Her Forbidden Alpha Read Free

Cavett,” her father snapped. He tried to step between them, though there wasn’t much room.
    Darius growled. He actually growled, like a real wolf.
    She pulled her hand out of Darius’. “If you’ll take your seat, we’ll bring the food to the table,” Aislinn said, her voice high. The last thing they needed was for the two leaders to be at each other’s throats before the negotiations even started.
    All three of them paused. Finally, Darius moved away, not letting go of eye contact with her father but taking two steps back. “We agreed to fifteen delegates each.”
    “Yes, we did,” the General said.
    Darius motioned to the guards standing around the room. “I take it these are ten of your delegates?”
    “Of course not.”
    “Then they’ll leave,” Darius said. “They’ll leave, or we will.”
    The General sucked in his breath. She expected him to begin yelling but instead he said, “They’ll leave right before the delegates arrive. For now, enjoy your lunch.”
    Darius held the General’s gaze another moment. “That’s acceptable.” He met her gaze then turned and sat down at the table. When he sat, the other werewolves followed suit.
    “Stay away from him,” her father whispered. “Mangy dog.”
    Darius’ entire body stiffened.
    She’d heard wolves had better hearing than humans. That proved it. As far away as he was, he shouldn’t have been able to hear her father—but he clearly had.
    Aislinn didn’t answer her father. There was nothing she could say, anyway. If she defended the wolves her father would be livid—particularly if he realized they’d heard her. And if she didn’t, she’d be lying. Instead, she hurried across the room to get the food, waving the other women out of the kitchen doorway to help.
    ***
    As his mate served lunch, Darius took the opportunity to watch her. She seemed nervous, a little timid. Yet she hadn’t shied away from him when they’d met. Having grown up with the General as a father, she’d surely been taught to hate the wolves. But she’d treated him with respect. Interest, even.
    Being polite to him was a far cry from agreeing to be his mate, though. And as a human, she didn’t feel what he felt—this overwhelming need to claim her, the desire to take her to his bed and make her scream with pleasure, the determination to never be far from her side, ever again.
    She kept glancing in his direction as though checking to see if she still had his attention. He longed to tell her she’d never lose his attention. She had it for good.
    No. He needed to focus on the negotiations. He and his wolves still sat in enemy territory. He couldn’t let his guard down, even if the most amazing thing in his life had just happened. He had to stay alert—for her sake as much as for his.
    She placed a plate of meat in front of him. He knew it smelled good, but he could only smell her, filling his senses and drowning out everything else. He just barely kept from touching her before she moved on to his brother.
    Then all too soon, the women left, Aislinn with them. She put her platter on the table and hurried into the kitchen, giving him one last glance before she disappeared.
    He was under her skin. Nothing had ever felt better in his life.
    Darius picked up his knife and fork, prepared to dig into the food his mate had given him, when Killion put his hand on Darius’ left wrist.
    “Smell it,” his brother whispered.
    Darius took a deep breath. Underneath the spices and meaty scent, he could now detect something wrong. He couldn’t pinpoint it exactly, but every wolf knew better than to eat something that smelled like that…it was diseased or decaying or worse, poisoned.

    Chapter 2
    None of Darius’ wolves were eating. All watched him, waiting for orders.
    This was the food his mate had served them. A sick feeling settled in his gut. What had she done?
    He couldn’t think about that now.
    The guards still stood around the room, watching them closely. No doubt