AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Eve,” he repeats slowly, his voice dark velvet over icy steel. His dark eyes travel down my body, curiosity rather than lechery in their depths. Then they flick back up to my face, and I take an automatic half-step backward.
I’ve never met someone like Alex in my life. Helooksperfectly normal—handsome like his brother, even—but there is something… deeply, horriblywrongwith him.Every hair on my body stands on end as his gaze bores into mine, almost as if the instinct charged with my survival recognizes a danger I can’t see with my naked eye. But oh, boy, do Ifeelit. It’s like this man in front of me is the living embodiment of foreboding.
Alex mercifully turns his disturbing eyes from me to his brother. “She’s… very vulnerable, isn’t she? Soft. You must wake up terrified every day, especially with a baby on her breast. If cornered, a mother will almost always choose her child’s life over her own. It’s instinctive.”
“No oneis cornering Eve,” Adam growls, his voice low enough that none of our other guests can hear, but the warning is unmistakable. “Your text said you wanted to meet my mate and son. If you’re not in the right headspace to do so, you can leave.”
Alex smiles faintly, his chilling focus returning to me. “No need to get defensive, brother. They’re kin, after all. We protect our own. Don’t we?”
So swiftly I don’t manage to move away, he grabs the hand I’m not holding Jake with and raises it to his lips, placing a kiss on the back of it that sends chills down my spine.
“Welcome to the family, my dove," he says.
“Um. Thank you,” I manage stiffly.
“Alex,”Adam growls.
Alex sighs softly and releases my hand. His gaze lands on Jake. He stares silently at him for a long moment before he reaches out and gently strokes his cheek. It takes everything I have not to yank my baby out of his reach.
“Such a fragile little thing he is," Alex murmurs, as if he's a million miles away. "Take good care of my nephew, sweet dove.” Without another word, he walks off, mingling with our other guests.
“What. The hell. Is wrong with him?” I hiss through clenched teeth as I stare wide-eyed after the disturbing alpha.
Adam sighs softly and wraps his arm around me, pulling me into the comfort of his embrace. “Our upbringing was… difficult. He… came out of it with more scars than me.”
I wait for him to elaborate, but he doesn’t.
“Adam… is he… safe? To have in our home?” I whisper, anxiously following my brother-in-law with my gaze as he effortlessly mingles with our guests, a charming smile spreading on his handsome face. From the smiles of the people he interacts with, they don’t get the same instant sensation ofwrongnessfrom him as I did, almost as if he allowed me to see past the mask he usually wears around others.
“Yes,” my mate says softly. “And even if he wasn’t, know that I wouldn’t hesitate to put a knife in his heart to protect you or Jake. But the fact that he sees you as kin makes this… easier. He lives by his own moral compass, but family is sacred to him. As it is to me.” He turns to look at me, gentle resignation in his eyes. “He won’t hurt you, Eve, but sometimes his idea of protection isn’t much better. Just… stay by my side tonight.”
I swallow thickly, but nod. I’ve got zero problem with sticking to Adam like glue if it means his creepy brother keeps his distance.
I domy best to ignore Alex’s presence, and by the time the caterers begin to bring out the food, I’ve mostly succeeded. The guests’ oohs and ahhs fill the room as Noelle places the enormous turkey on the center of the table, and I shoot her a grateful smile.
“It looks beautiful," I tell her. "And it smells delicious.”
She grins. “I should hope so—I’ve been babying this bird for the past fourteen hours. We’ll bring out the rest of the sides now. Just give me a shout when you’re ready for dessert.”
“Will do. Thanks,” I say, turning my focus back to my guests, my heart swelling with gratitude at the gorgeous food and the company here to celebrate with us.
Everyone’s looking at the food, happily chatting to one another about how lovely it looks. Everyone but Alex. When my eyes catch on him halfway down the table, he’s not looking at the turkey.
He’s looking at Noelle.
My heart drops at the intensity in his eyes, and the look of hunger on his face that has nothing to do with the food she’s placed in front of him. I recognize that expression all too well; it’s the same way Adam looked at me the night he broke into my home.
If Noelle’s still as unenthusiastic about alpha lovers as she seemed last year, I think she’s got some uncomfortable times ahead.
* * *
WANT MORE FROM ADAM?
Even after Ifinished writingHoliday Intrusion, Adam refused to leave my head. He wouldn’t stop popping into my brain all,“You know what I did after meeting Eve? You want to find out how I planned to make her mine, don’t you?”
And the bastard was right. So… I wrote a bonus scene from his point of view starting immediately after Eve fled the mistletoe-elevator incident back in chapter 2.
If you want a little more time with our favorite stalker CEO, you can read the extra bonus scene HERE.
