The Bully Alpha's Fake Alpha Mate (BL)-Chapter 34: ALMOST CLAIMING

ASHER

"You just signed your death warrant." Reed said and the words hung in the air between us.

Reed’s breath was hot against my ear. His body pressed against mine, pinning me to the tree. Every inch of him radiated heat and fury and something darker that made my stomach twist.

"Reed—" I tried to speak but Reed cut me short.

"Shut up." His hand tightened on my jaw. "You don’t get to talk anymore. You don’t get to explain or justify or even lie. You wanted my attention? You have it. Now deal with it."

He grabbed my shirt and spun me around, slamming me face-first against the tree trunk.

I gasped as the bark scraped my cheek, and Reed’s hand fisted in my hair, yanking my head back.

"This is what you wanted, isn’t it?" His voice came out rough in my ear. "You wanted to see how far you could push me before I snapped."

"Get off me—" I say, trying to break free from his grasp but he only held me tighter.

"No." Reed pressed himself against my back, and I felt it. He was hard. God, he was rock hard against me.

"Feel that?" Reed’s free hand slid down my side, over my hip. "That’s what you do to me. That’s what happens every time I look at you. Every time I smell you, and every fucking time you open your fucking mouth and challenge me." His hand moved to my stomach, then lower.

"Reed, stop—"

"Why?" He ground against me from behind, and I couldn’t stop the sound that escaped my throat. "Why stop when we both know you want this as much as I do?"

His hand found the front of my jeans, and I was fucking hard too. Fuck, I was just as hard as he was.

"See?" Reed’s laugh came out dark and victorious. "Your body doesn’t lie, Asher. You can say you hate me, you can tell me to stop but this?" He pressed his palm against my erection through my jeans. "This tells me the truth."

"That’s just biology—" I say but Reed cut me short yet again.

"Bullshit." Reed spun me around again, slamming me back against the tree. His eyes were wild, and feral. "This is you wanting me. This is your fucking body begging for mine." He said and then he kissed me again.

This time it wasn’t controlled or calculated. It was violent and desperate and hungry. His tongue invaded my mouth, claiming and possessing, and I kissed him back.

God help me, I kissed him back with the same desperation.

Reed’s hands were everywhere. In my hair, on my throat, and grabbing my hips. He ground against me, and I could feel how hard he was through both our jeans.

"Mine," Reed growled against my mouth. "You’re mine, Asher. Mine to touch,.mine to kiss, and mine to torment."

Something in those words snapped me back to reality. Mine to torment.

I shoved against his chest. "I don’t belong to you."

"Yes, you do." Reed caught my wrists, pinning them above my head with one hand. "Everyone at that party saw me claim you. Everyone knows you’re mine now."

"Claiming someone in front of a crowd doesn’t make them yours." I informed him, making sure he understood that and he bobbed his head.

"Maybe not." Reed’s free hand went to my belt. "But this will."

My eyes widened as I felt him unbuckle my belt, I heard the metallic clink as he worked it open.

"Reed, what are you—" I protested.

"What does it look like I’m doing?" His fingers found the button of my jeans. "I’m going to make you mine. Right here, right now, and with all those people watching from the trees."

Panic flooded through me. "You’re insane—"

"Maybe." Reed popped the button open. "But you’re the one who drove me to it."

He started working on his own belt with his free hand, still keeping my wrists pinned above my head.

This was happening, this was actually happening. Reed was going to fuck me against this tree with half the Academy watching from the darkness.

"Reed, stop—"

"No." His zipper came down. "You wanted to push me? You wanted to see what I’d do? Well, here it is, Asher. Here’s what happens when you provoke an Alpha in pre-rut."

He ground against me again, and I could feel him through the open fly of his jeans. Hot and hard and ready.

"I’m going to fuck you right here, and everyone’s going to watch, and tomorrow, the entire Academy will know that you’re mine."

His hand slid into my open jeans. I gasped as his fingers wrapped around my cock, skin on skin, and he began stroking me slowly and gently.

"Reed—"

"Say you’re mine." His hand started moving faster. "Say it, and maybe I’ll make this good for you."

"I’m not— I won’t—" a moan escaped my lips

"Say it." Reed’s hand tightened. "Or I’ll make this hurt."

Behind us, I could hear the whispers of students watching, I could see the glow of phone screens in the darkness.

They were recording this. They were watching Reed Jackson claim me in the most primal way possible.

"Say you’re mine, Asher." Reed’s voice dropped to a whisper. "Say it, and I’ll give you everything. I’ll make you feel things you’ve never felt before. I’ll take care of you, protect you, and own you."

"I don’t want to be owned." I told him, even if my voice was betraying me.

"Liar." Reed’s hand moved faster. "Your body is begging for this. Begging for me."

He wasn’t wrong. My body was responding to every touch, every word, every promise but my mind was screaming at me to fight back, to run, and to do something before this went too far.

Reed’s other hand released my wrists. He grabbed my hip, turning me slightly so he could position himself.

This was it..This was the moment where everything changed.

"Last chance, Asher." Reed’s voice came out rough, and desperate. "Tell me to stop, and I’ll stop. Tell me you want this, and I’ll make it so good you’ll forget your own name."

I opened my mouth but instead of words, I brought my knee up hard between his legs, and kneed his cock. Reed’s eyes went wide. His hands released me as he doubled over with a choked gasp.

I grabbed the opportunity and I ran.

I shoved past him, stumbling as I tried to pull my jeans back up with shaking hands. Students scattered as I burst through the trees, their shocked faces blurring past me.

"ASHER!" Reed’s roar tore through the woods behind me but I ran faster. Away from the bonfire, away from the crowd, and away from Reed and his claims and his promises and his hands on my body.

I ran until my lungs burned, until my legs felt like they might give out, until I couldn’t hear anything but my own ragged breathing.

Then I collapsed against a tree in the darkness, my whole body shaking.

What the fuck had just happened?

Reed had tried to... he was going to—

God, he was going to fuck me right there in front of everyone, and I’d almost let him.

I’d almost said yes.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. Then again, and again.

Text after text flooding in, and I pulled it out with shaking hands.

Unknown: Holy shit, did Reed Jackson just try to claim Asher Graham in the woods?

Unknown: I got it on video. This is insane.

Unknown: Everyone’s losing their minds. Reed is PISSED.

Unknown: Asher Graham just kneed Reed Jackson in the balls and ran. This is the best night ever.

My phone kept buzzing.

More texts, more notifications, and my social media exploding with messages and tags and videos.

Videos of Reed kissing me at the bonfire, videos of him dragging me into the woods, and videos of what happened against that tree.

Oh God.

Everyone saw.

Everyone knew, and Reed was going to kill me for it.