Sould As The Alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 2: Some kind of Animal

Maeve

He stood only inches from me, his arm outstretched and his fingers gripping my arm. He had a bottle of beer in his other hand, the foam bubbling over the lip of the bottle. He let go once I regained my balance, giving me a sideways smile that showcased a single dimple in one cheek.

He was ruggedly handsome with tanned skin and brown unruly curls that were tucked behind his ears. He was tall, towering over my 5’8″ frame with ease. I felt hot, a little too hot, as I looked up at him, running my tongue along the inside of my lower lip.

“Uh, thanks,” 1 croaked, slightly taken aback. He nodded, his eyes taking in my face, eventually meeting my own.

One eye was blue, an icy, glacier blue. The other was steel gray. I couldn’t help but stare.

“Take a picture,” he said, his voice slightly lifted and playful.

“What?”

“Take-take a picture, it’ll last longer,” he stammered, his cheeks going a rosy pink as his mouth widened into a boyish grin.

I looked at him, blinking, then shook my head. “Are you serious? That’s the cheesiest-”

“Couldn’t help myself.” He breathed; his eyes still fixated firmly on my own. “I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to say that all day.”

I opened my mouth to speak, then closed it again, forcing down a laugh that was inching up my throat. There was a moment of silence then, just long enough to be acutely aware of the fact that we were still standing on the sidewalk,

staring at each other.

“You’re rather tall for a lady,” he said in all seriousness, taking a small sip of his beer.

“1-what?”

” SAID YOU’RE RATHER TALL FOR A—” he said loudly, leaning close as though I couldn’t hear him.

“I heard you the first time!” I interrupted, and this time I did laugh. “What’s wrong with you? Thank you for, um, stopping me from falling but… did you hit your head, or something?”

“Why do you ask?” He sipped from his beer again, his mouth twitching into a smile as the mouth of the bottle touched his lips.

“24” I was truly at a loss for words,

“Well, nice meeting you,” he said, turning away. I gaped after him as he took a few steps forward, then turned around again, tilting his head in the direction of the bar. “Want a beer?”

I did want a beer, and I was oddly curious about this man and his strange behavior. He was teasing me, trying to get a reaction out of me somehow. I liked it.

“You’re not going to try to kidnap and murder me, are you?” I asked in response. He pursed his lips, looking around at the crowd of people still hovering on the sidewalk as they watched the aftermath of the fight.

“Well, not anymore. Everyone heard you say that,” he said, looking around in mock suspicion before tilting his head toward the bar again in earnest. “You coming?”

“I’m actually supposed to be meeting someone

“Great, l’if go with you.”

“Why?” I laughed, shaking my head. “You have no idea who I am or where I’m going.”

“Well, I’ll probably know soon. That counts for something, right?”

hanter

some kind of Animal

for him to catch up, the beer still clutched in his hand, My stomach did a little flip as

the beer as we walked, but

remember? I don’t want your germs, and I

one brow, giving me a look that sent a warm ripple up the base of

wrong with you, Maeve?’ I thought to myself, breaking

that our mouths are cleaner in wolf

and it’s not true,”

“How do you know?”

your teeth as a wolf? Maybe

you think I

in a

this time I took it, drinking deeply and enjoying the bitter taste of it. I handed it back as we walked on, stopping in front of

empty, the table cleared of her usual

Myla’s tell-tale raven black

meeting someone?” said the man, following

my friend’s stall,” I said, tapping my finger on the empty table.

of beer, emptying the bottle. “Well, what

top of my head. It was hot, the sun beating down on the street and causing

felt the man’s eyes on me, his gaze lingering on the back of my neck as I tied my hair back. I wanted to look at him as intensely as he was looking

asked, breaking the spell. I looked for Myla one

I, in fact, lived at the Alpha of Drogomor’s castle. “What about you?

as we began to walk away from Myla’s stall, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his faded jeans. “Just visiting,” he said casually, smiling down

his skin a fiery bronze against his loose, white button up shirt. He looked as though he had been somewhere tropical for

people than this,” he said as a woman shoved past him. I reached out and

you here,

I’d check it out. I’ve never even been to a big city

yards in front of us abruptly stopped walking, then bent over and retched loudly into a waste basket.

like this?” my new friend asked, his voice lifted

I laughed, shak140 any head”‘s the spring festival People come from all over, you know. There are a least ning packs in Valenia now, Drogamer being the biggest there are files over there”

stopped walking, glancing over at me with one blow arched “As

no They’re moatly event

a casual question, but his face was

not just for single people, I guess But people sometimes find their mates during these fostivals At least

on a stall on the other side of the street. He walked toward i1, leaving me standing atupidly alone. I reached up to wipe the sweat from my brow, my breathcoming a little faster than usual. A bead of sweat rolled down my temple and pooled in the conher of my eye irubbed it away, opening iny eyes to find the man atanding in front

ao red?” he aaked, ahoving the drink at

a little hot,” I panted, holding the drink with both hands and letting the frosted glass chill my

“You look awful.”

drink of the lemonade and blinked into

because you have red

I look

shade of an awning covering the entrance of a shop. I plopped down on a shaded bench, sighing with reliel. He didn’t sit down beside me like I had expected, however. He reached down and began to

“Hey!”

“What?”

you’re doing?” | swatted his hand away, almost spilling the lemonade I was holding in the

this jacket?” he replied, giving me an incredulous

“I can do it-”

caught his hand in

me? You’re trying to undress me in

his eyes flashing with jest. “You