Alpha Dominated (The Dixon Brothers 3)

“I mean, one of your supposed best friends goes missing after parachuting and you head to a bar,” I continue as I glare at her. “Instead of telling someone that she might be flattened on the ground, or stuck in a fucking tree.”

“Whoa, calm down,” she says as she shoots a forced smile at the two boys with them. “We tried to call you.”

“And me not answering wasn’t a big deal?”

She’s starting to sweat as I stand there, glaring at her.

“Why are you being such a buzzkill?” she whispers. “Cute guys over here.”

She motions to them with her eyes and I snap.

“You and me, we’re done.” I look around the table at all of them. “All of you. Don’t call me again.”

I storm away from the table and Kindrie calls after me.

“Ivy! How are you getting home?”

I stop and look at Easton sitting there, watching me with love and adoration in his eyes. I suddenly know what my future entails and it’s him.

I turn back to the table of girls who were never really my friends. They never really knew me.

“I am home,” I tell them, and then I head into the arms of my man.

We don’t stay long after that. It’s hard to relax with the four of them sitting across the room, but really, I just want to get back into Easton’s bed. I want it to be just us two again, feeling like we’re the only two people in the world.

Easton texts his brother that we’re going to be leaving before we take off in his truck to go home.

I turn and watch him as he drives, loving the way he looks in the blue glow of the dashboard lights. He’s so sexy.

He’s dressed up in a collared shirt and dark jeans, looking ravishing as usual. If tonight was worth anything, it was seeing the shocked and jealous look on Kindrie’s face as she watched me walk out with Easton’s big possessive arm over my shoulders.

He fiddles with the radio for a bit and then turns it off, driving in silence.

“So,” I say as I touch my tingling neck. There’s been a spot under my ear that hasn’t stopped bothering me all day. “Should I find a bus to take me home?”

His eyes snap over to mine. “You are home.”

“But what does that mean exactly?”

“We’re mates, Ivy,” he says in that sexy voice that always gets me going. “It means that we belong together. Forever. I’d like it if you come live with me.”

“Would your brothers have a problem with that?”

“No,” he quickly says as if he hadn’t even considered that before. “Why would they? You’re a part of me. They know what it means to have a mate.”

I think about it for a while as we drive down the secluded mountain town. Everyone seemed so nice and I’ve always dreamed about living on a ranch like his. I love animals and nature, it really is a gorgeous place.

“We can live anywhere you want,” he says as he looks at me with desperate eyes. “I’ll follow you to Washington. I’ll follow you anywhere. I just need to be with you.”

My heart swells in my chest when I see the way he looks at me. I’d follow him anywhere too.

“Montana is nice,” I say in a low voice.

He smiles from ear to ear.

“You like it here?” he asks, looking so relieved. It’s cute.

I nod my head as I take his hand in mine. “I like the animals and the mountains. The slow pace of life.”

“And me?”

I smile. “You’re not so bad.”

He looks ecstatic.

But then… something changes.

The energy shifts. It’s not happy anymore.

Easton’s body tightens and he grips the steering wheel with white knuckles as he shifts around in the seat.

The truck swerves over the line and I grab onto the door with a gasp.

“What’s going on?”

He doesn’t answer.

“Easton!”

He snaps out of it and centers the truck back in our lane.

“Shit,” he whispers as he runs his hand through his hair. His face looks so strained. He’s so pale.

“What’s happening? Are you okay?”

The truck slows down as he turns to me. “It’s my bear.”

The spot under my ear is tingling more than ever. I can’t help but touch it.

“What’s with him? Does he need to get out?”

“He needs you.”

His eyes lock on me as a shiver racks through my body. He needs me?

I can still remember so clearly how he looked beside me in the tree. At first, I thought he was going to kill me and then I knew that he wasn’t. I knew I was safe. I don’t know how I knew, but I did. My soul must have recognized something inside of him before my brain did.

“What does he need from me?” I ask in a timid voice.

His heated eyes drag away from mine and settle on the tingling spot.