Semua Bab Alpha Bait: Bab 31 - Bab 40

DRAKE - Emory was howling. Literally howling in my head as Eve leaned in close enough for me to kiss her. She was clearly giving me an opening. I leaned in and brushed my lips over hers before resting my forehead against hers. My eyes dropped to her lap. That damn engagement ring caught the light and stabbed straight through me. "Eve... you're engaged to him. As much as I want to... I only want you to be mine. I'm not the type to share." Her leg pulled away from mine. Emory lost it. His howls twisted into pained whines. I wondered if this was what Kha dealt with all the time. He always claimed Vince, or whatever his wolf's name was, seemed impossible to manage. "Drake, what are you doing? Just mark her!" "Calm the hell down." "Mark her and it won't matter! She'll be ours." "Those impulsive choices are Kha's thing, not mine." I tensed, trying to hold the line. "Stop acting like a half-breed. We're better than that." "Better than what? Better than feeling this pain

I lied to him. I should have told Kha I kissed Drake, but I kept it buried deep because I couldn't handle unleashing that storm. My insides felt like they were splitting in half. I tried to shut off the guilt, but it sank into my thoughts anyway. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Kha’s face twisted in hurt, or I heard Drake’s apologies replay in my head. Neither image brought me any peace. I told myself I had good reasons for keeping quiet. Maybe I was protecting him. Maybe I was just being selfish. I had no idea anymore. All I knew was that I wanted him right then. Maybe I wanted his anger to swallow mine. Maybe I just wanted to lose control and forget I felt torn in two. My thoughts spun around like leaves in a wind tunnel, and I couldn't decide if I wanted to yell or cry. Instead, I reached for him. Before I realized what I was doing, I pushed him backward onto the bed. His eyes went wide. He looked stunned. There was a brief second when I almost stopped. Then memories came rushi

EVE - "What happened?" "Just a patrol." Gerty crossed her arms and leaned against the counter. "The StClaires were testing our borders. It's a common occurrence, though tonight seemed more... intense." I sank into the nearest chair, my arms wrapping tight around myself to keep the adrenaline from shaking me apart. "Is everyone okay?" "Everyone's fine. No real harm done." Kha stepped inside, Franklin close behind. Neither of them wore a single stitch of clothing. They still looked like they hadn't fully come back from shifting. Franklin peeled off into the hall. Gerty leaned back, opened a drawer, and handed Kha a pair of shorts like this wasn't even worth commenting on. "Does this happen that often?" I asked before I could stop myself. "Feels like every time I'm here, almost." Kha sat down hard, rubbing his temples like his head hurt. "That's not true, and you know it." Gerty didn't even look at him when she said it. "Not right now, Gerty. Fuck." Kha stood fast, grabbed my w

KHA - When she told me she kissed Drake, I saw red. Literally. The betrayal hit like a gut punch, sharp and blinding. It felt like a knife twisting in my stomach, and all I could think about was tearing him apart. Dad asking me to stay and help fix what the StClaires wrecked was a gift I didn't deserve. I was too volatile to be around Eve. I agreed before he finished asking. While he grabbed gear, I texted Mom. I'd smelled her on Ty's wolf when he got too close. Mom was fucking Ty while he raided my land. Vance's voice crawled through my skull, rapid-fire, relentless, like he couldn't shut up and I couldn't shut him out. "Fucking stupid to trust humans. What were we thinking?" "They'll always choose themselves." "We aren't them. Never were. Never will be." "Idiots. Every last one of us." "This is betrayal. This is what it looks like." "They smile at you, then slit your throat. Pretend to care, then walk away." "Carved out. That's what it feels like. Like something's been scraped

KHA - Was she trying to get me to claim her again? Vance started screaming that was precisely what was happening. I didn't want to think about it, but Vance was relentless. I finally whispered, "You're mine. No matter what happens, you're mine." She nodded and pulled me to her so she could kiss me. I loved her, and I knew she couldn't control this. I had to stop fighting her over this and go with her. Support her through this. Otherwise, we'd end up exactly like my parents, with her running to Drake and me 'getting used to it,' as Dad put it. That wasn't going to happen with us, and I was going to make sure of it. We made love slowly. I wanted her to feel more than the physical here. She needed it. I needed it. We needed it. She never dug her nails in. She only ever did that when she was mad. But she wasn't mad at me now. I realized I might finally understand what Dad meant. Whatever she did, I would always forgive her. I couldn't afford not to. She was my everyth