Unwanted Mate (The Alpha Shifter Collection)

Sofia growled. “I know what they did to me, Caspian. I’m not a fool. I was the one that felt the pain they inflicted.”

She was. No one else.

Caspian divided the lasagna into two before putting some on her plate. She watched him serve himself before stabbing at her plate, eating up a juicy piece of tomato. The salad was nice, a little bland, but she suddenly felt a great deal of hunger.

The salad was soon gone on her plate, and she dug into her lasagna.

“Yes, what I don’t get, baby girl, is that you were willing to let them all live.”

Sofia glanced up and saw his gaze intent on her. Tonight, his eyes seemed a little more black than usual. Was it a warning he was … evil?

“What’s wrong with wanting them to live?”

“Revenge is a perfectly natural feeling, and yet, you didn’t want it. Why?”

“Why does it matter?”

“I’m curious. I know for a fact several of my pack would love to have the chance given to you.”

She took a deep breath.

Sofia had seen the signs marked on their necks. The same one she carried. She pressed the tips of her fingers to the mark and jerked them back.

“Ah, I see you saw most of my pack’s little tattoos, or branding.”

She looked at Caspian but couldn’t see any distinguishing mark. Nothing to give away the fact he was an unwanted pack member.

“You want to check over my entire body? Believe me, I’ve seen all the places these bastards brand.”

“No, that’s not necessary,” she said.

It didn’t matter. Caspian had already thrown his shirt off, along with his trousers. The man wasn’t wearing any boxer briefs, but she saw the hard ridge of his cock, and she jerked her gaze up.

“Don’t mind me, darling. Look your fill. I’m all yours, after all.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She went back to stabbing … nothing. Her plate was empty, but this need, this thirst, this hunger was even more than she’d ever felt. She swiped at the bottle of water and glugged half of it down.

Caspian wasn’t done with whatever teasing he had planned as he stepped toward her. She refused to look at his penis.

This wasn’t … she didn’t care what he looked like.

She drank some more, looking for anything and nothing to do with her hands. She didn’t want to look at him.

As she tapped her fingers on the table, her body came alive.

Her nipples tightened as if they had a mind of their own. Feelings spiraled within her, building, crashing together, flooding her body. She took several deep breaths, and when Caspian gripped the back of her neck and tilted her head back, she sprang into action. Within seconds, she didn’t know how she managed it, but they were in that position, where she had him pinned against the fridge.

“Well, well, well, my placid little wolf has a bit of strength inside her.”

“I don’t know what it is you’re doing to me, but you have to stop it.”

“The only way to stop it is to give in. You know this and yet, you still fight it. Can’t help but wonder why.”

She shook her head. “No.”

He sighed and Sofia pulled herself back. “I want you to leave.”

“Why should I?”

“This isn’t your apartment, and if you don’t leave, I’ll call the police.”

He chuckled. “Their deaths will be on you. If you can’t kill your pack that had been abusing you for years, how will you sentence a bunch of innocent men?”

This feeling inside her had to be because of her move to the city. The fear of going rogue.

Sofia stepped back. “If what you say is true, that I am indeed your mate, then you will leave simply because I request it.”

The smile dropped from his face.

Part of her was happy, another felt a little sick. If he left now, it meant nothing. At least, that was what she tried to tell herself.

“You play dirty, I like it.” He moved in closer to her, his face right against her neck. “You know, one day soon, you’re not going to be able to push me away. I hope you’re prepared for what happens that day.” He wrapped his fingers around her neck, but she wasn’t afraid.

Caspian, for some odd reason, wouldn’t hurt her. It was why his pack had been gentle with her that night.

She never realized it until that moment. When they were on the run, other members were tackled to the floor, hurt, injured. She wasn’t. They were gentle.

He slammed his lips on hers, and she didn’t want to react, trying with all of her might to clench her hands into fists, to ignore the need swirling in her body. Nothing helped. She was at his mercy, and all too soon, he stopped, and she had no choice but to watch his butt as he left.