All Chapters of The Alpha I shouldn't crave: Chapter 1 - Chapter 6

Sandra The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth as I bit down hard, watching him mark her neck—my best friend's neck—right there in front of the entire pack gathering."I, Damon Cole, reject you, Sandra Hayes, as my mate." His voice carried across the clearing, cold and final, while his hand stayed possessively on Jenna's shoulder.The bond snapped like a rubber band pulled too tight, pain lancing through my chest so sharp I gasped, and the faces around me blurred into a sea of pity and barely concealed satisfaction.Jenna's eyes met mine for one horrible second, her smile apologetic but not quite reaching regret, and I knew, I fucking knew, she'd wanted this, she been working toward it for months."Sandra, I'm so sorry, but the heart wants what it wants, and Damon and I—" she started, her voice that same sweet tone she'd used when we were kids sharing secrets."Fuck you." I didn't wait for her to finish, didn't stay to watch Damon's teeth sink into her skin where mine should have

The overhead light blazed on, catching me in its glare like a spotlight on a crime scene."Where the hell have you been?" My mother stood in the doorway, still dressed in her scrubs, her face tight with that particular brand of fury reserved for daughters who disobeyed.I opened my mouth, tasting whiskey and the lie I'm about to sprout, but before I could manufacture an excuse, she continued, her gaze flicking between me and the stranger with something sharp in her eyes."Sandra, this is your uncle Marcus, your father's brother, and before you start with your bullshit excuses about being at Sarah's house, I know you were at that disgusting bar." She crossed her arms, her hands curled into fists.My stomach dropped through the floor, the alcohol in my system suddenly feeling like poison.Marcus pushed off the counter, and now in the harsh light I saw the lines around his eyes, the gray threading his dark hair, details I'd missed in the dim alley when his mouth was on my neck and his ha

Instead it was Mom: Sleep well, honey, I know this is hard but I'm so glad you're finally taking your gift seriously.Am I ?—---------------The coffee was cold by the time I dragged myself upstairs at 4:53 AM, my body still humming with phantom sensations from last night, my mind a tangled mess of shame and want.Marcus stood at the stove making eggs, his back to me, and the careful way he didn't turn around told me everything about how this morning would go—pretend it never happened, bury it under professionalism and distance."Eat quickly, we're starting with nerve reconstruction today, delicate work that requires complete focus." His voice was flat, clinical, like he hadn't had his tongue in my mouth eight hours ago.I slid into the chair, my hands wrapping around the mug he'd left out, and watched him move around the kitchen with that controlled precision that made me want to shatter it. "Where's Vanessa?""She left early for a yoga retreat, two days upstate, we'll have the hous