Bad Love: An Alpha's Regret (Leah and Aaron) novel Chapter 325

AXEL

I don’t know why I’m so surprised that Emily seemingly disappeared again.

Her disobedience and complete disregard for the safety of herself and the rest of the pack are about the only things I can count on when it comes to her right now.

“Where have you been?” I repeat when she doesn’t answer right away.

“Nowhere,” she replies stubbornly.

If I didn’t know Emily, didn’t know exactly what she’s capable of, I would’ve otherwise said she was telling the truth, she was so adamant.

“Try again,” I growl, crossing my arms.

“You told me to train, so I trained,” she shoots back at me, and I can see the anger and defensiveness building up within her.

“Jessica, leave us. Now,” I say, not even sparing the pack’s acting Luna a glance.

She gets up and flees, but not before sending a sympathetic look toward Emily.

I file that little detail away to be dealt with later.

If Jessica starts feeling sorry for Emily—worse, attempts to help her in some misguided way—then that’s only going to cause me more trouble.

Once we’re alone, I stalk closer to Emily.

She holds her ground and tilts her chin up defiantly.

When I’m within reach, I sling an arm around her and yank her into me, scenting along her neck.

The smell of my mate soothes some of the wildness inside me—goes some way to settling my perpetually restless wolf—but at the same time, makes me more frustrated and angrier.

For a split second, it seems like she’s going to go all submissive and limp in my arms as I feel her shiver.

My mind immediately goes back to the floor of the training room and how she looked, all sated and beautiful after I’d fucked her with my tongue.

Heat storms through me, and I want to do it again.

Here and now.

But then I feel her body go rigid and the fight sparks to life inside her.

“Get off me!” she yells, and when she shoves at me, I let her go.

“You weren’t training,” I tell her in a harsh voice. “You went running. Hunting. I can smell the forest and the lingering scent of animal blood on you.”

I’m starting to wonder about Emily’s drive to hunt.

Just look at what happened earlier in the training room.

Letting Emily think I hate her is just one more way I can protect her.

“Maybe if you didn’t act like such a selfish brat all the time—if you listened and did as you were told—then your problems would be solved.”

Her eyes narrow angrily. “My problems will be solved when you’re gone from my life.”

Those words hurt more than they have any right to.

I don’t want to be gone from Emily’s life.

But I know that outcome is inevitable.

One way or another, we’re destined to part.

“You do not leave the house for the rest of the night,” I tell her in a low, furious voice. “You have dinner, and then you go to your room. Do you understand me?”

“And if I don’t?” she demands, however there’s a waver in her voice I’m sure she’s hoping I don’t pick up on.

“Then you will be punished for your disobedience.”