Page 53 of Alpha Theo

I’m sure it’s nice, but my gaze is focused on Brooke beside me. Those big eyes blinking behind her black-framed glasses. That long blonde hair draped over the front of her shoulders. Those pouty pink lips that are just begging to be kissed by someone who knows what they’re doing.

“What?” Brooke asks, arching a brow as her eyes lock with mine.

Fuck, she totally caught me staring at her. I play it off, raking a hand through my hair, chuckling.

“Nothing. Just glad you’re having fun.”

I lean sideways, stuffing my hand in the pocket of my jeans to fish out my phone.

“Can’t forget the soundtrack.” I wink.

I can feel Brooke’s eyes on me as I unlock my phone, scrolling to my Spotify app. I pull up her playlist and hit shuffle. ‘Learn to Fly’ by the Foo Fighters starts playing as I slide my phone back in my pocket, upside-down so the speaker is sticking out the top.

My eyes meet hers again, silver shimmers swirling in her irises. Her wolf’s showing- and I feel my own wolf surge forward in response.

Mine.

Brooke

Theo’s eyes sparkle with the coppery glow of his wolf as I try desperately to shove my own back down. She’sallabout Theo- sitting beside him on this bench has her in a damn frenzy.

As nervous as I was to get on this ski-lift, now that we’re up here I have to admit I’m having a good time. Agreattime, even- views of the whole territory while one of my favorite songs plays?Epic.

There’s something exhilarating about being up here above the trees. Something wild, dangerous- and it isn’t just the big bad wolf sitting beside me. I never do things like this, and Theo’s right, I need to get out of my comfort zone and start letting myself live a little. For once, I’m not thinking about work or coding or my program. I’m just in the moment, feeling alive, free.

It’snota date. I have to keep telling myself that, because some tiny part of me wishes that it was. I never expected Theo to come up with something like this- he keeps surprising me at every turn. There’s so much more to him than what other people see. I don’t know why he hides so much of himself from the rest of the world.

I’m having such conflicting feelings right now. On one hand, the thought of being with someone like Theo disgusts me. He’s been with so many women, and I’d just be another in a long line of his conquests. He’s not a ‘relationship’ guy, and I’m not a ‘one-night-stand’ girl. But then on the other hand…

He flashes me that charming smile again and my belly does somersaults. He’s devastatingly handsome, with those hazel eyes and that square, stubbly jaw. The fabric of his black t-shirt is straining against his muscular biceps, my fingers itching to touch them. I’ll bet he’s a good kisser. He’s certainly had enough practice.

I turn away, take in the view again. This isnota date.

The song ends and another one plays as the lift takes us higher up the mountain. I check out the view, hum along to the music. I catch Theo humming along at one point too, which is super endearing.

Nota date.

“You ready to jump off?”

I whip around to look at Theo, wide-eyed. “What?!”

He throws his head back laughing.

“Lighten up, kid. I mean at the top!”

I roll my eyes, give a little shake of my head. He knew damn well how that would sound- he just wanted to get a reaction from me.Typical Theo.

I look ahead to see where the lift ends and the benches spin around to go down the other side. All that nervous energy I had at the beginning of the ride comes surging back.

“We have to jump?” My voice sounds pinched, strained.

Theo grabs for the lap bar, pulling it off of us and securing it overhead. “Yep.”

I wring my hands in my lap, staring at the spot where we’re supposed to land. Even though the speed of the ski-lift is a slow crawl, it suddenly feels like the top is coming up so fast.

“You got this?” Theo asks, looking over at me.

I take a deep breath. “I think so…”

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