Destined For The Alpha: Six Heart-Racing Shifter Romances (Werewolf's Harem Book 7) by Vivian Wood

bottle dangle.
    “I knew that’s where Lucas had you scooped up,” Ben said, leading her out of the back yard and into the tree line.
    “Is that what he’s calling it?” Aurelia snorted, shaking her head. “He straight up abducted me. Not that I’m sorry to be here, but at the time it was terrifying.”
    Ben frowned, but didn’t reply. Aurelia sensed that he didn’t want to speak against Lucas, which was a good thing as far as she was concerned. Loyalty was a rare trait, especially in their kind. 
    They walked through the light part of the forest close to the house, then turned up a well-worn path that Aurelia hadn’t explored before. The path immediately inclined, and they started a light climb as they talked.
    “It must have been hard, leaving your pack behind,” Ben said, glancing over at her.
    Again, Aurelia shook her head.
    “I’m very close with my brother Edgar, but he’s all I’ve got. The pack we grew up in wasn’t very healthy. A lot of drinking, a lot of violence. Normal redneck stuff, I guess.”
    “Did you and your brother leave together, then?” Ben asked.
    “Yes and no. We both left around the same time, but for different reasons. I’d been pulling a lot of small-time hacks, getting my name out there. I got an invite to a black-hat circle, and it promised a lot of money. What seemed like a lot of money to me then, anyway. The guys I was working with warned me that I’d have to distance myself from my brother, because we were going up against a government agency known for aggressive payback tactics. If they caught you, they’d hurt you any way they could. Anyway, right after I left Edgar left, following a girl he liked to her home pack.”
    “Oh yeah?” Ben asked. “Girl crazy, huh?”
    “Edgar took one look at that girl and fell for her. They’ve been together ever since. Just had their first pup, actually,” Aurelia said, grinning at the thought of her niece.
    “Boy or girl,” Ben asked. Aurelia gave him a sharp glance, surprised at his curiosity. A hint of paranoia floated through her mind, but looking at Ben’s face quickly allayed her fears. He was cheerful, engaged. Genuinely curious about her story.
    “Girl. Magdalena. Maggie,” Aurelia said. 
    “Cool. I love kids. I would love to have nieces or nephews,” Ben said, longing evident in his voice. Another little piece of ice melted in Aurelia’s heart. If she weren’t careful, she’d end up sodden and mushy inside.
    “Do you have brothers or sisters?” Aurelia asked, turning it back to Ben.
    “Wait a sec,” he said, putting out a hand to stop her. “Quiet.”
    Aurelia waited, listening to the sounds of their breathing. She didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, or sense any danger. Her wolf was completely at peace.
    “There,” Ben said, pointing up into the branches of an adjacent tree. 
    A gorgeous crimson Cardinal was perched high up, chirping happily to it’s plainer female counterpart.
    “Pretty,” Aurelia said, smiling at Ben’s enthusiasm. 
    “So, we’re headed to one of my favorite spots. From here, we have two choices,” Ben said. 
    “Let’s hear them,” Aurelia said.
    “Easy path, not much steeper than this, probably an hour’s walk straight  up this trail,” he said.
    “And the alternative?” Aurelia asked.
    Ben pointed straight into the woods. Aurelia followed his line of sight, picking out a steep, rocky incline. She wouldn’t even call it a path, really. A normal person would scoff, and head for the nice, clear-cut trail.
    Good thing Aurelia had never been normal. 
    “Straight up,” she said, a gleam in her eyes. Ben had winked at her, and then led the way.
    It wasn’t until they’d made it quite a ways further up the trail before she realized that he’d neatly deflected her question. He was deft, she’d give him that. Luckily Aurelia was too distracted to call him out, content to watch the tightly toned muscles in Ben’s legs, ass, and back as he forged