Alpha Theo by C.J. Primer

CHAPTER THIRTY

Brooke

Maybe I’m a fool, but it’s damn near impossible to stay mad at Theo when he flashes that gorgeous smile and turns on the charm. I swore those things would never work on me, but then again, I also swore that there was no way I’d catch feelings for someone like him- and a few kisses later I’m all gooey and swoony.

I’m not sure if it’s the mate bond or his display of raw vulnerability that has my walls tumbling down again, but either way, it feels good to be with him, for him to hold my hand, to laugh and joke and for him to call me ‘kid’. There’s a warm familiarity to it all, like we’re falling back into step with one another. He has me forgetting about the pressure of the mate bond, of the ticking clock to seal it- instead, when I’m with him, I’m at ease, like we can just relax and keep getting to know each other.

And then there’s those kisses. Holy crap! I’ve never felt my body come alive like that. My wolf was definitely egging me on, but instead of having to battle her back, I felt so in sync with her, like we were finally unified. The mate bond had me itching to touch Theo, to be near him, and as soon as our lips connected, I let go. I let myself feel free and wild and sexy, lost in the moment. And the way he was grabbing me, holding me, had me so turned on that I felt like my body was bursting into flames.

I definitely didn’t feel like ‘good girl’ Brooke when I had my legs wrapped around Theo. It scared me a little how much I liked it- how much I liked feeling a little bad. Then when I felt his hard-on against my belly, it did something to me. The knowledge that I had Theo, the gorgeous Adonis that he is, so turned on made me feel so seductive, so powerful. I had to step away because I had the craziest urge… to touch it.

Rationally, I knew the right thing to do was to stop before things went too far, but part of me didn’t want to. The ache between my legs lingered all the way to the little ice cream shop in Goldenleaf, where we both ordered two scoops and got to the register before realizing that neither of us brought our wallets. Theo sweet-talked the girl at the counter into letting us have the ice cream for free, and all the while I looked on, something ugly stirring inside of me- jealousy.

I’ve heard that the mate bond can make shifters possessive, but damn, I wanted to claw that girl’s eyes out for the way she was looking at Theo, giggling and leaning her boobs over the counter as she flirted with him. And then my mind went to nastier places, wondering if he’d hooked up with her, speculating about how many notches were really on that bedpost of his. Debating whether I would ever feel safe and comfortable with a guy who had a past like Theo’s.

Then he touched my arm, and it’s like all of those thoughts instantly dissipated. He led me outside and pulled out his phone, unwinding the cord to his headphones. Then we sat on a bench, eating our ice-cream and sharing the headphones and listening to music. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt so content.

Fast forward to this morning, and before my alarm even goes off my phone vibrates on my nightstand, a text from Theo popping up on the screen. I blink the sleep from my eyes, reaching over for my glasses first, positioning them on the bridge of my nose before retrieving my phone and unlocking it to read the message.

Theo: hey kid, you up?

Well I am now I think to myself, chuckling as I sweep the sheets off of my body before typing a message back.

Brooke: Good morning to you, too.

He immediately fires off a response.

Theo: wanna play hooky today?

I stare at his message, unsure of how to respond. My knee-jerk reaction is absolutely not, but like so many other things with Theo, he has me wanting to let go, step outside of my comfort zone.

My fingers hover over my phone, hesitant to agree to his suggestion. I’m the girl who has always had perfect attendance! I never missed a day of school, have never missed a day of work. I can’t just ditch my responsibilities and go off somewhere with Theo… can I?

My phone vibrates with another message.

Theo: you haven’t said no, so you must be thinking about it

I giggle, staring at my phone as another text comes in.

Theo: c’mon, kid. live a little!

I type out a response, hitting send.

Brooke: What did you have in mind?

I suddenly realize that I’m grinning down at my phone like a crazy person, coming to my senses and tossing it on the bed as I climb out, stretching my limbs. Then I hear it vibrate again and I practically dive for it.

Theo: you’ll see. meet me at the gate in 20?

Brooke: Theo…

Theo: Brooke.

I sigh exasperatedly.

Brooke: Fine.

Twenty minutes doesn’t give me a lot of time to get ready, so I rush to the locker room to brush my teeth and wash my face, then hustle back to my own room to find something to wear. Once I pull on a pair of ripped skinny jeans and run a brush through my hair, I fumble through my drawer of band t-shirts to find one in particular- my Beatles tee. It’s a nod to the song he played for me yesterday that I wonder if he’ll pick up on. I trade my glasses for contact lenses, slick some mascara on my lashes and pink lip gloss on my lips, and I’m out the door.

Always punctual, I’m at the gate by the twenty-minute mark, looking around for Theo. My heart drops to my stomach when I hear the roar of his motorcycle, snapping my head around to see him rolling up to the gate slowly. He sets the kickstand, leaving the engine purring as he climbs off and strides over to me.

I shake my head as he approaches. “No.”

Then he holds something up. It’s the leather jacket he got me- that beautiful jacket he gifted me the first time I went for a ride on his motorcycle. The same jacket I left on his doorknob that night after things went so wrong. A cheeky smile tugs at his lips, his hazel eyes sparkling.

“C’mon…”

I shake my head again, sighing. “Why would you do this, Theo?”

His smile fades in response to the tension in my voice.

“I thought we could turn a bad memory into a good one,” he says.

My chest tightens. There it is again- that effort, that vulnerability. He’s really trying.

Reluctantly, I step closer to him, reaching out to take the jacket. I run my hands over the soft leather, staring down at it.

His face lights up when I start to shrug it on. “Are we doing this?”

I chuckle wryly. “I guess so…”

The words have barely left my lips before Theo darts over to his motorcycle, grabbing the helmet off of the back. He brings it over to me, putting it on my head, fastening the buckle. He places his palms on the sides of the helmet and shakes it around again, asks if it’s tight enough. I nod, and he takes a step back, raking his eyes up and down my body, drinking in my appearance.

“What?” I ask, smirking.

Theo peers at me with a hooded gaze. “You look fucking hot,” he murmurs. “You totally pull off the biker babe thing.”

My cheeks warm in a flush. All apprehension I had about getting on his motorcycle again flies out the window when he looks at me like that. “Whatever. Let’s just do this before I change my mind.”

I walk over to the bike, waiting for him to climb on. I’m unprepared when he grabs me by the waist and plucks me off the ground easily, lifting me with his burly arms like I weigh nothing. A little shriek escapes my lips midair and I’m met with Theo’s eyes, swirling with the coppery shimmers of his wolf as he sets me on the back of his motorcycle. Then he just stands back for a moment, taking in the sight of me on his bike with such adoration that my heart could burst.

“Is the Beatles shirt for me?” he asks, his lips tipping up into a grin.

He noticed.

I just smile coyly, giving a little flick of my head to beckon him to join me. I’m itchy to be near him, to wrap my arms around him.

He quickly complies, throwing a leg over his motorcycle and climbing on. It doesn’t take me any coaxing this time to scooch closer, pressing my body against his back and winding my arms around his torso.

“You ready?” he asks over his shoulder, revving the engine.

I blow out a breath, my heart racing. “I’m trusting you to take it easy this time,” I warn.

Theo laughs, and the rumble of his laughter and the engine makes my belly do somersaults. Then he pushes off, starting slowly toward the road as the motorcycle vibrates beneath us.

Then he picks up a little speed. I feel the wind in my hair, the warmth of Theo’s body underneath my fingertips. My wolf purrs, sated by the rush of adrenaline as we travel down the forest road. He starts to drive a little faster and I squeeze my arms tighter, fear creeping in. This time, he picks up on it, slowing down. It’s like we’re in sync, connected. Maybe it’s the bond.

It surprises me how much I enjoy the ride on the winding road up the mountain. Theo maintains a comfortable speed, taking the curves slowly. I’m almost sad when we reach the top and he coasts to a stop, putting the kickstand down. I don’t want it to end.

He kills the engine, turning to look at me over his shoulder. “Well?”

I drop my arms from his waist and he climbs off of the bike, spinning to face me and unfastening my helmet. He pulls it off overhead and I immediately reach up to smooth my unruly hair. “It was good,” I say as a wide smile spreads across my face. “Better than good. Great. I loved it,” I gush, still riding the wave of adrenaline from the ride.

Something flashes in Theo’s eyes- something wild, predatory. In a moment, he’s on me, his arm snaking around my waist, his lips covering mine in a hard, bruising kiss. Heat pools between my legs, still spread around the seat of his motorcycle as I claw at his chest, his back, relishing in the feel of his firm muscles under my fingertips, pressing my body closer to his. I hear the helmet drop to the ground as he keeps kissing me hungrily, twining his tongue with mine as fireworks burst behind my eyelids. Then Theo winds my hair around his fist, gives it a little tug and my head drops back, his lips traveling to my neck as a mewl of pleasure escapes my lips.

Holy hell. The way he’s nipping and licking and sucking on my neck feels incredible- the pulsing between my legs grows stronger as I grip his rock-hard bicep with one hand, move the other to tug at his hair. He presses himself closer to me, leaning over me- too far, because suddenly it feels like the bike is going to tip over, us with it. He must realize it too, because he stops his assault on the tender flesh of my neck, pulling back and grabbing at the seat to steady his bike. His hand brushes my inner thigh and my body goes molten.

Theo gazes at me as he steadies his bike, his nostrils flaring.

Crap, is my body giving me away right now? Can he scent my arousal?

Flustered, I move to climb off of the motorcycle, pressing my palms to the seat in front of me and leaning sideways to drop a leg to the ground. Theo puts his hands on me again, lifting me off of the bike effortlessly and setting me on my feet. I can barely think straight- I’m panting, mind clouded with desire. I take a shaky step away from Theo, collecting myself, trying to regain my composure.

He takes my hand and my mind goes to mush again.

“C’mon,” Theo breathes, a devilish grin on his lips. He starts forward, tugging me with him.

I finally snap out of my haze, drinking in my surroundings as we walk toward a drop-off, an incredible view of the forest spread before us below.

“Is this…” I ask quietly.

“Yeah,” he sighs. “Pine Mountain.”

I can see why he’s been wanting to take me up here, why he likes coming here so much. It’s beautiful. The view stretches on for miles- lush green trees, sprawling landscapes, a winding river threading through. It’s so peaceful, serene.

“It’s incredible,” I whisper.

I turn to Theo and he’s just watching me, an amused smile dancing across his lips. “You think?”

He turns away from me to look out at the view, and now it’s my turn to watch him. The view’s great, but damnit if this man isn’t even more beautiful. His cheekbones and jawline look like they were chiseled by the gods themselves, his body’s so insane that it doesn’t even seem real. And those hazel eyes… they meet mine again and my breath catches in my throat.

“I’ve been coming here for years,” Theo says, something shifting in his gaze as his tone turns more somber. “Whenever I needed to get away, to clear my head…”

I step closer beside him, sliding an arm around his back. I lean my head sideways onto his chest and we just stand there in silence for a few moments, staring out at the vista.

“My mom used to take me here,” he says quietly.

I pull back, peering up at him. Slowly, he looks down at me, his eyes swimming with the pain of his loss.

“I haven’t been up here with anyone else since she…” his voice trails off and he looks away.

It suddenly hits me how important this trip was to Pine Mountain, how much it means that he wanted to bring me here. Even before the mate bond snapped in and he knew we were fated. The gravity of it is so heavy, causing a lump to form in my throat.

I turn sideways against him, bringing my other hand up to rest on his chest. “Tell me about her,” I say gently. “I was so young when it happened, I barely remember your mom.”

I see his adams apple bob as he swallows hard. Then he gazes down at me again, reaching up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

“She was beautiful. Kind to everyone. Patient, even when I gave her hell. She was the only one who really understood me. My dad tried, but after…” he trails off again, then clears his throat, continuing. “My dad couldn’t even look at me for the longest time because it was my fault.”

“What?” I gasp, my heart lurching. The raw vulnerability in Theo’s eyes is tearing me apart. “How can you say that, Theo? You can’t possibly blame yourself…”

“It’s true,” he interrupts. “My wolf had just started manifesting, and I didn’t have control yet. I went out for a run and when I didn’t come home, my mom came looking for me, and…”

I shake my head in disbelief. “Theo…” I reach both hands up, cupping his face between them and staring into those beautiful hazel eyes. “It was an accident. Those hunters were on our land. They’re the ones that shouldn’t have been there. It was a terrible, tragic accident.”

Theo just shakes his head, his eyes shiny. Is he…?

I throw my arms around him, squeezing him tightly, pressing my body into his. He winds his own arms around me in response, one around my waist, the other at my shoulders, cupping the back of my head with a palm and pressing my face into his chest.

My heart breaks at the thought of Theo carrying around this guilt with him for so long. It’s too heavy of a burden for anyone to bear. I wish I could ease it somehow, take it from him so he didn’t have to carry it alone.

We stand there like that for a while, just holding each other on top of Pine Mountain. The place his mom used to take him. The place he used to come to for solitude. The place he decided to share with me. Only me.

Finally, Theo relinquishes his hold on me, pulling back so he can look at me again. He leans down, planting the softest kiss on my lips.

“Turning a bad memory into a good one, right?” he asks, the corners of his mouth tipping up.

“Definitely,” I breathe. “Thanks for bringing me here.”

“Oh!” he exclaims, dropping his hands from my waist and taking a step back. “I almost forgot.”

I furrow my brow in confusion, but Theo just spins around, striding back over to his motorcycle. My blood runs cold as I flash back to when he walked away like that last week, left me standing there.

“Where are you going?” I call after him nervously.

He doesn’t get on the bike, though. He rummages through one of the saddlebags on the side, pulling something out. He spins back around to face me with a grin, holding up a paper bag.

I tilt my head, still confused as he walks back over. The paper crinkles as he opens the bag, reaching down into it and pulling out a bagel.

“Hungry?” he asks.

I giggle, taking the bagel from him. This guy has thought of everything- he must’ve swiped these from the dining hall this morning. “Starving.”

He rummages around in the bag again, pulling out another bagel, a small container of cream cheese, and a plastic knife.

“You like cream cheese?” he asks, opening the top of the container with his teeth.

“Mhmm.” I pull my bagel apart, holding it out so he can spread the cream cheese on for me.

“How’s this for a breakfast date?” he asks, winking as he finishes spreading cream cheese on his own bagel. He drops the container and knife back into the paper bag, setting it down on the ground before taking a big bite of his bagel and chewing.

I swallow my own bite of bagel before responding. “You totally nailed it,” I laugh.

He takes another huge bite of his bagel- this guy puts down food so fast! I’ve barely taken two bites and he’s already consumed an entire half. Then he swallows, grinning. “See, kid? I told you I’d kick ass at this dating thing.”

I roll my eyes, taking another bite.

But he’s totally right. So far, so good. He’s already winning me over, and if he keeps this up, I’m a goner.