Bride of the Alpha by Georgette St. Clair Page B

being
    abused? You are risking starting a war between my family’s pack and Maxwell’s! Do not ever do that again, and stay out of my business!” Before she could answer, I hung up.
    I forced myself to calm down as I walked in to the diner. Everything would be fine. They were leaving
    town, they wouldn’t be around to interfere any more, problem solved.
    “Morning, Josephine. How are you enjoying Timber Valley?” Sheriff Battle was sitting at the counter.
    “I’m loving it,” I said, and I meant it.
    “Have a seat,” he said, and I sat down next to him. As I did, I realized that a voluptuous redhead was
    headed our way, but when she saw me sitting there, she pouted and walked off.
    “You did that on purpose so she couldn’t sit next to you, didn’t you?” I said, as the waitress set a cup of coffee down in front of me.
    “I plead the Fifth,” he grinned.
    “I’m sure it’s tough being you,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Girls do love a man in a uniform, don’t they?”
    A wry smile tugged at his lips. “You can’t always get what you want,” he shrugged, and turned back to
    his lunch.
    Now what did he mean by that? I wondered. He could have any single woman in Timber Valley, I was
    sure of that. If I weren’t with Maxwell, I’d be melting all over him myself. Being with Maxwell acted like an anti-aphrodisiac for all other men, though. I could admire the sheriff aesthetically, but he didn’t turn me on any more than a beautiful statue carved my Michaelangelo would.
    I was halfway through lunch when my phone rang, and when I saw who it was, my heart skipped a
    beat. Camille!
    I glanced around me. She was in hiding, and I didn’t want anyone to overhear me talking to her, just to be on the safe side, so I quickly tossed a ten dollar bill on the counter and headed outside, leaving my plate unfinished.
    “Camille, what’s happening? I thought I saw you in Timber Valley the other day,” I said.
    “Good God, of course I’m not there. I’m not suicidal,” she said. “Listen, where are you right now?”
    “Timber Valley. I’m still here. It’s a long story. It turns out that Maxwell isn’t that bad, he’s actually incredibly hot, and-”
    “Where are you specifically?” Her voice was urgent as she interrupted me.
    “A restaurant called Flapjack Fannie’s. Why?”
    “Leave. Go home. Do it now, don’t stop for anything.” There was naked fear in her voice. “Kray found
    out what happened, and he’s on the warpath. He’s headed your way. I’m so sorry I got you involved in this, Josephine.” And she hung up.
    How did she know that, if she wasn’t in town? What was happening here?
    I felt my blood chilling in my veins as I headed back to my car, which I’d parked under a big, shady
    tree at the far end of the parking lot so I could yell at Bess and Corwin in privacy.
    Then I stopped in my tracks.
    Kray was there, blocking my path. He had Kimball and two other wolves with him, and he was headed
    my way, and he looked very, very pissed off.

    Chapter Eleven
    I was too far from the diner for anyone to hear me if I screamed. I grabbed my cell phone and pulled it of my pocket book, but before I could finish calling Maxwell, Kray had rushed forward and slapped it out of my hand. It fell on the asphalt and broke.
    He grabbed me by the arm and dragged me over to a pickup truck while I shrieked and struggled, and
    he slammed me in to the truck so hard my ears rang.
    “Get your god damned hands off me! I’m not in your pack!” I yelled at him.
    “You think you can make a fool of me?” he yelled, his fingers sinking in to my flesh. His face flushed
    red with rage.
    I tried to yank away from him, and he just held on tighter. My arm throbbed with pain. Behind him, his
    men growled menacingly, partially shifting, black lips wrinkling back from their fangs.
    “You will pay for this, and so will Camille.” His voice was deep and rumbling with rage. “Who the fuck
    are you?”
    “I’m her