Page 2 of Alpha Theo

“Try to be nice to my sister,” Fallon sighs.

My eyes shoot up to meet hers. Her comment pisses me off- the girl is getting way too comfortable, like she’s part of our group.

Itirritatesme. I liked her well enough when she was at training camp this summer, trying to make the squad- she’s a damn good fighter and she’s got more balls than some of the men on the squad. She deserved to make the cut. But then last week’s full moon confirmed that she’s Gray’s mate, and her very presence has been getting under my skin since. She’salwaysaround. It used to just be the five of us bros, and now Fallon’salwaysthere, hanging on Gray. I considered him my best friend, but since he started things up with her it’s like he’s too busy for me and the other guys.

“You have a sister?” I ask, blinking.

Fallon rolls her eyes.

We grew up in the same pack; I know she has a sister. It’s kinda hard to miss a pair of hot blonde twins. I just can’t help but be a dick.

“Let’s move on,” Reid sighs, shuffling a stack of papers. He’s always the one to keep us on task.

I halfway pay attention to the rest of the meeting. My body’s bouncing back from last night’s alcohol abuse, but my irritation this morning is causing my headache to linger. I’m itching to get out, blow off some steam. I could run drills with the squad, but I’d much rather get on my bike and tear up the forest roads.

I’m distracted lately, listless.Bored. Every day it’s the same shit, and sometimes it feels like I’m just stuck spinning my wheels while everyone else’s lives move forward.

A motorcycle ride always tapers my wolf’s agitation. It’s the next closest thing to actually shifting and running on four paws- the wind in my hair, the open sky above me.

I set out on the road leading away from the complex, driving too fast, leaning too far into the turns. The green of the forest blurs beside me as I pick up speed, heading for Pine Mountain. The drive is winding, exciting, and the view from the top is great. When I reach the crest of Pine Mountain, I skid to a stop, cutting the engine. I close my eyes and let the sounds of nature drown out my own thoughts.

I love it up here. Despite the charmed life I’ve led, my lack of responsibilities, it’s the only place I really feel… free.

CHAPTER TWO

Brooke

“Sup, nerds?”

I whip my head around the side of my computer monitor to stare toward the open door of the IT hub, groaning internally when I see the person behind the rude greeting. Theo is leaning against the doorframe, taking up most of it with his massive size. His thick, corded forearms are folded across his chest, and he surveys the room with a condescending eye.

What the heck is he doing here?

The IT hub is the last place I’d expect Theo to be. Perhaps he was trying to find the weight room.Did he get lost?

“Theo,” Erin greets, scrambling up from her desk near the door. It’s a struggle for her to get to her feet- she’s super pregnant, due any day now. “Thanks for coming in.”

Theo glances around from his perch in the doorway, taking in the interior of the IT hub. It isn’t much, though it’s probably more space than the nine of us need. A couple of comfortable couches sit at the front of the room, a place for us to relax and hang out when we need a break. The walls are lined with five large desks on each side, providing each of us our own personal workspaces. There’s a long conference table situated at the back wall, which displays several large TV screens and a smartboard for meetings and demonstrations.

I straighten to peek over the top of my computer monitor from my desk at the back of the room, studying the unwelcome intruder in our space. Tall, tanned, and hard-bodied, he looks like a total fish out of water in here among us IT geeks. His t-shirt and leather jacket do little to disguise his form underneath- the dude’s built like a linebacker with his broad shoulders and chest. His chocolate brown hair is cropped short, his hazel eyes unblinking. Square jaw clenched, rough and days past needing a shave. Devastatingly handsome.

I catch myself ogling his physique appreciatively and force myself to look away and back down at my keyboard instead. His looks may be distracting, but I’m not an idiot- I know who this guy really is. Theo Jacobsen is a jerk with a capital J. An arrogant narcissist with a devil-may-care attitude. A guy whose bedpost has probably run out of space for notches to add. A total alpha-hole.

Erin claps her hands together to get our attention and my head snaps back up.

“Alright, gang… so as you all know, I’m going to be leaving for a while,” she smiles, rubbing her baby belly. “So for the next few months, Theo is going to be taking report from you each day and running it up the ladder to leadership.”

I blink. Did I hear her correctly?I couldn’t have heard that correctly.

“I hope you’ll all make him feel at home while he’s here.”

I snort. Theo, at home with a bunch of geeks?Doubtful.

“And who knows?” Erin continues, waggling her eyebrows. “Maybe you can teach him a thing or two about what we do here, get him to join our ranks.”

It’s Theo’s turn to snort. “Yeah right,” he scoffs, setting a large hand on Erin’s shoulder. “But thanks for the warm welcome.”

He flashes a wide, charming smile. I feel my face heat, eyes fluttering down to stare at my keyboard again. Whose bright idea was it to assignTheoas a liaison to the IT unit? We do serious work here- and from what I hear, Theo hasn’t worked a day in his life, nor taken anything seriously.

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