Chapter 7: Bound by Instinct

She was a bitten, without a pack, and she only associated with one werewolf. A werewolf who seemed to have given her a skewed idea of what pack life was like.

It was strange. Wolves were pack animals.

Unless Will enjoyed having his own private pack with her.

“I don’t see the point of dragging this on.”

“You mean the same way you don’t see the point of a pack.”

“I see the point of a pack. I just don’t see the point of an alpha,” she corrected.

He was confused. What had that beta told her? “They go together.” How could you have a pack without an alpha to lead it?

Betas, omegas—they needed guidance, structure, a leader.

“No, they don’t.”

“Humans have a head of the household, don’t they? Someone who provides and maintains order…”

“It’s not the same.”

“Isn’t it?”

“A parent doesn’t make you kill someone.”

His lips parted, his blue eyes sparkling. Now he had something to go on. “Kill? Is that what Will’s alpha did?”

“No, he didn’t do anything. He made other people do his dirty work.”

“And what was that?”

Alexander watched as a myriad of emotions flickered in her eyes. She was biting her lip, probably debating whether to share with him. He ~needed~ to know.

Something was off, and he needed to fix it. Maybe if he could change her view on alphas, this wouldn’t be so difficult.

She was sitting across from him, her disdain for him palpable. It wasn’t right.

“He had the pack kill his parents.”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why did the alpha have his parents killed?”

“I—I don’t know. Because he was a monster. Because his mom was human.”

A bitten and a halfsie.

They were quite the pair. It almost made sense—almost. But she was his. “And you think that’s why he killed them?”

“Why else?”

Alexander shrugged. “There’s a human in my pack. We haven’t killed her.”

Her lower lip quivered for a moment—just a moment—as she considered his words. But she couldn’t believe him.

“You could have killed a hundred humans. I wouldn’t know.”

“And I’m telling you, I haven’t killed one and no one in my pack has.”

“I’m supposed to trust you?”

“You should trust me more than you trust that friend of yours.” He knew that killings within the pack were possible, but they weren’t the norm—especially without a reason.

If they allowed a wolf to mate with a human and have a child…then her being human wasn’t the reason they killed her. They would have done it a long time ago. Something about the story didn’t add up.

Her friend Will hadn’t told her the whole truth.

“I know Will. I don’t know you.”

“Let’s change that.”

Those were the last words he said before he reached over and grabbed her phone.

By the time she realized what he was doing, it was too late. He had her phone in his hands.

“Give it back!” she shouted, reaching across the table to try and retrieve her phone.

But he ignored her.

She watched him type something into her phone before he held it to his ear. After a few seconds, he ended the call and slid her phone back across the table. “Done.”

“What did you just do?”

“I dialed my number. Now,” he said, pulling out his own phone, “I have yours.”

She slammed her hands on the table, using the force to push herself up.

“Do you find this amusing?” She spat out.

“I don’t know what you’re after, okay? I’m sorry I let you touch me. Believe me, I didn’t want it either. Why don’t you go back to your pack and your little friends or whatever and leave me be? Stop tailing me, stop talking to me.

“I’m not interested. Whatever you think is going to happen here, it’s not.”

He stood up, his hand closing around her wrist, pulling her towards him. As her body collided with his, she held her breath.

“I think you’re surrounded by bad influences. If you’d ever seen a pack, you’d have a different perspective. So don’t you dare spread false stories about us.

“You don’t know the first thing about being a werewolf, and it’s not because you were bitten.”

It was all because of a misguided wolf filling her head with wrong ideas.

“I’ve had more of my wolves come back hurt because of a human than humans who’ve ever been harmed by one of mine. So don’t you twist the story to fit your agenda.”

His grip on her wrist tightened, and fear surged through her.

“You want to know what I want? I want you in my pack.”

His own response startled him. Was that what he wanted? Had he been following her just to bring her back with him?

Even if he couldn’t claim her like this? It would keep her close. It would keep her within his sight. The more he thought about that beta sniffing around her, the more he disliked it.

At least if she was close, he could ensure no one touched her. She wasn’t born this way; he doubted she knew about mates, about anything. It did make sense why she didn’t feel the bond.

She probably did, but she didn’t understand it. She couldn’t identify it. And he wasn’t about to be the one to explain it to her.

“Y-your pack? Are you out of your mind?” she whispered.

“What made you think I’d ever follow you?”

He used his hold on her wrist to guide them around the table, his grip never wavering. This time, there was nothing left in their way.

Alex knew her heat was over, yet, she was responding to him.

She probably didn’t realize it, but she was leaning into him. He could smell her arousal, he could see the goosebumps on her arms.

She wanted him too. She was susceptible to him.

But she was resisting it. She was putting up a wall between them. She wasn’t letting herself go enough to let him have her.

His lips were near her ear, making her hold her breath.

“Because you said I could have a taste…” His nose traced along her jawline. “And you left before I could have you.”

He could ~hear~ her heartbeat, the way it was pounding. He also didn’t miss the subtle shift of her legs.

This. This was why he shouldn’t have her in his pack. But he could taste her—he could taste her without having all of her.

She wouldn’t know. He’d satisfy the cravings and they’d both be free.

Deep down, he could sense his wolf smirking. As if he’d resist.

Even if he walked away now. He knew where she lived. He knew where she worked. He’d be back. He could fight it. He could say no.

But he had to face the truth; he probably wouldn’t be saying no forever. And she certainly wouldn’t be saying no forever either.

“Let me go.”

It wasn’t a command. It was more of a plea.

Her voice was shaky, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She wasn’t crying but she was overwhelmed. There was a twinge in his chest. Was that guilt? He’d acted without thinking. She was making him irrational.

He couldn’t think clearly. He wanted her. ~He needed her~.

Had he been foolish enough to believe that he could force himself to stop wanting her? That he could convince himself to ~not~ have her as his mate? He knew better than that.

He hadn’t chosen this. Yet, he couldn’t refute it either. There was no gray area, no scenario where he didn’t claim her or simply walked away.

His hand balled into a fist as he considered her lack of similar guilt. She didn’t experience the intensity of the connection, the yearning for proximity.

If he could feel the same, he could let her live her life and return to his own.

She wasn’t prepared for this.

Any of it.

To say she looked stunned when her arm fell into nothingness would be an understatement. It dropped to her side, and suddenly his warmth was absent.

He straightened up, a smile gracing his lips.

“You know how to reach me,” he said, offering her one last grin before striding past her.

If he didn’t leave now, he might do something irreversible.

He didn’t know how to ~not~ push her. Yet, the more he pushed, the more she retreated. There might come a time when she’d finally yield, but what would he have to do to reach that point?

He couldn’t go into this unprepared.

He couldn’t be so impulsive.

His inner wolf was in turmoil as he walked away, but he suppressed it. ~He wasn’t giving up~. He almost wanted to laugh at himself; how quickly he had fallen.

He couldn’t resist glancing back, wondering if she was watching him.

But she wasn’t.

She didn’t watch him leave, she didn’t stir. She waited, her head bowing slightly.

Was it instinctual or could she feel his gaze on her? Was she deliberately avoiding his look?

He heard her swallow, then she finally exhaled a long breath, her shoulders trembling.

She glanced to her right, her cellphone on the table catching her eye. She reached for it and lit up the screen. Was she going to erase his number? He could see her phone from over her shoulder, her finger hovering.

Her thumb wavered left and right but never made contact.

Alexander took a few more steps, blending into the building’s edge, becoming part of the background to ensure she wouldn’t notice him. She would do it.

She’d erase his number. But then, her thumb never hit the delete icon. Instead, she turned off the screen and stuffed her phone into her back pocket.

He thought she might spin around, spot him there, but she didn’t.

She rose, her fingers digging into her palms as she clenched her fists, and then, she walked in the opposite direction, her phone peeking out from her pocket.

She hadn’t deleted it.

There might be enough there for him to salvage.

He couldn’t be gentle, it wasn’t in his nature. But he could use this to his advantage. He’d have to rein in his impulses, control his anger.

One moment with her and she had invaded all his thoughts.

He couldn’t help but laugh softly.

A peculiar bitten werewolf as a mate.

~He had the shittiest luck.~