Sentinel: Reckless Desires (Wolf Shifter Romance) (Alpha Protectors Book 2) by Olivia Arran Page A
Authors: Olivia Arran
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here with the silent treatment, and it was about time he started talking.
He leaned back against a tree and stuck his thumbs in his jean pockets. Emotion flitted through his eyes, clouding them sky blue until they had darkened to a deep aqua. “I’m an alpha.”
“Duh, yeah, I’d already guessed that one. But why did you hide it?” I crossed my arms over my chest, giving him my best tough expression. The one that said, I’m not about to take any bullshit answers .
“I didn’t think it would be a good idea to come to the pack as an alpha.”
“Ding! Lie. Tell me the truth. Why are you really here?”
He sighed, a long drawn-out theatrical sound, as if he were a poor man being harassed. “Why won’t you believe I wanted to join the pack?”
“I could believe it, if you weren’t lying.”
“And what makes you so sure that I’m lying?” He pushed away from the tree and stalked toward me.
I stood my ground, squaring up to him. “Because a man like you wouldn’t pretend to be less than somebody like Mark, unless he had a damn good reason.”
“A man like me?” His words caressed my skin, inviting me to judge him.
“You’re an arrogant son of a bitch.”
“Yes. I am.” He let out a dry chuckle.
I was mentally slapping myself. How the hell he had ever convinced me that he was less than what he really was, I’d never know. The man in front of me oozed power and confidence. He was self-assured to the point of nearly being cocky, as secure in his own skin and with who he was as anybody I had ever met.
And dammit, it was a turn-on. Again.
He leaned closer, crowding me. “Which me do you prefer, Chloe? The Angel you can boss around and dominate, or the real man?”
I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry. He was everywhere, all around me, surrounding me, his presence almost overwhelming. “I’d like to know the real Gabriel,” I eventually whispered.
He flinched, like I’d physically struck him. “Gabriel ceased to exist a long time ago,” he murmured, his eyes the color of a stormy sea.
How long ago?
He must have read the question in my eyes, because his lips twisted into a pained smile. “Gabriel was a man who found his mate. A man who would’ve done anything to love and cherish her. A man who had hopes and dreams and trust.” His eyes seemed to dare me, challenging me to push back.
“Why did you come here?” I had to find out... had to know his motivation. My dad had named him beta, but if he didn’t know the truth about Angel then he could have made a fatal mistake.
Derision shone in his eyes as he latched onto my train of thought. “I don’t want your pack,” he snarled. “I didn’t even know it was your pack. Hell, I didn’t even know you were here.”
“Then why?”
When he didn’t answer, I smacked him in the chest. “Damn you, tell me! How am I to believe you and trust you if you don’t tell me why you lied?”
“Lied? You’re one to talk about lying, aren’t you?” This time there was no misunderstanding the sarcasm that dripped from his voice.
He knew about Maisie.
Chapter Seventeen
Angel
A s she stared at me , the anger faded from her eyes. She let out a ragged breath. “I’ve been meaning to tell you—”
“Tell me what exactly?”
Her next words were barely audible, a soft breath carried on the wind. “Maisie.”
This was it. She was actually going to admit what she’d done. Hell, I hadn’t planned on pushing for answers quite so soon, not with everything going on, but I was pissed. She’d basically accused me of plotting to steal her pack, when in truth I was doing everything I could to save it.
A pack was the last thing I fucking wanted.
And now? There was no going back. And I didn’t want to. “And?” I needed to hear the confirmation from her lips.
“She’s yours.”
Elation crashed through me. To hear her say it out loud…
“Why?” I croaked the word out, begging her to explain, to make me understand how she could have
He leaned back against a tree and stuck his thumbs in his jean pockets. Emotion flitted through his eyes, clouding them sky blue until they had darkened to a deep aqua. “I’m an alpha.”
“Duh, yeah, I’d already guessed that one. But why did you hide it?” I crossed my arms over my chest, giving him my best tough expression. The one that said, I’m not about to take any bullshit answers .
“I didn’t think it would be a good idea to come to the pack as an alpha.”
“Ding! Lie. Tell me the truth. Why are you really here?”
He sighed, a long drawn-out theatrical sound, as if he were a poor man being harassed. “Why won’t you believe I wanted to join the pack?”
“I could believe it, if you weren’t lying.”
“And what makes you so sure that I’m lying?” He pushed away from the tree and stalked toward me.
I stood my ground, squaring up to him. “Because a man like you wouldn’t pretend to be less than somebody like Mark, unless he had a damn good reason.”
“A man like me?” His words caressed my skin, inviting me to judge him.
“You’re an arrogant son of a bitch.”
“Yes. I am.” He let out a dry chuckle.
I was mentally slapping myself. How the hell he had ever convinced me that he was less than what he really was, I’d never know. The man in front of me oozed power and confidence. He was self-assured to the point of nearly being cocky, as secure in his own skin and with who he was as anybody I had ever met.
And dammit, it was a turn-on. Again.
He leaned closer, crowding me. “Which me do you prefer, Chloe? The Angel you can boss around and dominate, or the real man?”
I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry. He was everywhere, all around me, surrounding me, his presence almost overwhelming. “I’d like to know the real Gabriel,” I eventually whispered.
He flinched, like I’d physically struck him. “Gabriel ceased to exist a long time ago,” he murmured, his eyes the color of a stormy sea.
How long ago?
He must have read the question in my eyes, because his lips twisted into a pained smile. “Gabriel was a man who found his mate. A man who would’ve done anything to love and cherish her. A man who had hopes and dreams and trust.” His eyes seemed to dare me, challenging me to push back.
“Why did you come here?” I had to find out... had to know his motivation. My dad had named him beta, but if he didn’t know the truth about Angel then he could have made a fatal mistake.
Derision shone in his eyes as he latched onto my train of thought. “I don’t want your pack,” he snarled. “I didn’t even know it was your pack. Hell, I didn’t even know you were here.”
“Then why?”
When he didn’t answer, I smacked him in the chest. “Damn you, tell me! How am I to believe you and trust you if you don’t tell me why you lied?”
“Lied? You’re one to talk about lying, aren’t you?” This time there was no misunderstanding the sarcasm that dripped from his voice.
He knew about Maisie.
Chapter Seventeen
Angel
A s she stared at me , the anger faded from her eyes. She let out a ragged breath. “I’ve been meaning to tell you—”
“Tell me what exactly?”
Her next words were barely audible, a soft breath carried on the wind. “Maisie.”
This was it. She was actually going to admit what she’d done. Hell, I hadn’t planned on pushing for answers quite so soon, not with everything going on, but I was pissed. She’d basically accused me of plotting to steal her pack, when in truth I was doing everything I could to save it.
A pack was the last thing I fucking wanted.
And now? There was no going back. And I didn’t want to. “And?” I needed to hear the confirmation from her lips.
“She’s yours.”
Elation crashed through me. To hear her say it out loud…
“Why?” I croaked the word out, begging her to explain, to make me understand how she could have
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