Page 36 of The Alpha's Forced Bride
Harvey leaned forward. “I'm willing to do everything I can to write my wrongs. I'll take complete responsibility.”
Blake hummed thoughtfully. “I am worried about what this possibly could have done to the land itself and the surrounding communities.”
Troy waved a hand in agreement. “This is true. We must consider the surrounding environment, including its people and this ecosystem. It's so delicate around here, so we have to make sure that we're doing everything we can to live in harmony with nature.”
Harvey tapped the table, drumming lightly. “I couldn't agree more. My pack members who remain are willing to exorcise their demons, they're completely committed to it.”
I side as I leaned back in my chair. Regina scooted forward again and rested her hand over my hand. Holding on to her made tears spring to my eyes. Before I could stop them, they were flowing down my face and soaking the collar of my cashmere sweater. The same one that had been dirtied by Harvey and also cleaned by him in his tub. There were certain things I was used to living without, having been at that village with the Grimpaws. Yet, there were also things that I missed, like laundry machines, computers, and my damn cell phone.
“I'll have to fight Cain. It's pack tradition,” Harvey explained, to which Blake Troy nodded. Both alphas understood this necessity. They were also fascinated by how Harvey offered them respect. I hadn’t expected him to do that. It wasn't that I expected my mate to be disrespectful, it was just a strange place to be for all of us. Blake and Troy exchanged another silent look. It was interesting to see them both look at Harvey, and to witness all three of them connect in a way that was so subtle. I could have sworn I saw something magical happening between them. Were the three of them making eye contact at the same time? If they were, how was that possible? At once, the illusion flew away, and Troy raised his hands triumphantly—just high enough to his shoulders to exhibit the joy that he felt.
“We will assist the alpha of the Grimpaws in his fight to retain his alpha title.”
I sighed with relief.
***
Later, after the meeting was over. I walked with Harvey to the cornfield where the lively vegetable had grown in the fall. We stood among the tall husks, feeling the freedom and strength in the air. It was exactly how I felt. I held his hands in mine as he focused on my eyes. I heard his heart beating loudly in his chest, heard the way his blood raised through his veins. I tilted my head back to look up at him.
“You need to be protected.”
He smiled. “I was about to say the same thing.”
My smile grew as my heart joined his rhythm. Together, they were beating like drums.
“I mean it, Harvey. I think I should bite you. I’m sure it would solidify everything.”
His eyes widened. “Aren't we already solidified in everything that we've done?”
He held my hands to his cheeks. The warmth that I could feel from him was so soothing and comforting,
“I mean it,” I insisted. “Let me do it. I want to.”
Without argument, he bowed toward me, cradling me in his arms as I stood on my toes and allowed my mouth to shift into my wolf's snout—just enough so that my canines and my teeth would be useful. I'd never done this before, but I had considered it many times, especially during the night when no one else was awake. I thought about how it might feel, or how It would change the course of my life. It was never something I considered with Harvey, yet at the same time, it was something I asked for without even thinking about it.
I wanted so much to plunge my teeth into his throat, to drink of him as he had drunk of me. To make that soulful promise that he had made. As soon as I broke the skin, he gasped in such a lustful way that the sound shot right down to my center. He leaned against me and I held him up, as carefully as I had when we were in that oceanic cave. I pulled him closer to me and carefully licked the wound. I stood back as it healed, and his eyelids were heavy. But he still managed to look at me with a lazy grin that spoke of his contentment.
“I can't believe you did that.”
I chuckled lightly. “Why wouldn't I?”
“I don't know,” he admitted. “But I guess it's good that you did, isn't it?”
I quietly took his hand and wiped up the remaining blood from his neck. After leading him out of the corn maze, we walked to the barn where we could get some more privacy. Being with him like that made me want to do so many things to him—the same things that I thought about earlier, before the meeting. Now that I had the chance, I wanted to take it, because I wasn't sure how the next few nights were going to go. I wasn't sure if we were welcome here, and I wasn't sure if we should return back to the village. With Kirk and Clancy watching the remaining members, they were safe enough. We didn't have to worry too much, and we could get in touch with them at the drop of a hat, if it was necessary.
While walking into the barn, I smelled the musty earthiness and the decaying wood. I noticed a ladder leading to a loft, which was a little creakier than I would have liked. After closing the door behind me, I led him toward the ladder and up to the loft. I wanted him to do whatever he wanted, and I told him that by pulling his hands toward the very areas that I knew would get us rubbed up. His lips joined mine in a heated and lustful display of affection, so desperate that it turned me into a mess within seconds.
My ears were filled with the sound of our gasps and pants, unable to sense anything else. This was my mistake, and I would forever blame myself for what transpired next. For, as I was distracted with Harvey, I didn't notice the figures that had enclosed the space and crept up on us. That had been waiting for us to go inside. When we were caught, we were separated, and I was taken away from him, kicking and screaming into the night.
Chapter 19 - Harvey
Four days without my love had taken a toll on me. Ever since what happened four nights ago, I hadn't slept a wink. I kept thinking about the fact that Cain had taken her right out from under me. It wasn't right sleeping without her, and I couldn’t rest my head on a pillow where her head would not lay. Those singular thoughts haunted me as I approached the village. On a late Sunday evening, with rain pouring down, I could already see figures standing around in the center of this street, waiting to watch the fight that would soon erupt.
Cain had brought his lackeys back with him. Those defectors who had chosen to betray their one true alpha. Shiloh, in particular, had seen better days. His eyes were bruised and his mouth hung slack as if he had been punched in the jaw repeatedly. It occurred to me that perhaps he hadn't chosen of his own accord to defect along with Cain, that maybe his demon had something to do with it. Perhaps that was true for all of them. Still, I had to consider that there was still a level of choice involved. As much as I understood being possessed and fighting against something that dwelled inside, I also understood the power of resistance of rebellion, and of remaining true to oneself. Regardless, my compassion went out to them as I crossed the barrier, walking out with Troy, Eric, Blake, and a few others from the Bravecrest and the Beaufort Creek pack.
It was fascinating to be in this predicament, but at the same time it made my blood boil because I could see Kiara, my mate, just on the other side of Cain. Down on the ground on her knees with her arms tied behind her back, with a blindfold over her eyes. We only had one choice here, and it was mine to make—I had to face this fight and ensure that Cain submitted himself to the Grimpaw pack. If he refused, then we would have to drive him away, or I would have to kill him, because at the end of the day, he could eventually decide that he wants to come back and try again. I couldn’t risk anyone else from my pack getting hurt.
There were only ten of us left now, half of what we were before. Even those members from before had already accepted their demons or had taken their own lives. Almost like I had one night, a long time ago. It was something I had wanted to talk to her about, something that had been in the back of my mind ever since she was taken. If I had succeeded, I would never have met her, and I would never have met Blake, Troy, or Jermain. I would have never understood the concept of a pack led by two alphas. I would never have met all the various characters that lived inside the Beaufort-Bravecrest pack. I finally understood what used to not make sense to me—that there was a greater community at large, one that I could seek comfort in; one that could be better for all of us as a whole. I was here to liberate my pack and to ensure their survival, and I would do anything to make that happen.
