must be worried sick.

It rings three times and she picks up.

“Hello?”

She doesn’t sound worried. She sounds drunk. I can hear the other girls laughing in the background, music, and other people talking.

“Are you in a bar?”

“Mom?”

“No! It’s Ivy! Where are you?”

“At the Rub-A-Dub Pub,” she says casually. “Where the hell are you?”

I hear her say ’It’s Ivy’ to the rest of them.

“You’re not out looking for me?” I say in disbelief. I can’t believe this…

“We figured you shacked up with that cute pilot.”

“You mean that dickhead pilot? No! I was stuck in a fucking tree!”

She starts laughing. I’m incensed. I’m livid. I want to crawl through the phone and strangle her.

“Are you coming to meet us?”

I hang up and slam the phone onto the bed. My hands are shaking. I’m furious.

If Easton hadn’t come along, I would have died up there. They didn’t even bother telling anyone that I didn’t return. How could they?

“Is everything okay?” Easton asks softly.

“No,” I say as I fight back tears. “Everything is not okay. My friends abandoned me.”

He rests his hand on mine and it feels so comforting and warm that I let him.

“You’re safe here,” he says with a soft smile. “And I’m with you now. How about you get some sleep before you think about your friends?”

“Some friends,” I say as my body starts to ache. I’m sore all over. I’m so fucking tired.

I just need to lie down for a second. To rest my eyes…

I drop down on the pillow as my eyelids get heavy.

Easton lays next to me. We’re facing each other, watching each other as I drift off to sleep.