Page 11 of Alpha Claimed

River looked out at the stars. Time. Time with Apollo… Her wolf was conflicted. She wanted to spend time with Apollo. But she also wished she could return to the estate and be with Ares. His imposing, protective personality spoke to her like a match spoke to gasoline.

"Your turn."

River glanced at him and, upon seeing his nakedness, looked back at the sky again. "What do you mean?"

"What is your pet name for me going to be?" A rueful smile crept over his lips.

Many nicknames came to mind. Scoundrel. Rake. Cad. She was pretty sure he wouldn't like any of them.

"How about Mate?" he offered.

"Uh…"

He chuckled again. "Too soon? That's okay, Kitten, you think about it."

It amazed her that their tempers seemed to be the only thing similar about the twins. Ares had been demanding and overbearing, forcing his way into her life and commanding her heart. In the end, it worked, but… Apollo's easy air made her relax, like she could be herself.

She yawned, and her eyes fluttered shut.

"It's been a long day. Why don't I get you back so you can rest?"

She breathed in deep and curled on her side into the earth. "Can't we sleep out here?"

"You'd want to do that? Won't you get cold?"

"I'll shift." She instantly did so.

"You're serious."

She blew out a breath and allowed the sounds of the forest to invade her. The crickets chirped, and in the distance, an owl hooted. Memories flooded her of sleeping out in the woods at Bianca's side with the pack or even alone. She'd not realized how much she'd missed it while living in the city until that moment.

A soft hand stroked down her body. "You sleep, Kitten. I'll make sure that nothing disturbs you."

* * *

APOLLO

Apollo lay still,watching the rise and fall of her silvery body with each breath. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

Apollo's wolf whined and paced, wanting to be released to be closer to her. To lay his head on hers and wrap himself around her and feel the heat of her body.

His heart went out to her, and a part of him felt guilty for pushing himself upon her, but he had no choice. Ares always took what he wanted but not this time. This time, Apollo would fight. Fight for himself. Fight for the crown. Fight for her. He didn't care what it cost him. She would be his.

His thoughts turned to the mark on her neck. Titan. Damn, son of a bitch, Titan. Why hadn't Ares told him? Even if Ares didn't want him to have River, he should have told Apollo about the threat to River's safety. Just thinking of Titan attacking River, scaring her, biting her without permission, had his wolf ready to take down the world to burn Titan alive and eat his heart.

Titan had been a thorn in his and Ares's sides their entire lives. His mother hadn't been their father's fated mate. He'd been close to fifty when he'd finally found their mother. It'd been five years after he'd let the loneliness and fear of no legacy take his sense, and he'd chosen Titan's mother to bear him an heir. It had only taken a month for her to get pregnant. Ultimately, when their father found their mother, all hell broke loose with Titan's mom.

Apollo knew Titan hated them and wanted the crown for himself, but he never would have thought Titan would have been so desperate as to try and claim an Omega without her consent.

He decided at that moment that no matter who River chose in the end, he would do whatever it took to keep her safe from Titan. After all, whether she took him or Ares to mate, she would still be his Luna and Queen of the entire Lycan and shifter world. It would be his duty to protect her until the day he died.

CHAPTERFOUR

RIVER

The next morning, River and Apollo made their way back to the cabin, and she was surprised to see it fully stocked and a bodyguard she didn't recognize cooking breakfast. Apollo shifted and raced to another room before returning with a large blanket and wrapping her in it. Lachlan and the others turned away as she padded down the hall covered in the blanket. She shifted when Apollo closed a bedroom door behind them and grabbed the blanket to keep it from falling off her.

It surprised even her that she had shifted in Apollo's presence. Even though they'd been naked together under the moon, she had hidden herself with her hair and by curling up while in human form.