Free Alpha's Arrangement (Troubled Fork Shifters (Book 2)) by Gabrielle Demonico

in his eyes. For the first time, she gazed into them and saw tenderness where before there had been nothing of the sort.
    A rush of shame overcame her and she buried her face into his chest. She felt his cadence change. Alexander reached down and began to stroke her hair.
    “Emma? What’s wrong?” he asked. “Was it something I said?”
    Emma couldn’t speak. Choked up, she squeezed him close to her and shook her head.
    “I thought you would be happy.”
    She looked up him and tried to hold back an onslaught of emotion.
    “I am ” she said. “But…”
    “What?”
    “Nothing.” Emma replied. “I need to use the ladies room. Do you mind?”
    Alexander nodded and gestured for her to walk ahead of him. “No problem. Come on.”
    As she passed by the party goers, she did her best not to make eye contact with any of them. Emma hurried to the bathroom and into a stall where she hoped to settle her nerves.
    But no sooner had she sat, then the door to the bathroom opened and a voice called out, “Emma? Is everything alright?”
    “Yes, Trina. I’m fine.” She said. “My stomach feels a bit upset. That’s all.”
    “Oh, well, okay. If you need anything…”
    “Thank you. I’ll be right out.”
    “Okay sweetie.” Trina replied as she closed the bathroom door.
    This was insane.
    For the first time in her life, Emma swore that she might be on the verge of a full blown panic attack. As far as she could tell, Theodore wasn’t any closer to a bust of Alexander than he had been when she arrived in Silver Gulch. Now, the alleged criminal more or less told her that he wanted to be with her.
    What would happen next?
    Well, Alexander would get arrested and sent to jail for a long, long time. She would have to go back to Troubled Fork with a broken heart and a ruined conscience. It seemed so unfair, so fucking unfair that she wanted to pull her hair out and scream right there.
    She couldn’t do it.
    She wouldn’t do it.
    No matter what he’d done, there had to be a way to work it out. This was everything she’d wanted in her life and once again, it was all on the verge of being ripped away from her.
    But, not this time.
    Emma vowed that somehow she would figure out a way to get this resolved. She had no clue how she was going to do it only that she would. Determined, she straightened herself up and went back out to join the party.
    As she reached the table, Alexander stood and said, “Everything alright?”
    She nodded and smiled. “Yes, I’m fine.”
    Over the next hour or so, the party guests began to leave in dribs and drabs until at last, only Emma, Alexander and Trina remained. Trina had enjoyed herself a good deal that night, perhaps a bit too much.
    Her condition did not go unnoticed.
    “Trina…” Alexander said. “How much have you had to drink?”
    “All of it!” Trina exclaimed. She looked at him and smiled as she raised her right index finger skyward and made a small circular motion with it.
    Alexander shook his head.
    “Okay.” he said. “You are coming with us.”
    Trina pouted. “I can drive!” she exclaimed.
    “No, you can’t.” He said. “We aren’t having a discussion about this. I am telling you what is going to happen.”
    “Pooh!” Trina said.
    “Trina…” he replied.
    “Okay, f ine.”
    A few minutes later, the three of them got up from the table and headed out to the parking lot. It was already late by the time they exited and there weren’t many cars left by that point. As they walked, Trina leaned against Alexander for support. It turned out that she was a bit more drunk than she had appeared.
    Trina exclaimed, “To the happy couple, Alexander and Emma! May your marriage fever be filled with love!”
    “What?” Alexander said.
    “No, no! Oops, I mean… forever be filled with love!” she said as she laughed.
    They both shook their heads at Trina’s inebriated proclamation when a voice from behind said, “Marriage!? Who the fuck is getting married?”
    Without