Curse of the Alpha: The Complete Bundle Read Online Free Page B

body.
    It was happening again. Just like with MacGregor. Only this wasn’t a middle aged History teacher standing on the other side of the fence.
    Ainsley licked her lips and moved toward him. Her palms clinked against chain link fence, just as he crashed into it, clenching the metal in his powerful hands and twisting until several of the links gave way with a pop. God, but he was strong. She had a vision of him tearing down the entire section of fence just to get to her.
    A tiny moan escaped her lips and he growled softly in return, his dark eyes flashing a spectacular amber. His wolf must be close to the surface. She could feel her own, begging to be unleashed. Somehow she tore her eyes from his and the spell was broken.

Chapter 8
    E rik cursed softly to himself . He had almost lost control. In front of everyone. He hadn’t felt so reckless since he first learned to shift. His father was ex-military. Erik had grown up valuing the benefits of self-discipline.
    On the other side of the fence, Ainsley panted and held her head in her hands.
    “Wow,” Erik said. “I didn’t think that was real.”
    “What was real?” Ainsley asked, regaining her composure.
    “The drawing of the alpha.” He could tell from her befuddled look that she had no idea what he was talking about. He couldn’t remember the last time he had seen Ainsley Connor confused about anything. “Did you think about mating with me?”
    “Uh…” Her cheeks began to flush again.
    “It’s okay, I thought about it too.” He smiled but didn’t make eye contact. He didn’t want her to feel too embarrassed about it.
    “Yes, Erik, I’m an adult and have had those thoughts casually about plenty of men.” She was trying to sound cool and composed, but her racing heartbeat betrayed her. Ainsley obviously wasn’t used to dealing with wolves. When your senses were this sharp, there wasn’t much use in putting on airs. Most wolves were pretty straightforward as a result.
    “Wow, plenty, huh?”
    “Well, enough men.” A hint of a smile danced around the corner of her mouth. “Did something crazy really happen just then? Because of who I am?”
    “Yes, I always wondered if that part was fairy tale. I guess not.”
    He scaled the fence and landed next to her in a fluid motion.
    Her closeness was almost intoxicating, and he could feel heat radiating from her in waves. He had to try very, very hard not to think about mating. Not to think about her clawing her fingernails down his chest as he licked the spot where her neck met her collarbone…
    He could tell she was having the same problem.
    “Let’s not go down that road again,” he teased, letting out a long breath.
    “So what’s the drawing of the alpha?” she asked.
    “A wolf can’t become alpha without a mate. There’s no room for lone wolves as pack leaders. All wolves have the potential to be an alpha, but most never get a glimpse of it. You are the rightful heir, so when you looked into my eyes and thought about mating with me, it brought out my inner alpha. It was crazy. Did you really see a halo around me?”
    She studied him for a moment, as though she were trying to tell if he was joking at her expense. Couldn’t she hear his pulse, or smell him at all? Ainsley was not a very good wolf, but he supposed that was hardly her fault.
    “Yes,” she said. “There was light all around you and your hair was moving and your eyes were…”
    “It’s funny, there was light around you too – you looked just like an angel,” he mused. “I guess they don’t really talk about that part.”
    “So if I were to, um, choose you, you would become the alpha?”
    “It’s not that simple. It has to be real, Ainsley. You’d have to love me. Or whoever,” he added, looking away again.
    Erik wondered how any small town wolf from Tarker’s Hollow was ever going to convince Ainsley Connor to fall in love. He remembered her stubborn determination, even as a child. The pack might be in more trouble