The Curse Of The Alpha

26

My gasp catches my throat. For a second I don't think I heard him right because his sudden admission is too absurd to believe.

"I'm afraid I don't share the sentiment," I tell him firmly. I'm not going to let him in here to say something completely unbelievable.

"It wasn't your fault that your mate is a soulless, evil man who if allowed any ounce of freedom, would destroy the Pack you call home," he says.

I stare him down, a bout of laughter fighting with a burst of anger. He can't be serious.

"He...hmm." I break off. I don't want to risk saying anything that reveals Sire is free.

"Now you have to face the rest of your life without him." Why does he sound like he actually feels sorry for me, and not like he is taunting me.

I stalk past him, grabbing my glass of wine. "So what? I can handle it."

"You're stronger than I anticipated, and smarter," he muses, watching me keenly. I don't fold under his gaze, not wanting him to know that he makes me uncomfortable.

"Smarter because I listened to you instead of my mate?" I ask, giving him a cold smile.

"Absoloutely." He runs his hands back through my hair. "My point is, I feel bad about forcing your mate away from you."

"Good, you should," I snap.

He may not have a mate, but what he did is unforgivable. He knows now that the curse hasn't gone away, and he still wouldn't free Sire. Sire is too much of a threat to him personally.

He takes a step toward me, looking like he wants to reach out to touch me. "I you want to talk..."

"Why would I talk to you? We aren't friends," I growl, taking a long drink from my glass, hoping this is just an alcohol fuelled dream that I will soon wake up from.

"But we can be," he insists. "If you want to stay with me..."

I try not to pull a face. No amount of money could convince me to live in close proximity to him for a period of time. Not to mention what Sire would do.

"I'm fine."

He falls silent as I turn away. It's like he's battling with something in his mind, unsure of how to say it. Tension gathers in my shoulders as I anticipate what he is going to say next.

He grabs my arm, twisting me around. Before I can wrestle from his grasp, he plants both hands on my shoulders and grips me tightly.

"I'm attracted to you. I have been since I first saw you, and I thought about how cruel fate must be to pair you with a monster like Sire over someone like me," he says in one breath.

I nearly choke on my surprise.

"Uh..."

"I'm not asking you to want to be with me right now," he says, shaking his head. "But if you want to go on a date or something, I am open to it."

My mouth has been hanging open for so long my throat has dried out. I can't tell if I want to laugh in his face for his audacity, or if I want to investigate more to ensure there isn't some deeper, more sinister plan going on.

"I'm sorry, I'm just trying to understand what you're telling me," I say slowly.

Something flickers in his eyes. "This is unprecedented, I can assure you. I didn't expect to struggle so much to get you out of my head."

There is a sincerity in his expression that suggests this isn't a trick. That terrifies me more than anything.

"That's just guilt."