Alpha Theo by C.J. Primer

CHAPTER     THIRTY-EIGHT

Theo

I bring my beer bottle to my lips, the cold carbonation tickling the back of my throat as I take a long swig.

“She’s still staring,” Reid chuckles from his seat across from me at our table in the back corner of the Goldenleaf bar. He arches a brow, pointing his beer bottle at me. “You gonna put that poor girl out of her misery or what?”

I turn over my shoulder to see Sutton positioned at the bar, leaning back against it on her elbows. Her shiny dark hair is draped over her shoulders, her glossy lips pursed as she eye-fucks the shit outta me.

I shake my head, turning back to my friends and picking up my beer again. “Nah,” I sigh, taking a swig. “Not interested.” I set it back down on the table, glancing up to find that Brock and Reid are staring at me dubiously. Jax already knows about me and Brooke, so he’s keeping his head down, avoiding eye contact, and Gray isn’t here yet to back me up.

I blow out a breath, knowing that I’m gonna be hit with so much shit for the next words to come out of my mouth. “I’m seeing someone.”

Brock and Reid’s eyes widen simultaneously, and they look to each other, then back to me.

“Wait, what?” Reid blinks.

Jax has been holding his tongue from his seat beside me and I hear him breathe a sigh, like he’s glad he no longer has to keep my secret.

Brock narrows his eyes. “Who?”

“Brooke.” I can’t help but smile as her name leaves my lips. I pick up my beer, chugging the rest while watching Brock’s and Reid’s shocked reactions out of the corner of my eye in amusement as they look to one another, to Jax, and to me again.

Reid shakes his head, chuckling. “Gray’s gonna fucking kill you, man.”

I set my empty bottle down, leaning back and folding my arms across my chest. “He already knows.”

“There’s no way he’s on board with this,” Brock mutters.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Gray asks, approaching our table. I swivel to greet him with a lift of my chin and a fist-bump before he slides into his usual seat beside me.

Now all three of the other guys are staring at Gray, shocked expressions painted on their faces.

“She’s his mate,” he says nonchalantly, like it’s common knowledge.

Jax whips his head around to face me, his blue eyes wide. “Holy shit, seriously?”

My face spreads into a grin as I turn to Jax. “Yeah, man.”

Fuck, it feels good to have the truth out in the open. Especially to these guys, who are like brothers to me.

“Damn, congratulations!” Reid smiles brightly. “That’s crazy, when did you find out? And why the hell are you just telling us now?!”

I rake a hand through my hair, a shit-eating grin still on my face. “Last full moon. It was kind of a shock, so we’ve been keeping things under wraps, seeing if we could make it work.”

Jax leans back in his seat, blowing out a breath. “Damn, bro. I can’t believe it, this is nuts.”

“Unbelievable,” Brock mutters, his tone laced with bitterness. The guy was burned by love in the past and has been generally bitter about relationships since. “Guess you’re finally gonna have to learn to keep it in your pants, huh?”

“I don’t think that’ll be a problem,” Gray smirks, giving me a sideways glance. He looks back to the others, tossing a thumb in my direction. “This guy’s already whipped.”

“Whatever,” I scoff, rolling my eyes. “Coming from the guy who lets his mate lead him around by the dick.”

“And yours already has you by the balls, admit it,” Gray laughs, shoving me playfully.

Jax whistles, looking past us. “You guys are some lucky sons of bitches, you know that?”

Gray and I both turn to look over our shoulders, following Jax’s gaze, and I swear my heart stops beating for a second when I see my girl entering the bar, looking like a walking felony.

Holy. Fuck.

I practically have to pick my jaw up off of the floor. She’s wearing sky-high heels, her gorgeous, long legs on full display, and a skin-tight black dress with open sides. Her long blonde hair falls down her shoulders and back in soft waves and her makeup somehow makes her incredible doll-like eyes look even bigger. She purses those full lips as she scans the interior of the bar, then they spread into a beautiful smile when our gazes meet.

She’s fucking perfect, and she’s fucking mine.

I shoot to my feet, physically unable to endure another moment outside of her proximity. As I cross the room to get to her, I don’t even notice the other people around- all I see is her. My nose fills with her sweet scent, my heart beats fast. I feel like a fucking predator as I stalk in her direction, my wolf pressing closer to the surface the closer I get to Brooke.

As soon as I reach her, I scoop an arm around her waist, yanking her body into mine and claiming her mouth greedily- without a thought to where we are or who may be watching. She lets out a little squeak in surprise, then I feel her relax, melting into me, her hand sliding up to cup my jaw as her lips part to return my kiss.

For a moment, it’s just the two of us. Time stands still. Tongues twine. Hearts race. Hands roam.

It’s Brooke that breaks the kiss, her cheeks immediately flushing as she presses her palms to my chest and gazes up at me.

“Hi,” she whispers.

“Hi.” I tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, then cup her chin, running my thumb across that pouty lower lip. “You look amazing,” I say, trailing the fingertips of my other hand over the exposed skin of her ribs. “You’d better go change or I’m gonna be pummeling every male in this place for checking you out.”

A laugh escapes her lips- fuck, I love the sound of her laugh- and she shakes her head. “You’re ridiculous.”

She might think I’m ridiculous, but it’s fucking true- seeing Brooke in this outfit, I’m feeling possessive as hell. If anyone looks at her sideways, I won’t think twice before decking them.

Brooke suddenly takes a little step backwards, drawing a breath as she looks around the bar. “People are staring.” Her voice is small, barely audible.

I grin, sliding my arm around her waist and tucking her into my side proudly. “Let em’ stare.”

She blinks up at me, her cheeks flushing again. “Should we get a drink?”

“Sure.” I lead her through the crowd, spotting Gray and Fallon up by the bar getting drinks of their own.

Brooke doesn’t need to tell me what she wants to drink- I’ve memorized everything about this girl. When we approach, Fallon steps back to say something to her sister and I slide into her place at the bar beside Gray, right as the bartender is bringing over his drinks. I order a beer for myself and a vodka soda for my girl, pulling a twenty out of my wallet to pay and leaning my elbow on the bar top as I wait.

It’s early, so the bar’s still filling up. On Saturday nights, its mostly squad members, and I glance to the door to see more familiar faces piling in- a group of newbies who were in Fallon’s training class.

The bartender delivers the drinks I ordered, and I grab them off of the bar, turning to Brooke and offering her the vodka soda.

She takes it with a smile as Fallon waves her friends over, and I lean back on my elbows against the bar, sipping my beer, trying to play it cool. Shay greets the twins with hugs, and a growl starts in my chest when Boyd does the same.

Gray must hear me because I catch an elbow to my ribs. I shoot him a warning glare but he just chuckles. “Wanna do a shot?”

I grunt, turning my body sideways so I can still keep one eye on Brooke. “Sure.”

Gray leans forward to wave the bartender over, mumbling to me. “You’ve gotta let her do her thing, man. Trust me.”

I trust him, but I don’t want to stand back and watch any other male even look at Brooke. She’s mine, and I’ll be damned if…

“Here,” Gray barks, interrupting my thoughts. He thrusts a shot glass in my direction, and from the amber color of the liquid and the smell I can tell that it’s whiskey.

I take it from him, and we both hold up the shots, tap them on the bar, and drink them down. The liquor burns my throat and I blow out a breath, setting the glass back on the bar top.

“Thanks,” I say, clapping him on the shoulder and turning back around, looking for Brooke.

Oh hell no. Fucking mop top is standing across from her, a dumbass smile on his face as he asks her how she’s been. I was already on edge and seeing this kid has me teetering over it.

I abandon my beer on the bar and I’m at her side in two strides, sliding an arm around Brooke’s waist possessively. “Why don’t you fuck off, Connor?” I grumble, glaring at him menacingly.

“Theo!” Brooke protests, slapping at my chest with the back of her hand. She cranes her neck to look at me, eyes thrown wide.

“What?” I ask sharply.

I glare at Connor again and he’s just staring at me like a deer in the headlights.

Brooke digs her fingernails into my arm, handing her drink off to Shay. “Come on,” she says through gritted teeth, tugging me sideways.

I have no choice but to follow. She seems pissed, but honestly, I am too. She should’ve known that chatting up the guy she used to have a thing for would trigger me.

Brooke leads me through the crowd to the door of the bar, pushing it open. She drops my arm as she steps outside, stomping away from the bar entrance as the door swings closed behind us.

“Where are you going?” I call after her, but she doesn’t turn around- she just keeps trudging away from the bar, toward the path back to the complex.

I heave a sigh, jogging after Brooke, catching up to her right as she reaches the treeline. I grab for her arm, attempting to spin her to face me. She teeters on her heels and almost loses her balance, but I’m quick to reach out for her with my other hand, catching her by the waist.

“What’s wrong with you?” she demands, brushing my hands off of her body as she steadies herself. She folds her arms across her chest, narrowing her eyes.

“Are you kidding me?” I ask incredulously. This girl is really putting me through the paces. “I don’t want that fucking guy talking to you.”

Brooke lets out an exasperated sigh. “He was just saying hi, you didn’t have to be rude.”

“I wasn’t!”

She narrows her eyes again. “Theo.”

“Brooke.”

She just stares me down, and fuck, she’s right, but I don’t want to admit it. From the look on her face, though, she’s not gonna let me off easy.

“Fine,” I grumble, raking a hand through my hair. “Maybe I was, but can you blame me? That guy’s into you. I don’t want him sniffing around what’s mine.”

Brooke scowls, shaking her head. “You don’t own me.”

She’s right, I don’t- I have no business being so possessive when we haven’t even marked each other yet and made this thing official. But I can’t help it, it’s primal.

“Brooke…” I step closer to her, hooking a finger under her chin and tilting her face up to mine. “Mark or not, we already belong to each other.”

Something shifts in Brooke’s eyes- her irritation giving way to something else, something darker. Desire.

She places her palms on my chest, sliding them up to my shoulders. “Yeah? Why don’t you take what’s yours, then?” she breathes, her voice husky.

Her words make my dick go insta-hard. I scoop an arm around her waist, pulling her body into mine forcefully. “You keep talking like that and I’m gonna lift that pretty dress of yours and take you right here,” I growl.

Brooke’s lips tip into a mischievous smirk. She loops her arms around my neck and brings her face beside mine, whispering in my ear. “What are you waiting for?”

My eyes fly wide. Is she saying what I think she’s saying?

Brooke unwinds her arms from my neck, taking a step back and spinning around. I’m frozen in place as she takes a few steps down the trail, then dips off of it into the forest.

My heart races and I practically trip over my own feet to follow her into the dense brush. I catch up to her right in front of a large tree, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her body backwards into mine. I can scent her arousal as I run my hands over her flat stomach, down to her hips. She tosses her head back onto my shoulder, grinding her ass over my hard-on.

“You feel that baby?” I murmur into her ear, nipping the lobe. “That’s what you do to me.”

“Yeah?” she asks, though it’s more of a moan. She continues grinding her hot little ass against my crotch and my nostrils flare as I scent her arousal.

I slide my hands down to her thighs, hooking my fingers under the hem of her dress and dragging it upwards. I cruise one hand up her inner thigh, my breath hitching when my fingertips come in contact with her bare pussy. Holy fuck.

“No panties?” I choke, stroking my fingertips along her slick slit.

“Mm hmm,” she hums, lifting an arm overhead to rake her fingers through my hair, grinding her ass against my cock and her pussy down over my fingers.

“And here I thought you were a good girl,” I murmur in her ear, walking her forward, closer to the wide tree trunk in front of her.

“You like me bad,” she breathes.

Fuck yeah I do.

I grab for her wrists, raising her hands and planting them on the tree on either side of her head. I feel a shiver of excitement run through her as I slowly trail my hands down her arms, to her back, to her waist, to the hem of her dress.

She turns to look at me over her shoulder, still keeping her hands in position. “What are you doing?”

I hook my thumbs under the hem of Brooke’s dress, dragging it up to her waist. “Taking what’s mine,” I growl, drinking in the sight of her bare, perfect ass. She arches her back, offering it up to me, and I grab her ass cheeks with both hands, giving them a rough squeeze. “That’s what you want, isn’t it?” I pull a hand back, delivering a swat to her ass.

“Yes,” she moans, arching more as I deliver another swat, harder this time. Then I palm her ass cheek, rubbing away the sting of my slap while I wind my other hand around her waist, between her legs.

“Fuck, you like that, don’t you?” I ask as I stroke my fingers along her slit, her pussy dripping with arousal. I screw my middle finger into her tight little hole and it slides in easily. “You’re so wet for me, baby.”

Brooke’s breathing grows more ragged as I pump my finger in and out of her pussy and she grinds down onto my hand. “Fuck me, Theo,” she rasps.

In record speed, my pants are around my ankles and I’m tearing open a condom wrapper with my teeth, tossing it away and rolling the condom onto my rock-hard dick. Brooke presses her backside closer to me as I slide the head of my dick along the crack of her ass, positioning myself at the entrance of her hot little pussy.

“Fuck, baby,” I choke, gripping her hips and pressing forward. “I’m not sure I can be gentle this time.”

She presses her palms into the tree in front of her for leverage, pushing backwards onto my dick. “Then don’t be.”

I’m fucking delirious with lust- I clamp one hand over her mouth, grip her hip with the other, and shove all the way inside. The tightness of her channel and the sound of her muffled scream is more than I can take- I ease out halfway, then start pounding into her roughly, taking what’s mine.

Fuck, she feels so good, she feels so…

Shit. My mouth tingles, my canines starting to descend. My wolf wants to mark her. It’s way more difficult this time to shove him back, get my canines to recede- especially when I’m balls deep in the sweetest pussy in existence.

I uncover Brooke’s mouth, bringing my hand around the front of her pelvis instead, delving down to seek her clit as I grip her hip with my other hand and hammer my dick into her without mercy. The sexiest moans of pleasure fall from her lips, sending me into a goddamn frenzy. I fuck her harder, deeper, no longer concerned about who might hear us- getting her off takes precedence over privacy.

I feel her body start to tense up- she’s getting close, and damnit if I’m not right there with her. My balls tighten, my release imminent as I keep thrusting my dick in and out of Brooke, keep torturing her hard little clit with my fingertips. I bury my cock in her to the hilt, pulling her back flush against my chest, hooking my chin over her shoulder and grabbing hers to turn her face to mine. I claim her mouth as hard as I’m claiming her pussy, swallowing her scream as she climaxes. Her pussy clamps down on my dick and my own orgasm rips through me, my balls emptying into the latex sheath.

Brooke’s wobbly on her feet as she rides out her climax, her body shuddering as she moans into my mouth. I nip her bottom lip as I break the kiss, holding her tight by her waist. “Fuck, baby,” I say hoarsely, easing out of her. I nip her earlobe again, then plant a couple of soft kisses on the column of her neck.

She’s not saying anything- she’s just panting, still trembling a little bit. I immediately panic- was that too rough? Did I hurt her? I pull out, ditching the condom and spinning her around by the waist to face me. “Are you okay?” I ask, searching her eyes. “Was I too rough with you?”

A wave of relief washes over me when she laughs, looping her arms around my neck. “No, that was hot.”

Thank fuck.

My lips spread into a grin, and I cup her face with both hands, leaning in to kiss her again. “You’re hot,” I murmur against her lips. I drag my hands down her body as I kiss her, tugging her dress back down over her ass. Then I pull back, bending to yank up my boxers and jeans while Brooke tugs her dress over the front of her thighs, adjusting the hem.

“We’d better get back in there,” she breathes, gathering her hair and smoothing it over a shoulder. So nonchalant, like we didn’t just have a fast, dirty fuck in the woods.

I’d object over her going back into the bar wearing that sexy dress, sans panties, but my scent’s all over her now- I’ve temporarily marked her as mine without officially marking her. My wolf fucking preens at the thought of it.

“Is that what you want?” I ask, keeping my eyes trained on her as I button my jeans and pull up the zipper.

“Mhmmm,” she hums, stepping past me to head back to the trail. She darts me a sultry little glance over her shoulder.

Who the fuck is this bombshell and what has she done with good girl Brooke?

I catch up to her, grabbing her by the waist. She giggles as I swat her ass again, stepping beside her and slinging an arm over her shoulders.

Brooke gazes up at me, eyes shimmering with the silver of her wolf, glinting with mischief. “I never did get that drink.”