Page 45 of Alpha Ruined

COLE

He despises himself sometimes.

Usually, it’s after he washes blood and grime off his body, watching it swirl down his shower drain in whatever hotel or rental he’s staying at.

Sure, he’s doing the world a favor by ridding it of filth, but those pieces of filth usually have people that cared about them.

And when he lets himself think like that, he starts to hate himself.

As he sits across from Bree in the small booth, he truly does resent who he is.

He’s frightened her, and as she almost has a panic attack in front of him, he starts to see himself as she must see him.

A stalker. Obsessed.

A monster.

A better man would stop. A better man wouldn’t have coerced her into the car.

And a better man certainly wouldn’t have followed her into the basement of a prison, seriously considering taking her and locking her away in his bedroom forever.

But he can’t stop.

He’d rather be near her, breathing in the scent of her hate than a thousand miles away, giving her space.

Thankfully, the mood shifts during their dinner, and he realizes he didn’t ruin everything just yet.

The recipe was saved and bookmarked in her web browser, so he called in a favor to the restaurant.

The look on her face as she tasted the dish made just for her was worth the generous donation the establishment received.

Her smile is captivating. Bree’s eyes twinkle in the low candlelight, and her scent sweetens with her delight. His inner Alpha roars, pleased thathewas the one that brought her joy.

“You’ve come here before,” she says as he picks up his fork.

“I have,” he agrees.

“How many times?”

“Whenever I’m here.” He doesn’t bother to tell her he’s only stayed in the town once, and it wasn’t for law work.

Well, technically, he could argue it was.

“Do you come here alone?”

“Yes. You’re the first person I’ve taken to dinner here.”

She looks thoughtful, her delicate brows furrowing. “Do you go to restaurants alone often?”

He can’t tell if it's sympathy on her face, but he doesn’t need it or deserve it.

“I do. I don’t mind eating alone. Normally, I don’t find anyone that I want to share my company with.”

Except for you, he thinks.

Bree hesitates. “I wish I could do that,” she says wistfully. “I’ve never had the courage to go to restaurants or movies alone.”

“Now you won’t have to,” he says, the words slipping out.