Page 30 of His Sold Fated Mate

Fuck!

I shook my head, trying not to get a hard-on. I didn’t understand where these dirty thoughts were coming from. I blamed the bond that we shared now.

I pushed myself out of my chair and swung up. I needed air. A change of scenery should help. I grabbed my jacket, and I headed out. I wasn’t even sure where I was going to go. Maybe just a walk around the block.

I turned the corner and froze because the universe had different plans.

Aubrey sat across the street in the park. She had a book propped open in her lap with a notebook on her other leg. She was chewing one end of her pen, and she stared intently at whatever she was reading.

She looked peaceful on the bench with no one around her. I watched the way her lips pursed and the way she shifted. Her thighs moved wider, and my eyes stared lower.

You want her. She’s willing; why are you fighting it? You can’t deny that she’s attractive.

I looked around and turned on my heels. I had to have some self-control. Just because she looked nice didn’t mean anything. I started down the sidewalk, planning to turn at the next corner. I made it a couple of feet before a voice spoke up.

“Well, well, well. Look what we have here.”

My legs stopped, and I glanced over my shoulder. A group of guys stood near her now. I couldn’t tell who it was since their backs were toward me. One snatched the book and read the covers. “So, it is true. The Alpha married a witch.”

Aubrey reached for the book, but another grabbed her arm, yanking it back, stopping her from grabbing it. My eyes watched the way his fingers wrapped around her shoulder. Anger hit me, and I started walking toward them.

Aubrey tried to pull herself up but was shoved back down. Her eyes widened, and I could see worry fill them. “I was just reading. Can I please have the book back?”

I moved faster, curling my hands into tight fists.

“Word is going around that you were hanging with witches. Even busted a convent. Don’t you have any self-respect? Don’t you understand that you’re married to an Alpha? Have some decency to act like a proper wife.”

Aubrey looked baffled, unsure of what to even say.

I growled, feeling a strong urge to protect Aubrey. I knew it was the connection, the mating bond that we shared. But another part was because she didn’t deserve the third degree. Aubrey didn’t even know what shifters were a few weeks ago. “That’s enough.”

All of the guys straightened, and her book fell to the ground. They turned, and I quickly recognized their faces. It was Philip, Harvey, and Dustin. They had all tried out for the Beta position and lost. Ever since then, they have always acted like they were an extension of Cal. I was pretty sure they were trying to climb the ladder, which I didn’t have time for.

Philip straightened his shoulders. “Klaus, we were just…”

“Just what?” I asked, not in the mood. “Bothering my wife? As I recall, I gave a firm warning to the entire pack to treat her as you would me.”

“She’s practicing magic,” Harvey added. “We were just warning her that she shouldn’t be doing so in a public area.”

“Warning her about what?” I growled, losing the calm that I was holding onto. “Did I ask any of you to get into her space? To corner her like animals or take her stuff? Have I ever stated that witches were not welcome in the pack, that people weren’t allowed to read about them?”

They stammered now, taking a step back. “We were…”

I pulled a hand up, stopping them. I didn’t want to hear any of the excuses they would come up with. “Get out of my face before I decide to let you walk away with all your appendages.”

They stumbled away, and I turned to Aubrey. She reached down and grabbed the book, wiping the grass off it. She held it close to her, and I could see the way the book pressed against her breast.

Fuck me.

I grabbed her arm, pulling her with me. “Hey!”

“Walk,” I snapped, looking around. I could see that several people were watching us now, having watched the entire dispute unfold. “And why the hell are you sitting out here like this?”

She threw me a glare. “I didn’t think it was going to be a problem! I was just reading a book, for God’s sake. It wasn’t like I was walking bare ass around the town.”

I stopped and turned to her. “I’m not talking about the book, Aubrey! I’m talking about your attire!”

Her face went red, and she glanced down at her clothes. “What is wrong with my clothes? It’s hot outside.”