Trapped With the Alpha (Balfour Shifters Book 1) (7 page)

He laughs back before replying, “It didn’t stop you from going back for seconds. I saw the two of you in the barn more than once.”

Not wanting to deal with his smart ass mouth, I motion for the waitress and try to ignore him. “Bring me two shots of Johnny Walker Black and a Guinness.”

Turning back to him, I look him in the eye. “Training begins tomorrow. We have quite a few young wolves, and none of them have seen more than a skirmish or two. They’ll need to be prepared for what is to come. I don’t want to lose one member of our pack to the rogues.”

He’s silent for a moment, before finally asking, “Are you prepared?”

My head jerks back, so surprised that my beta would question me. “You’ve been by my side in many battles. You know I’m always prepared. What the hell makes you think you can ask me such a thing?”

“I never had to wonder before, but you’ve never been like this before, either,” he says, taking another drink and refusing to make eye contact with me. 

Again, the beast within me tries to burst forth, full of anger. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Letting out a sigh, he says, “You’re so wrapped up in your own head, I’m not sure you know what is going on around you anymore, never mind what is going on with the pack.

Continuing to fight for control, I let out a ferocious howl. “Do not worry, cousin. I am Alpha, and I will fight as one. Your worry is wasted here, and you know it.”

Knox shrugs as the waitress sets my drink down and asks him if he needs anything else. Sending her on her way, he looks back to me. “Brody, you are wound up so tight, I’m not sure you even know what you’re gonna do next.”

“I’m gonna stomp your ass if you don’t shut up. You know better than to question me, Beta,” I growl out, letting him know not to question me any further.

He has been my beta since the day my father died, and he’d been by my side every day even before that. We were born on the same day, the same moment to be exact. He was born to be my beta, my best friend, and the one person that I could trust with my life. To have him question me makes me furious.

Of course, the ass doesn’t take my warning. “You can tear my throat out if that’s what it takes to bring back the old Brody. At this point, I honestly don’t care, as long as you pull your head out of your ass.”

I don’t have a reply; I’m too pissed to even attempt to say anything. But, Knox has plenty more to say. “Look at you. You’ve been drinking all night, and you have three more drinks in front of you. You’re with a different woman every night, not even trying to find your mate, when you know that is the most important thing you can do. What if you die during this war? Who will lead the pack if you have no sons to pass the legacy on to?”

Hearing him talk about all the shit I’m failing at has me about ready to jump over the table. “That’s enough, Knox,” I bark.

“It’ll be enough when you become the wolf I know you can be,” he counters, leaning back in the booth.

Not willing to listen to any more of his bullshit, I stand up and finally take the time to zip my jeans. “Okay, bastard, I’ll find my mate if I have to take every woman I meet.”

Walking to the front of the bar, I look around the room and shout, “If you want to be fucked, line up.”

Izzy

WATCHING HIM
make such an ass out of himself, I honestly wish I could hate him. If I had the ability to hate him right now, my life would be so much easier. The years have proven that my love for Brody will never die. I’m not sure if the mating made it a lifelong bond, or if the curse will not allow me to get over him. More than likely, it’s my own heart’s fault. It will not allow me to forget the man I love. Still, with each passing day, I grow to hate him more. 

My anger is boiling inside me with nowhere to go. God, I wish I could pick up all the glasses in this bar and start whipping them at his stupid head. I wish my hands could touch him just long enough to slap him across the face. More than anything, I wish my eyes would close so that darkness would be the only thing I see.

Watching the whore who was sucking his cock earlier walk over to the bar, my stomach drops. As if what is already happening isn’t bad enough, this one wants to make a show of it. She pulls her skirt to her waist, leaving her completely bare below. Then, she bends over across the top of the filthy bar top, spreading her legs as wide as they can possibly go. Even from the opposite side of the room, I can see dampness dripping down her legs. 

Brody looks to her then turns back to Knox. “Do you think this is her, my one true mate? She may give bad head, but hell, who knows? She could be the one.”

What he finds appealing in these women is beyond me. What is even more confusing is what they see in him. I know things have changed drastically since I lived a true life, but from watching Brody throughout the years, I’ve learned many new things. The world and the people who live here are not foreign to me. 

People have sex with no commitment. They can go from one lover to another, and no one seems to mind. A man can love a man, and a woman can love a woman. They can even have multiple lovers at once, if that is what they want. I have no problem with any of this. However, what Brody is doing tonight is not right. 

My gaze moves down to his powerful thighs. The muscles are pulled tight, contracting with each thrust. She moans out her pleasure again, and I want nothing more than to run away. Instead, I’m stuck here watching this freak show. One second, I want to murder him, while in the next, I wish I was the one bent over in front of him. My God, what the hell is wrong with me?

Watching him tonight, it has me wondering what I ever saw in him. Is he still the man I remember, the man I love, or is he now just a figment of my imagination? It also has me comparing what he has with these women to what we had together. Is the way he touches them, kisses them, the same? No, it’s not the same at all. I can tell that just from watching them.

In the brief time I was with Brody, he never behaved like this with me, though he was rough at times. He was a domineering Alpha, both in and out of the bedroom. At times, he would fuck me with a ferociousness that left no doubt his beast was in control. It was hard and brutal, always leaving me as limp as a rag doll. Other times, he made love to me, his touch gentle, leaving me with no doubt what was in his heart. It was always beyond intense between us, leaving me feeling absolutely one hundred percent cherished, worshipped, and loved.

He never would have taken me in a bar full of people. Never would he have stripped me bare and allowed every member of his pack to look their fill. He would have never sought his own pleasure, not caring if I got mine. Above all, he would never, ever have treated me with this kind of disrespect. 

I find myself forced back to a happier time. To a time where Brody wanted nothing more than to ravage my body, and I wanted nothing more than to give myself to him.

I had waited my whole entire life for this moment, almost positive that even before I was conceived, he was mine. Even when I was simply an idea suspended in time, this was what I desired more than anything else.

To be Brody’s. 

Completely and utterly Brody’s in every way imaginable…

Pacing back and forth outside of the castle walls, I waited in anticipation for Brody to meet me. My entire body was alive with nerves, a noticeable flutter in my stomach. I’d thought of this moment a million times over, dreamed of it every night, and worried that my nerves would put a damper on our time together.

Before I was able to delve more into my out of control thoughts, I sensed Brody approaching from behind me. Slowly, turning to take in all that was him—the masculine, the gorgeous, and the absolutely breathtaking—I found myself frozen in place and unable to move.

Without missing a step, he walked right up to me, not stopping until I could feel his sweet breath upon my face. As I looked up into his gorgeous amber eyes, I was frozen once again as I stared longingly into his eyes.

“Have you been waiting long, my love? I arrived as quickly as I could. Father needed me to talk to some of the crofters,” he said as he slowly cupped my face with his big hands.

“No, not long at all,” I lied, giving him a girlish giggle. “I may have arrived a bit early. I was excited to see you.”

He smirked down at me, knowing exactly what it was that he did to me. Linking our hands together, he started off toward the castle entrance. “You know, I’m finding I’m rather excited myself. That is not something I have had experience with in the past.”

“Really? You mean the big bad wolf doesn’t ever get excited?” I teased, leaning into his side.

Chuckling, he twisted his grip on my hands as he turned to stand in front of me. Walking backwards, he maintained eye contact. Eye contact was something important to Brody, or, should I say, it was important to the animal side of him. To be honest, it was important to me, too. I loved looking into his eyes, and I loved the way him looking into mine made me feel.

“Yes, my funny lass, even the big bad wolf gets excited when he’s trying to impress his mate.”

This shut me up immediately, and I let his words sink in. His mate… I was his mate. I kicked myself for teasing him during a moment as important as this.
Goodness, Izzy, you can’t go one minute without putting your big foot in your mouth, can you?
I silently reprimanded myself. 

As we walked into the castle and began ascending the stairs to the upper floors, my heart was beating heavily in my chest.
What am I doing?
As much as I wanted Brody, I knew going to his chambers would change my life forever.
Am I truly ready for this?
 

He suddenly stopped and yanked me toward him. Looking into my eyes, he searched my face, either having sensed my worry or realizing that I’d submerged myself in my own inner thoughts. He said, “Enough of that, love. I can see you worrying yourself, and I won’t allow it. Not here, not now.”

“I’m sorry,” I apologized, nervously swallowing as I realized we had arrived at the doorway that would bring us to his private chambers.

“There is no reason to be sorry, my Pixie,” he said, leaning down to place a gentle kiss against my lips. 

“I’m just really nervous. Perhaps it is myself that is overly excited to impress my mate,” I quipped with a smile.

He threw his head back and barked out a laugh. “There has never been a better reason to be excited, my love. Everything between us is perfect. Don’t you feel it?”

I gently slid my hands up his chest and raised my face to look into his eyes, eyes that were already burning with desire. “I feel it,” I whispered, letting my worry fade away.

Before the words had even left my mouth, he slammed his lips upon my own. Gasping in surprise from the ferocity of his kiss, my mouth fell open, giving Brody the opportunity to slip his tongue in against my own. All of our kisses were always amazing, but this kiss was something else altogether, and literally stole the air from my lungs.

Yanking his mouth away, he let out a groan. “Inside, now, before we give the servants more to gossip about.”

Grabbing my hand, he dragged me into his chambers, desperate to claim me. I was no sooner through the doorway before he kicked at the door, slamming it shut behind us. Threading his hands through my hair, he tilted my face up to his. “I promise you, Izzy, that with all the power I possess, I will try to be gentle with you.”

Shaking my head as much as I could with his hands still holding it in place, I stared into his amber depths and said, “No, Brody, I don’t want you to hold back. I want all of you, both wolf and man. Please, give me all of you.”

“Christ,” he ground out, letting out a strangled breath. “How do you expect me to be able to resist that?”

“Don’t resist it. Just take me and make me yours,” I replied, hoping he would hear the sincerity in my voice.

Growling, he pulled me toward him and threw me on the bed. Landing on the bed with a bounce, I laughed. Smirking, I told him, “Now, there’s my wolf.”

As he stalked toward the bed, he didn’t bother to hide the desperate need in his eyes. Just watching him approach was enough to leave me panting. Stepping up to the side of the bed, he reached out and grabbed my ankles, yanking me toward him, before he collapsed on top of me, his hands on either side of my face.

“If this gets to be too much for you, please, stop me. I can’t seem to control myself or my beast when I’m around you. Now that you’ve all but begged me to ravage you, I am teetering on the edge. You have no idea how much I want you, Pixie.”

Lowering himself down, he rested his forehead against mine. Both of us seemed to be uncontrollable, our desire for one another taking over. I ran my hands up his muscular back, whispering, “I want you just as much, if not more, than you want me.”