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

as he reached my side. I didn’t know why I thought letting this, this lunatio, to put

me the beer as we walked, but I shook my head, giving him a playful

want your germs, and I

arched one brow, giving me a look that sent a warm

you, Maeve?’ I thought to myself, breaking eye contact with

are cleaner in wolf

I’ve heard that one, and it’s not

“How do you know?”

telling me you’ve brushed your teeth as a wolf? Maybe

“Of course, what do you think

a literal

brilliant smile and he laughed, the sound full and genuine. He passed me the beer, and this time I took it, drinking deeply and

table cleared of

said, looking around for Myla’s tell-tale raven black curls. She was

be meeting someone?” said the man, following my gaze as I scanned the ever–increasing

stall,” I said, tapping my finger on the

sip of beer, emptying the bottle.

reaching up to twist my hair into a bun on the top of my head. It was

as I tied my hair back. I wanted to look at him as intensely as he was looking at me. Something about him was

here?” he asked, breaking the spell. I looked for Myla

I, in fact, lived at the Alpha of Drogomor’s

stall, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his faded jeans. “Just visiting,” he

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

shoved past him. I reached out and grabbed his arm, leading him closer

brings you

looking around. “I’ve never been to Valoria. Thought I’d check it out.

in front of us abruptly stopped walking, then bent over and retched loudly into a waste basket. I snorted with laughter as my companion motioned toward the man, sarcastically alluding to

this?” my new friend asked, his voice

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”

me

They’re moatly

people?” he asked. It was a casual question, but his face was lined with concern

during these

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

a little hot,” I panted, holding the drink with both hands and letting the

“You look awful.”

a drink of the lemonade and blinked into the

because you have

why I

He didn’t wait for my reply, taking me forcefully by the elbow and leading me off the street and into the shade of an awning covering the entrance of a

“Hey!”

“What?”

his hand away, almost spilling the lemonade I was

out of this jacket?” he

“I can do it-”

but I caught his hand in mine, digging my nails into his skin. “Ow! What’ s the matter with

You’re trying to undress me in

arched one eyebrow, his eyes flashing with jest. “You want to go somewhere