Page 140 of Brutal Reign
Alpha Chase barks a laugh, nodding. “Yeah, man,” he replies, swiping up his own empty bottle as he pushes up from the table again. “Just let me know when I should break out the whiskey.”
“Better just grab it now,” my dad sighs, rolling his neck on his shoulders. “Something tells me we’ll probably need it.”
46
ONE WEEK LATER
River’s arms tighten around my waist as I hit the throttle and speed into the curve, the trees on either side of the forest road blurring into a colorful mosaic as we zip past them. Her thighs bracket mine, the heat of her chest at my back while she leans with me into the turn. She tucked her hands up underneath my shirt at some point, so her warm palms are right against my abs, my muscles flexing beneath them as we clear the curve and straighten out again.
I could get used to the feeling of her riding on the back of my bike like this. I know she’d never give up the Chief, though, and I’d never want to give up racing with her. The rush is different, but it’s just as good.
I ease off the throttle as we near the end of the road at the peak of Pine Mountain, a large silver wolf coming into view when we reach the top. I figured Ace would beat us up here since he could run a direct route rather than cruising the winding road. He shifts back to his human form as I pull off to the side, rising and striding toward us in all his naked glory while I squeeze the brake and toe down the kickstand.
“Took you guys long enough,” he teases, a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.
“We were enjoying the ride,” I remark as I tug off my helmet and glance back at River over my shoulder. “Right, babe?”
“You play it too safe when I’m riding with you,” she replies flatly. “Could’ve really opened up the engine on that last stretch…”
My mouth drops open in disbelief. “Are you fucking kidding me right now? You threw a fit about my reckless driving the first time we raced up here!”
“Well now you’re driving like a grandpa,” she scoffs, pulling off her own helmet and dismounting my bike. She slips the backpack from her shoulders and tosses it toward Ace so he can put on the sweatpants and hoodie we brought him, pivoting to face me again as I climb off after her.
“So you won’t get all pissy if I drive faster on the way back down the mountain, then?” I question as Ace starts getting dressed.
“No, becauseI’mdriving on the way back down,” she fires back, folding her arms across her chest.
“The hell you are,” I scoff. “What’d I say about riding bitch on my own bike?”
“That you’d totally do it for your mate,” she quips, waggling her brows.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Would you two give it a rest?” Ace sighs exasperatedly, dragging a hand down his face. “We’re supposed to be celebrating.”
“Then let’s get comfortable and pop that champagne,” River quips, nodding to the backpack now resting at his feet.
He bends at the waist to reach inside, pulling out the picnic blanket we lifted from the storage room at the squad complex.While he unfolds and arranges it on the ground for us, I step over to the backpack and take out the chilled champagne, getting to work popping the cork. Then the three of us settle down on the blanket, sitting shoulder to shoulder with Riv in the middle.
I pass her the bottle and she eagerly snatches it from my hand, lifting the rim to her lips and tilting her head back to take a sip. How she makes something as simple as drinking champagne look sexy is beyond me, but I’m instantly captivated by the way her lips wrap around the tip of the bottle, her delicate throat bobbing as she swallows.
Wiping her mouth off on a wrist, she passes the champagne over to Ace with a smile. “Here’s to making the squad,” she remarks.
He grins back at her before taking a long pull from the bottle, grimacing when he swallows and quickly passing it back over. “Ugh, that’s gross,” he mutters.
“It’s not about the taste, it’s about the toast,” she replies matter-of-factly, turning to offer the champagne up to me.
“To joining squad leadership,” I say as I take it from her, lifting the bottle to my smirking lips.
As of today, everything’s official. The squad leaders announced which of the final recruits at training camp will be inducted as warriors, and they also invited River, Ace, and I to join the leadership team. Me and Riv already knew we’d be squad leaders since we’re future Alphas, but it was a nice gesture for them to ask Ace, too. Clearly, they recognize that the three of us are now a package deal.
“So, what’s the plan from here?” Ace asks as he sparks up the joint he’d stowed in the pocket of his sweatpants. “Live in the dorms, focus on the squad for now?”
“Pretty much,” River shrugs, stealing the joint from his fingers the moment it’s lit. She takes a drag before passing it back over, then turns to snatch the champagne back from me.
“At least until one of us takes Alpha rank,” I muse, watching her intently as she takes another sip from the bottle. My eyes zero in on her lips again and I raise a fist to my mouth, biting down on it to stifle a groan.