The Alphas’ P**n Star Mate

Boyd's face was contorted, his eyebrows pulled down and his face taut. His snoring had stopped, and his breathing seemed heavy.

My body moved before I could stop it. I leaned forward, resting my hand on his cheek. The sparks were instantaneous, erupting against my palm. My breath caught in my throat, feeling the effects physical touch had on the unfulfilled bond between us. I grazed my fingers over his eyebrows, urging his tension to go away.

Like a spell, the worry lines on his forehead smoothed over, and his jaw relaxed again. His breathing seemed to calm too.

His face was handsome, though he was obviously starved while in captivity. His cheeks were sunken in, and I could feel the bones. He looked better now that he was clean. He looked ragged and a little deranged when I woke him in that basement. "He would get stronger if he accepted us," Ada murmured brokenly. "He's packless and mateless. His wolf needs me."

"We can't make that decision for him." It's true that he would get better faster if he accepted us, but that doesn't change that he would have to be the one to accept us as his mate. A forced bond never lasts. It's never strong enough to reap the benefits of being a mated pair, even if the two are fated mates.

I sat there, with my hand on his face for a long time, just mesmerized by every one of his features. The color difference between his eyelids and skin. The dip in his lip. The prickling hair covering his jaw. I wondered how much different he would look after shaving it all off. As I was tracing a smooth patch, hidden in the mess of coarse hair on his chin, his jaw moved and made me startle back.

Boyd's eyes were now open, just small slits for him to peer out at me. "Where am I?"

I was scared to answer, scared to break the calm peace on his face. I didn't want to see that look of disdain again.

His eyes opened a little wider, then his face went rigid once again. "What are you doing here?"

Ada's ears tucked back, her whimpering cries making rage build inside of me.

"Winnie forced me," I snapped. "I didn't want to be here any more than you want me to be."

"Winnie?" He looked around the room, then took a deep breath, like he was relieved to see where he was at. "Where did Winnie go?"

"To shower," I said coldly, getting up to put some space between us. I was already pulling out my phone, texting Mick about my situation. If Boyd was awake, I wouldn't be able to stay here much longer. It hurt too much. "Why couldn't he shower in here?"

"Why do you have a three-in-one body wash?" I snapped. "That's why. Apparently your clothes suck too."

His face turned red for a second, making him look even angrier.

"You were touching me," Boyd sat up, looking at me with accusing eyes.

I gritted my teeth regretting touching him at all now. "You were having a nightmare. My bad for trying to help."

"Hm," he grunted, almost like he didn't believe me.

Fuck this. I did nothing to earn his hatred. If he doesn't want me as a mate, fine. He doesn't have to be an ass about it.

"I'll be out in the hall," I said through clenched teeth, making my way to the other side of the room where the door was.

"I thought Winnie told you to stay here?"

"Yeah, well, I'd rather deal with his complaints than be treated like shit by you."

Boyd winced, his face softening just a little bit. "I'm not trying to treat you like shit."

"Oh, it just comes naturally." I rolled my eyes, grabbing the handle of the door. My phone buzzed, Mick responding, saying he was sending someone else to sit with Boyd right now. "Thank the goddess," I murmured. "What?" Boyd no longer looked hostile as I opened the door and began to step out. He looked worried for some reason.

Maybe he didn't want to be alone.

I opened the door wide, thinking that would be the best solution, so he wouldn't think he was stuck in a confined space again.

"Mick is sending someone else to sit with you. You only have to deal with watching over you from the hall until they get here."

He looked away, pressing his chapped lips together like he was holding himself back from saying something. The bond was flaring inside of me, making me want to find out what was wrong.

Then there was the petty side of me that wanted to reject him now, even knowing he was so weak and recovering, just to get it over with, so I could go back home and move on with my life. Rejection might kill him in his current state. I would have to wait until he was a little healthier.

Figs and cinnamon followed me out of the room, and I realized that it was clinging to my hands. I clenched my hand into a fist against my chest, refusing to look at Boyd again.

I stood there, leaning against the wall in anguished silence, so many things running through my mind. So many reasons Boyd had for not liking me. Was I too much of a tomboy? I know I wasn't wearing a lot of makeup even yesterday when I was playing the part of a realtor. I'm more of a tomboy than a pretty girl, like the Luna he was so infatuated with or the demented Luna that was holding him hostage.

Do I need to get a fucking boob job and a hair straightener to be his type? Should I take Winnie up on his offer to dress me?

No. I'm not changing myself for any man. That's not how this should be.

"There you are," a female voice rang from down the hall. I looked up, then felt the cold waves of dread fall over me. It was Luna Chloe, followed by Jamie, and another man I rarely saw named Lenny. Those were her two guards, from my understanding.

Ada growled, upset that Mick would send his own mate to watch over Boyd after she yelled at me the way she did that morning.

"Estel, right?" She smirked, a hand on her hip.

I rolled my eyes, not caring if it was rude. I'm not in the mood for this.

"If you're here to take my place, am I free to go?"

Her eyes tightened in their corners, her smile looking less sincere. "No. Not quite yet. Jamie is going to sit with Boyd for a while though."

She leaned into the room and waved at Boyd. Boyd looked taken aback for a second, but then Jamie entered the room and a grin broke on his face. It hurt to see him happily accept someone else's company, but he basically pushed me out of the room.

Then, Chloe looked back at me with an assessing gaze. Her eyes swept over my clothes, and I suddenly felt self-conscious, even though she was dressed similarly. She was still gorgeous, but she was wearing a pair of men's sweatpants and a basic tank top with a sports bra. Her hair was swept back from her face, and she didn't have on a single distinguishable make-up product.

This just made me more self-conscious. She looked like a bombshell, naturally. It was annoying.

She was not what I expected. Not in her behavior or the way she dressed. I expected someone more like Luna Gail. I'd heard a lot about her, and it was always like she was someone delicate that had to be protected. Someone more feminine and prissy, considering I was wearing a dress of hers yesterday that was more expensive than all my clothes combined. That wasn't how she looked at all.

She looked fierce, like someone capable of more than a temper tantrum when you messed with her things. Like a warrior.

"Good. You're dressed to train too. Follow me."