Imprinted By The Alpha (BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance) (The Marked One - Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

leave.” Only then did Ava notice a second man, standing just behind him and looking just as angry.
    The creep turned to his friend, took a quick look at Jared and his crew, and Ava had the impression he was contemplating his odds. He had a fighting stance, but as his eyes seemed to calculate, he apparently didn’t like the situation at all. Finally, he turned to Ava and sneered. “You and me,” he leveled in a low tone, pointing at her and back at himself. “We’ll meet again, pretty lady.” With a wink and a salacious grin, he turned, slapping his friend on the back, and they stalked slowly away, the entire group watching them fade into the darkness of the woods.
    Kelly let out a long breath beside Ava. “Fuck me! Are you alright?”
    Ava nodded, aggravated. “I’m fine. Except for the buzz kill.” She turned to Jared, who still stood a few feet away, staring at the spot where the two guys had disappeared. “Thanks, Jared.”
    He snapped, and two of his friends started off in the same direction. “Not a problem. We’re going to follow them and make sure they actually leave.” He kissed Jen and started after his friends. “Stay here,” he called, “I’ll be right back.” He trotted off.
    Ava was glad for both Kelly’s and Jared’s intervention; she felt stronger with her best friend by her side, and yet, from the size of the two men, she knew they’d needed the backing of the boys. She and Kelly couldn’t have fought the two creeps off alone, though she would have fought like a hellcat.
    “Are we out of beer?” she asked Kelly, trying to shake off the incident.
    Kelly nodded toward the parking lot. “There’s more in the car.”
    Decisively, Ava told her friend, “I’m grabbing one. You want one?”
    Kelly gave her a stunned look. “Are you kidding me? What about those assholes?”
    Ava waved it off. “They went the other direction, and Jared will make sure the coast is clear. I’m sure they’re gone already. I’ll be fine.” Of course, her words were more confident than her heart, but that was the whole purpose of getting the beer in the first place. She started up the trail, calling back, “I’ll be back in five minutes.”
    She wouldn’t let a couple of jerks ruin her night or frighten her, she decided as she navigated the path alone. She was on full alert, her senses heightened, but she wouldn’t be afraid. She listened to the music echo through the woods and as she reached the car, she turned to see the moonlight still glinting off the lake. She popped the trunk and grabbed the last six pack, deciding to bring the whole thing. After all, she was stone-cold sober now, and she wanted to change that.
    Confidently, she headed back down the path, but an image of her encounter replayed unbidden in her head, and she shivered. Why was it that all the losers found her attractive? As she followed the flickering amber flames back to the bonfire, she shook her head, thinking that there was always some deadbeat trying to lure her in.   She’d had some epic failures in attempting relationships, and she rolled her eyes, thinking there had to be better options out there.
    The hair on the back of Ava’s neck stood up, and she stopped dead in her tracks. It felt like someone was watching her, maybe following her in the shadows, and she whipped around, scanning the darkness for anything out of place. “Hello?” she called quietly. There was no response, and Ava felt foolish. There she was, letting the night’s turn of events rule her.
    Her heart pounded in her chest a little harder, and she felt anxious. Chiding herself, she turned around and took a step in the direction of the party. It was time to pound a beer or two and get back to that place where she felt free and loose.
    She collided with something rock hard and bounced back, nearly knocked to the ground as she stumbled backward to try and catch her balance. Her gaze fell on the most incredible bright green eyes she’d ever seen, and