Page 5 of Alpha Claimed

"Don't worry, boy, she'll be ours."

His wolf wasn't so sure. Ever since they'd been young, Ares had gotten everything Apollo had been rightly due. But not this time. A werewolf only got the chance for one fated mate, and he'd be damned if he'd let his brother take her from him as well.

River exited the front door and shielded her eyes from the bright sun. Lachlan showed her down the steps and met up with Silas and Bennett. The group walked toward him, and Apollo crossed his arms over his chest tighter to keep from reaching for her.

She wore jeans and boots with a loose T-shirt and hoodie. Even so, he couldn't take his eyes off her.

She stopped in front of him and looked over his bike.

"Have you ever been on a motorcycle before?"

She shrugged. "I've ridden a bit. Though I prefer my 1956 Uncle Pan to these new custom choppers."

His wolf howled, and Apollo couldn't help the smile that spread across his face.

Easy, boy.

"Good." He handed her a helmet, and she took it and put it on without saying a word.

"Bennett, Silas, out front. Lachlan pick up the rear in the car."

The men nodded and headed to their vehicles.

Apollo straddled his bike and turned it on. River didn't move for a moment, and then her small form slid behind him. He gripped the handlebars tighter at the feel of her so close. He waited for her arms to slide around his waist, but they didn't.

He chuckled. The woman was stubborn. No worries, though; she'd be clinging to him soon enough.

They'd been ridingfor close to fifteen minutes when River grabbed onto him. The sensation sent a jolt of desire ripping through him. Apollo smiled to himself as she squeezed her thighs around his and hooked her thumbs into his belt loops. Contact was good. Contact would help ease her reservations.

Unconsciously, he rubbed her hand at his waist until she removed it.

He tried to keep calm at the slight. Time. She just needed time. And that's what they'd get.

He pulledoff the highway and slowed as he rode down the street. They passed several shops, and he pulled his bike to a stop.

"What do you wish to have for dinner?"

She stared at him through the helmet's visor. "I ate already. With Ares."

"Of course, but you'll be hungry again. So what do you prefer?"

She looked around at the shops. "Burger, fries, largest cola they have."

A girl who really ate, there was nothing sexier.

He relayed the message to Bennett and then told him to get some staples before they took off again at a slower pace. Apollo let her look around as they rode through the rustic old town. More than once, he caught her checking out different sculptures they passed in the parks and town hall grounds.

So she likes art. He made a mental note to look into that.

They turned down a dirt road, and she grabbed him again as the ruts in the ungraded road made their ride bumpier.

Finally, they came to a set of log cabins, and he pulled in front of the first one and stopped the bike. They were old, but he'd paid to keep them up so the cabins weren't in bad shape. He had a specific reason for wanting to bring her there, and it was a bonus that there happened to be no cell or internet reception in the area.

She slid from the back of the bike and handed him her helmet before fluffing her long, silvery hair and stretching, revealing a good three inches of skin above her navel. Apollo's body hardened, and he coughed and looked away.

Don't be a dick, dick. If you can't even control yourself with a peek at just a few inches of skin, what will you do when you see more?

Lachlan approached them and addressed River, making Apollo want to rip his arms off.