Page 6 of The Alpha's Daughter
Chapter Six
GUNNAR
It was all I could do not to whoop and holler like a fucking teenager. Jax and Archer, they weren’t right for her. I couldn’t stomach the thought of her being with any of those guys. I also hated the thought that her choice of mate had been bartered away like it meant nothing at all. No wonder she was skittish about having a mate bond. Whether it was her father or the moon goddess, the girl was good and tired of having the rest of her life decided for her. She didn’t know it yet, but being my mate would give her the kind of freedom she had only dreamed about. I would make damn sure of it.
“Well, Titus is right about one thing. You do deserve better than a weak alpha or a spineless gamma who won’t fight for you. You won’t have that problem with me.” I tried to keep my expression as open and neutral as possible but had no idea if I succeeded.
I noticed that other couples had begun to join us in line at the edge of the stage. Only a few more wolves would be given the opportunity to choose their mate before we would all be expected to seal our bonds.
“Son of a bitch,” Lou’s voice cracked and she let go of my hand, turning to walk in the direction of the back of the line. She stared straight at a muscular wolf with short black hair and a petite brunette. I reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. She stopped but did not turn around right away. “Let me go.”
“That’s him?” I whirled her in place to face me again, crouching my head so she would look me in the eye. She nodded. “Then he made his choice.”
I took back her hand and threaded our fingers together, gently massaging her palm. Her skin was so soft. Every move of my fingers sent sparks across my nerves.
“Right,” she said distractedly, looking down to where our hands were joined together.
“Do you want me to stop?” I kept my voice low. She looked up at me with wide eyes through her lashes.
“You can stop if you want.” Her words said one thing, but her eyes told me something completely different. She didn’t want me to stop, not even a little, but admitting that was hard for her.
I slid my hand up her arm and tugged her to me. She let her body melt into mine and I began a gentle exploration of her arms and shoulders, feathering my fingers over her creamy skin and never once taking my eyes off of her face. “I don’t want to. But I will if you tell me to.”
I traced electric lines up the backs of her arms and over her bare shoulders, kneading them gently before continuing up her neck. Her eyes fluttered closed and mine locked on her lips, full and slightly parted as her breathing became more erratic. Then I heard my name.
