Filed to story: Sorry Alpha... I'm a Lycan Princess Now (Amber & Julian) Book PDF Free
I didn’t want to embarrass him in front of so many people, especially high society members that he might have dealings with in the future as the Alpha of another pack. But on the other hand, I wouldn’t just say yes to someone to spare them some humiliation. I’d never give someone false hope, even if it stung.
And this would surely sting.
Roman was a dear friend. Had I misread the signs somewhere? Had I led him on without meaning to?
Yet, just as I was trying to figure out a way to gently reject him while keeping our friendship intact, suddenly, Julian lunged forward. He grabbed Roman by the collar and dragged him up to his feet. Then, in a fluid motion, he drew his arm pack, and punched Roman right in the fast.
Roman’s eyes darken too, and he glares at Julian, as if ready to lash out at any moment. But Julian is clearly the stronger of the two, and Roman never bares his fangs. The tension between them is palpable. Julian’s expression is fierce and cold-something
I’ve never seen from him before. That is, until Alice screams.
Alice, who had turned her head, just in time to see the punch, screamed loudly right in my ear.
Immediately, I rubbed my hand up and down her back, trying to soothe her, hoping she wouldn’t shift and hurt herself again.
“It’s okay,” I said, as soothingly as I could, as I walked a few feet away.
As I glanced back, I saw with some relief that Alice’s scream had brought Julian back to himself. He had released Roman and backed up a few steps.
Tue 20 Aug His eyes were clear once more as he turned to me.
In the pause, Roman scrambled up onto his feet and hurried toward where Alice and I were.
Julian started to growl as he moved and jumped like he meant to grab Roman.
“Stop it, Julian!” I snapped. “You are acting like a child! I’m not your plaything! You can’t just chase away everyone else who gives me attention! And punching people. Scaring Alice!” Anger shook me inside and out. It made the words come out hasty, and not as well thought out as I would have liked. “I don’t know what I ever saw in you.”
Julian straightened, suddenly looking stricken, like he was the one who had just been struck.
I pressed down on any regret or guilt I felt in that moment, the moment I felt Alice’s tears dampen my shoulder.
He could have objected without scaring Alice. Or better yet, he could have left the decision to me instead of intervening! Did he think this display would have stopped me if I had intended to say yes?
Did he actually think I would say yes?
But then, why wouldn’t he? What did we really know about each other anymore? What did we ever really know? Even when we had been married, we’d been little more than strangers.
“I…” Julian’s voice was soft and somewhat shaken. He looked at his bloody knuckles like he couldn’t quite believe what he’d done.His blue eyes dulled. “I’m sorry, Amber. I’m sorry, Alice.”
“And me?” Roman asked sharply.
“Leave it, Roman,” I scolded.
“Me? What did I do? I’m the one who was assaulted!”
“You were too impulsive,” I said. “Why would you do this? And here?”
I looked around, and, seeing how many people were still watching, decided this wasn’t the place for this. I needed to get Alice away from so many watchful eyes.
And I wanted to get away from Julian.
Punching Roman… What a brute! He was being every bit the Alpha stereotype, punching without thinking, acting like I was his property that needed protected.
We might not be fully divorced yet, but I was still my own person. We hadn’t been together for a long time.
“I want to go home,” I said.
Alice sniffed into my shoulder. “Me, too,” she said, tears in her voice. Roman huffed a harsh breath. “This way,” he said and gestured to the parking lot.
As proudly as I could, holding my head up high, I walked that way, not looking back.
Even so, I could feel the weight of Julian’s gaze on me with every step.
When we were out of immediate earshot of the onlookers, I asked Roman, “What were you even doing here tonight? Why aren’t you at home?”
“I couldn’t wait anymore,” Roman said. “I thought about how you looked tonight, and about the future I want for us… I had to as
I couldn’t wait another minute. Oh, Amber, just say yes. I promise to treat Alice like my own…”
Alice started crying harder, nearly wailing.
My anger spiked again, nearing fury.
Could he not read the room here? Didn’t he understand how much worse he was making everything?
“Please, Amber,” he said. He tried to reach for Alice, as if to comfort her. “Marry me?”
“No!” I said fiercely, stepping backwards, keeping Alice in my arms.
Alice clung to my shoulders, her fingernails pinched my skin, becoming little claws.
My own heart was lurching, my body tense. I wanted to comfort Alice, but there was something about the way Roman was lookin at me in this moment.
I felt like I couldn’t look away from him.
Because with each passing moment, his eyes were darkening, his face growing more and more grim.
My loud no might have been ruder than I had intended it to be. I hadn’t meant to hurt Roman’s feelings. He had always been a good friend to me, and I wasn’t treating him very kindly by acting like marrying him would be the worst thing in the world.
It wouldn’t, even though I didn’t love him that way. And I knew he only offered, just as he only pretended to be Alice’s real father, for our benefit. Ever since I was pulled from the waters after that plane crash, he had wanted to protect me.
I knew, even misguided, that he meant no harm now.
But with Alice on edge, I was on edge too. It made it difficult to see things from his perspective right now. Instead, I was angry that he had brought Alice out here for this, confusing her with all this talk of paternity, and pushing her to her limits when he knew more than almost anyone else how fragile she could be.
He had good intentions, I knew, but Alice was still caught in the middle here.