Hate Mates (The Alpha Shifter)

Alexa had Cindy’s hands within hers. “I will never let go. I’m here. I won’t let you go.”

His vision was perfect, and he saw Cindy’s hands were clutched tightly within Alexa’s. She was so patient with the young girl. Within the pack she was loved, he knew that.

Ever since their transition, when she opted to stay here rather than go off to college, she’d become a valuable member of the pack. He knew what his father was doing, but he didn’t know if Alexa was aware of it.

He was priming her for the role of alpha’s mate.

Not to himself, but to Landon.

Even though they had rejected each other, the pack still viewed them as mates, and it made Cheryl a very unliked person. It wasn’t like he encouraged Cheryl. She tried to form a bond between the two of them, but he couldn’t do it. When she tried to kiss him, or touch him, his skin crawled.

Even though Cheryl liked to make everyone believe they were together, they never had been. She’d tried to kiss him before the transition, and he couldn’t do it. He refused to be her boyfriend. He’d never had sex with anyone, still a virgin at twenty-one years old, and he knew why.

His true mate was down there, in the lake, helping a young girl. They had rejected one another, and he hated that moon by every full fucking moon it was getting harder.

Hearing Drew today, talking about her tits and her body, it had been too much. He’d seen the way his friends had looked at Alexa. Not just his friends, but other pack males. They wanted her.

It wasn’t hard to detect. They didn’t hide it fucking well.

Running a hand down his face, he tried to clear the fog from his mind. He shouldn’t be here, watching her like some kind of peeping tom.

The lesson came to an end as Cindy’s parents arrived. Cindy moved to the edge of the lake and ran into her dad’s arms.

“Did you see me, Daddy? Did you?”

He laughed. “I did. I really did.” He nodded at Alexa, who hadn’t gotten out of the water, but she talked with him for a few minutes, and then Cindy and her parents left.

Once they were gone, Alexa climbed out of the lake, grabbed a towel, and started to dry off her hair.

Landon turned to leave, but he saw Cheryl coming out of the tree line. He hadn’t sensed her, which he didn’t like. With that nasty glare on her face, he knew she intended to cause trouble. What kind of trouble, he wasn’t sure.

Cheryl had started to get pissy with him since he’d been rejecting her. She didn’t take the hint, and of course there was the pesky problem that he was in fact mated or destined to be with Alexa. There was no hiding his wolf’s needs. He could fight wanting Alexa, but he couldn’t take another woman in her place. He couldn’t abide another’s touch.

“What do you want?” Alexa asked.

“You think you’re so good, don’t you? Everyone loves sweet, freaky, fat Alexa.” The sneer on Cheryl’s face was disgusting. She hated Alexa with a passion, and Landon could certainly see that now more than ever.

“Wow, okay, I don’t know exactly what this is, but I don’t need to stay and listen to you be this person, so I’m going to go.” Alexa had already wrapped a towel around her body, but Cheryl stepped in front of her.

“You’re not going anywhere.” Cheryl shoved Alexa back.

“Don’t do that.” Alexa held one hand out and kept her focus on Cheryl. “I’m warning you.”

“You don’t get to warn me anymore.” Cheryl took a step toward Alexa.

He watched Alexa move back. Her strength terrified her.

Landon had been with his father when her parents came to see him. He’d heard the pain in her voice, the fear, begging his father to tell her what was happening. Marcel couldn’t give her a reason, but he said she was a special woman and would be one hell of a pack female.

But Landon knew differently. Alexa was suffering because of … him. Just as he was suffering because of her. Their inability to get past their hatred was causing them both untold difficulty. What Marcel hadn’t told the pack was that where Alexa was getting stronger, Landon was gradually growing weaker.

They had been warned that denying themselves each other would have consequences, and he couldn’t hide what was happening to him forever.

“Landon is mine,” Cheryl said.

Alexa rolled her eyes. “Are you for real right now? Is that what this is about? You want your boyfriend? In case you can’t see, Landon and I are not a couple. We can’t even be in the same room with each other without causing trouble. Trust me, nothing’s going on with us.”

Cheryl snorted. “Please, I see the way he looks at you, and you think I haven’t watched you? I know what you’re trying to do. You’re trying to steal him away from me.”