Alpha Erased (Alpha Girl 9)

He didn’t look away, but he nodded. “I know this sounds crazy, but can I touch you?”

My fear kicked up a notch. “What? Why?” Wait. No. That wasn’t important. “No! You can’t touch me.” What an insane thing to ask a stranger. Who were these people?

“I just…I need to touch you.”

Was he insane? Who asked questions like that?

I shook my head, standing up and backing away, but he stood faster than I could track and reached out, gripping my arm.

His eyes flashed brighter, and I tried to grab my arm away, but his grip was too strong.

“Help!” I screamed, not caring if I made a scene. A few people were wandering around the bookstore, but no one was left in the coffee shop. I needed to make a scene if I was going to get this werewolf away from me. “Someone help—”

He pulled me close, grabbed my other arm, and gave me a shake. He was too tall. Too big. If he wanted to, he could rip my arm off with a flick of his wrist.

“Tessa. Tessa, please! It’s me. You have to remember. You have to wake up from this spell.”

Tessa? That wasn’t me. I wasn’t who he thought I was. There was a mistake.

I shook my head. “I’m not who you think I am. I don’t know you. I—”

“Yes, you do. Think back. Try. Please. We’re married. You’re my wife. You’re my mate.” His hands were gentle on me, but he had enough strength to hurt me.

He wasn’t hurting me, though. He was confusing me. And the way he said the words wife and mate made me wish what he was saying was true.

How could I instantly want that from a stranger?

“I know something happened to you, and that you don’t remember anything from before—”

Wait. “How do you know that?” How could he possibly know that I didn’t remember anything?

There was a shout and more voices, but I couldn’t look away from this man. From the way he was holding me. From the way he was talking to me, like I meant everything to him.

I’d never felt like that. Not with my mother. Certainly not with Georgine. And they

were all I had.

“Please. You have to believe me. You have to try to remember. You have to fight.”

Fight what? “I can’t. I can’t remember. I wish I knew who you were, but I don’t know you. I’m sorry. I’m not your wife. I’m not your mate. I’m not Tessa—”

Pain split my brain in two, and I felt my body stiffen.

And then I felt like I was falling.

Falling.

And I wasn’t sure anyone would catch me.

Chapter Fifteen

DASTIEN

We’d found her.

We’d actually found her.

And now, I was in the same waiting room in the same hospital I’d been in forever ago when Samantha had gotten hurt.