Page 25 of His Bullied Fated Mate

Jasmine raised an eyebrow at me. “No, it wouldn’t help the pack as a whole, but maybe it would keep you in control, which is just one of the problems. You are the Alpha, and if you can’t sit still and control your answer, your basic animalistic needs, how do you expect anyone else to? How do you expect to stay in your position if you can't control your emotions? You may have bonded her, but you haven’t truly connected with her. That is what you need to do.”

I looked away and rubbed at my eyes. I had been told that being Alpha was hard and that you would get curveballs thrown at you. But this. I hadn’t been prepared for this.

Janella hated me, so the idea of this situation getting anywhere else was impossible. “She will never bed me, so move on.”

They all gave me irritated faces, but I ignored them. I took a couple of deep breaths, telling myself I was fine. We would have to think of something else.

I didn’t have the mentality to go to my office after the meeting, so I headed home. I went inside and found the house quiet. But I could hear someone talking. I followed the voice andfound her sitting outside on the back porch. She was sitting with a blanket wrapped around her. She looked comfortable as she spoke, nodding her head along.

I stared at her, wondering how I was going to fix this. I knew that I’d been an ass. I had taken her from her life and forced her into this without telling her the truth. I'd been making mistakes over and over.

I slid the door open, and her head turned. Her lips paused, but I could hear the person on the other end keep talking.

I offered a soft smile, and she looked away. “Yes, Mom. I will stop by later this week. I have to go.”

She hung up and shifted in her seat. I could see how uncomfortable she got, and I hated it. I hated how she couldn’t even look at me now. I needed to fix this somehow.

“I was going to run to the store.”

She glanced at me and raised an eyebrow. “Okay? You're telling me why?”

I shoved my hands into my pockets. “Do you want to join me?”

She looked at me, now giving me a confused look. “Why?”

I shrugged. “Because we need groceries and I don’t know what you like or dislike.”

She crossed her arms. “You didn’t care last week.”

“And that was wrong of me.”

She stared at me like she was waiting for me to take the words back.

“So?”

She tilted her head. “What exactly are you planning, Riley? Leaving me in the deli, so I have to walk home? Shoving me into a tower of toilet paper and laughing when it goes everywhere?”

I frowned. “Is that how little you think of me?”

“That’s just how you are.”

“Maybe when I was eighteen, Janella. I’m not the same guy.”

“Aren’t you?”

I felt my nostrils flare, and I took a deep breath. “Do you want to come with me or not? I don't have all day for you to make a decision.”

She stared at me for a moment before she sighed. “I suppose it would be nice to have stuff I want to eat in this house.” She pulled herself up and grabbed the sliding door. “I hope you know you're buying.”

I smirked. “And what if I say no?”

She scrunched up her nose. “Well, for one, you are the one who invited me to go shopping, so that implies you are going to buy. And second, you stripped me of my life and my money, so you have to buy. Unless you want me to pay in nudities. I guess I could do that since that's the type of person I am.”

She pulled the screen door open and stepped inside. I couldn't help but smirk, though I was suddenly eager to see where this went.

Chapter 8 - Janella

I glanced at Riley as he drove. I wasn’t sure why I agreed to go shopping with him. I could have just told him what I wanted, but I wanted out of the house. But a part of me felt like I should go. We had been arguing a lot, and I didn't want to constantly fight. If there was a possibility of me being here longer than I thought, I should try and make the best of it.