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41
BROOKE
My chest feels hollow as I muddle through my afternoon at the hub. I hate that I picked a fight with Theo. After I let those nasty comments from Sutton fester, I knew it was only a matter of time- and when I heard him make that comment about his dad and becoming alpha, it tipped me over the edge. I lashed out, tried to hurt him before he could hurt me.
The worst part is that he’s right- he’s so right. Even though I said I was giving him a chance, I always had one foot out the door, unsure whether we’d really be able to work as a couple. Not allowing myself to give in fully, to give myself fully. Refusing to admit to myself that despite our differences, we fit pretty damn well together. We could be happy. We were happy.
But I screwed it all up. Pushed him away in some vain effort to shore up my walls and protect myself. And it totally backfired- in trying to protect myself, I only
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Alpha Theo 42
THEO “Wake up,” comes the sweetest voice, reaching into my mind, pulling me from sleep. The voice of an angel. I feel the weight of Brooke on the mattress beside me, shifting to move closer. Then I feel her fingertips stroking my hair gently. “Wake up, handsome…” I blink my eyes open, meeting the ocean blue of Brooke’s eyes. She’s so fucking beautiful. “Mmm,” I hum, leaning my head into her hand as she gently scratches my scalp. “That feels good.” Her pouty pink lips tip up into a smile as she traces her fingernails in a circle. “What time is it?” I squint, furrowing my brow. “Six.” “Six?!” I throw my eyes wide. Brooke giggles, sliding the covers off of her body and sitting up. “Why the hell are we awake?” I groan, scrubbing a hand over my face. “We don’t have to get up for at least another two hours, let’s go back to sleep…” Brooke smirks at me over her shoulder,
Alpha Theo 43
BROOKE I look into Theo’s eyes as he unbuckles the helmet strap under my chin, a smile creeping across my face. This. This must be what true happiness feels like. To be adored and cared for by this gorgeous man. This man who, despite his sharp edges, tends to me with such a gentle hand. The soft side he reserves only for me. He pulls the helmet off of my head, turning to set it on the back of his bike as I reach up to run my fingers through my disheveled hair. My long blonde tresses are all knotty from the ride over to Summervale on the back on Theo’s motorcycle- I should’ve thought of that and braided it or something. Theo swivels back to me as I’m still raking through the ends of my hair, smoothing it over my shoulders. His lips tip up into a grin. “I love when your hair’s all windblown like that,” he says, reaching out to cup my cheek. “It’s sexy as hell.” He leans in
Alpha Theo 44
THEO I kick my feet up on Brooke’s desk, leaning back in my chair as I watch her work. I take in the way her long fingers glide across the keyboard, the way she furrows her brow and chews her lip in concentration. She’s fucking adorable. I still can’t believe she’s mine. Well, almost. We’ve still got that whole marking thing to take care of in order to seal the bond. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately, and I feel like we’re both ready, but I’m just waiting for her to give me the green light. Maybe I’ll set up an epic date that’ll totally blow her mind, to the point where she’s begging for me to sink my teeth in her shoulder and claim her officially. Something to make it special. And yes, I know how fucking cheesy that sounds. What can I say? I’m fucking hooked on Brooke. I don’t care if it makes me look weak, because with her beside me, I’ve never felt stronger. She must feel empowered, too, jud
Alpha Theo 45
THEO “Dude, your dad’s here,” Jax remarks, nudging me with his elbow. “What?” I turn to follow Jax’s gaze, and sure enough, my old man is walking through the gate of the squad complex. If I wasn’t seeing it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it. I’m not sure my dad has ever been up here to visit me at the complex- and even now, he looks totally out of his element. Physically, he appears like he could belong here. He doesn’t look his age and he works out and stays fit. A lot of people say that I’m his spitting image, which I’m sure irritates him to no end since he thinks I’m a colossal fuck-up. I’ve got his square jaw, the same nose and brow line, and his height- but while his eyes are dark brown, Quinn and I both have our mom’s hazel eyes. As I stare at my dad standing by the gate, I can’t help but wonder what the hell he’s doing here- and if he’s here to see me. Then it hits me that Quinn probably le
Alpha Theo 46
BROOKE Theo has been acting strange all week. Ever since his dad showed up at the complex and they had their heart-to-heart and set aside their differences, he’s been quieter, more withdrawn. I’m trying not to panic. It’s a good thing that he’s finally on good terms with his father and is on track to become alpha. That should have no bearing on our relationship… right? Except now the full moon is only a few days away and it feels like he’s pulling away, and I’m stressing out under the immense pressure of our deadline to seal the mate bond- is this guy gonna frickin’ mark me or what? I’m trying to not over-think it, but that’s easier said than done. We said we were all in, so why does it suddenly feel like he’s backing out? Even when he asked this morning if he could take me out tonight, his nervous demeanor left me feeling a little uneasy. He was really vague about why he wouldn’t be coming to the hub this afternoon an
Alpha Theo 47
BROOKE I hear the click of the lock as I turn my key in the door of my dorm room, adjusting my backpack on my shoulders and turning to start down the hallway. I’m on cloud nine- freshly marked, a permanent smile etched across my face. Heart full of love. Theo and I are headed home to Summervale for the weekend to tell our parents that we’re mates and join our pack for the full moon run, and I’m so excited that I feel like I could burst. Everything about our marking was perfect. We stayed on top of that mountain all night, making love under the stars, talking about our plans for the future. For our future. We’re forever linked, forever connected. The mate bond is stronger than ever, and I’ve never felt more in sync with another person. Theo is truly my other half, my soulmate. I’m about halfway down the hallway when I see Sutton round the corner on the other end, glossy dark hair bouncing as she heads my way. A
Alpha Theo 48
THEO The packhouse is full, bustling with activity as everyone gathers together for the full moon run. Every one of the couches in the great room is packed with people, while others lean on the arms or the backs of the furniture, waiting for my dad to begin his pre-run announcements. The excitement in the air is palpable- our whole pack looks forward to the monthly run, we’re all itchy to let our wolves out and get started. Until last month, I hadn’t been back to Summervale for a run with my own pack in years. I’d almost forgotten how cathartic it is; how good it feels to be a part of something bigger and bond with your own pack. Running with Gray’s pack in Goldenleaf was always fine, but I didn’t feel the same loyalty and bond to those wolves as I do with my pack here in Summervale. It’s instinctual, it transcends all human thought and emotion. My pack is as much a part of me as I am of it. Tonight’s run is extra spec
Alpha Theo 1
THEOI’m dreaming when the blare of my alarm clock jolts me awake, its high-pitched beep delivering an instant headache. I paw for it on my nightstand, fingers clumsily searching for the snooze button. Instead, I knock the damn thing onto the ground, the beeping only growing louder as it echoes off of the cement floor.Fuck.Guess I’m up now.I blink sleep from my eyes, slowly adjusting to the dim light spilling in through the slit in the curtains on my window. The light intensifies my headache. I tied one on last night, and even my shifter healing hasn’t quite caught up to this hangover yet.I grumble as I kick the sheets away from my body, sitting up and leaning over to retrieve the alarm clock from the floor. I want to smash the fucking thing, but I hit a bunch of buttons instead, the incessant beeping finally ending. Groaning, I set it back on
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