Free Imprinted By The Alpha (BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance) (The Marked One - Book 1) by Jocelyn Thomas Page A

wishing desperately for time to stop moving so she could extend her stay. “I’ll see you soon, right?” She gave him a long, passionate kiss, wanting to give him more incentive.
    “Mmm,” he groaned, licking his lips. “Definitely.” He patted her bottom. “Now get out of here before I lock you in my room and force you to stay.”
    Ava made her way home, elated, excited by what Caleb made her feel. She was fully alive, every nerve ending in her body buzzing like never before. Imprinted. It sounded crazy, but then, there was no other explanation for the intensity of her feelings toward Caleb, and she had to think that, whatever reason fate and ‘destiny’ had for bringing them together, it was worth it. The connection was strong, and werewolf or not, she looked forward to what was to come with Caleb next.

Chapter 13
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    A va tiptoed up the porch steps of her house and opened the porch door carefully so as not to make the hinges squeak or allow the screen door to bang shut. She slipped her shoes off, scanning the room to assure her mother wasn’t already downstairs, and then making her way to the flight of stairs. If she was careful, she could get to her room before her mother noticed her in the house.
    “Ava, is that you?” Ava winced as her mother called from the living room.
    Shaking her head, she called back, “Yes, Mom, it’s me.” There was no use in tiptoeing at this point, and she made her way to where her mother sat on the upholstered brown couch, part of a set that was neutral with gold accents. Her father had chosen it, and it was one of the last purchases he and her mother had made before he died. The sun shone through the drawn gold drapes, and Sarah sat upright, the light glinting off the gray streaks in her long brown hair, which was tied in a neat bun on the nape of her neck. Her hazel eyes held an icy glare as she watched Ava walk in and take a seat in the armchair across from her.
    Ava’s heart skipped a beat at her expression, nervously trying to think what to say, where to start, and if she should even mention Caleb. “I’m sorry I didn’t call, Mom.” She set her satchel on the floor.
    In a soft but tight voice, Sarah told her, “I’ve been worried sick about you, Ava. Kelly was worried about you, too. I called her this morning, thinking that you might have spent the night at her house, but she said you left the bar hours before her shift ended.” Her face was drawn. “Where were you all night?”
    Her mother never asked that kind of question, trusting Ava implicitly, and Ava felt like she owed her an honest explanation. Taking a deep breath and fighting for calm, she told her mother, “After my shift, I stayed for about an hour, and then I left with the intention of coming home. There was a man who followed me on the trail.” She swallowed hard, searching her mother’s eyes for a reaction. Fear bled from the hazel globes, and she continued, “I ran as fast as I could, trying to lose him, and I ended up in the north field and fell.” The emotions – ripe terror – hit her as she recalled the desperate moment last night. Looking down at her lap, she heard her mother shift, leaning forward and laying her hands over Ava’s.
    “Go on,” Sarah whispered in a gentle tone.
    The tears built in Ava’s eyes and sounded in her voice. “He was going to rape me, Mom.” She shook her head as if it would remove the image from her mind. “But Caleb showed up. Caleb Minor.” She looked up at her mother through the blur of unshed tears. “He scared the guy off and helped me.”
    “Did that man hurt you?” Sarah asked, anger in her voice as she searched her daughter for sign of injury.
    Ava nodded. “I’m fine. I have a couple of bruises and a scrape from hitting the ground, but Caleb chased the guy off before he could lay a hand on me.”
    She let her mother inspect her arm. Sarah didn’t look up as she raised an eyebrow and said, “So you spent the night