Page 32 of Forged Alliances

Chapter Fifteen

A few days passed with one new challenger on the horizon who matched against Drew, not Dax. After the pipe-bomb incident, Sierra didn’t trust herself to show up and watch without diving in herself to tear into the coward. Early morning sunlight filtered in through her blinds, deepening the colors of her tawny floorboards.

Despite all her efforts to the contrary, a certain mountain lion alpha worked his way into her thoughts to the point where she missed his pestering and wanted to spend time with the bastard. And not just due to his clever tongue.

Sierra set her coffee maker on percolate, and the hiss of her machine emitted the scent of freshly ground beans. She tugged out her favorite mug, a mauve one heavy enough to knock someone unconscious. Slumping over the counter, she tried to wake up. With Drew tackling the next challenger, Dax had been spending his free time taking care of his pack in the Red Rock cabin, and she hadn’t seen much of him.

Though that was probably a good thing. Guilt worked its way through her system, warring with the flutter of hope—that so fast she’d grown attached, despite the experiences from her past telling her to run and never look back. Her fingers itched for a smoke as she brushed them over her empty jean pocket. She let out her breath in a steady stream, rerouting the motions into several uppercuts, slashing the air.

A knock sounded on her door.

Sierra snapped to attention, her hackles rising. The Red Rocks might know of this place, but they also knew better than to visit her here. However, one smartass wouldn’t give a damn about bothering her.

Her heart sped up a couple of notches as she made her way to the door, claws out in case of an unwelcome intruder. Before she could turn the knob, the door flew open and Dax walked in.

Even with soot stains on his wifebeater and the edges of his plaid flannel frayed, the man looked good enough to take a bite of. The sunlight brought out several bronze streaks in his dark, tousled hair, and mischief sparked those blue eyes. A wisp of a grin hovered on his lips as it always did, as if any second he’d get into trouble. Not like the assessment stretched far from the truth. The man was a born pain in the ass.

He stopped a couple of steps into her place and sniffed the air. A smile spread on his face. “You make coffee for me?”

“No, but I’m assuming you’ll be helping yourself anyway.” Sierra rolled her eyes as she headed for her kitchen, trying to ignore the way her heart sped at the sight of him. If her traitorous body got this juiced after messing around with him, she was screwed if he ditched rather than completing the mating bond. That sort of loss, she wouldn’t be able to recover from—she’d be closed for business for good. She stepped up to the carafe filled with nectar of the gods. “Couldn’t keep away, kitty cat?”

“Wanted to get my daily tongue-lashing from everyone’s favorite pup alpha,” he said, leaning against her countertop. “Plus, got word on Drew’s round two. He won, so as long as I can tackle the next challenger, we should be facing off by the week’s end.”

Sierra pulled out a second mug and filled it to the brim. “Any word on that?” She offered over the cup, and Dax accepted, his hand brushing hers in the process. The electricity she’d chosen to ignore when they first met had grown undeniable now, raw in the air as if it had been painted there. Her gaze lingered on his lips as he took a sip from the steaming mug. His eyes glowed with amusement when their gazes met, and Sierra made quick work on grabbing her cup of coffee and fixing it up with cream and sugar.

“Looks like I’ll be fighting Dominic Enrico, another pup alpha like yourself. Tomorrow at high noon, fitting for the cheesy western this is turning into.” Dax blew on the surface of his coffee, shifting his jean-clad legs in a too-distracting way.

“He’s dangerous,” Sierra responded, the heat from the mug printing her palms. “Marine trained and deadly, combined with a lot of power for a shifter. The Yellowrock pack has given us the runaround in the past, and we’ve almost come to butting heads. Every time, I managed to reroute to civil discourse, because I’m not sure that’s a fight I could win.”

“Lucky for you, I’m the one fighting him,” Dax said with a wink as he polished off the rest of his coffee. Sierra glared at him, positive her warning hadn’t sunk home. “Now quit dawdling. We’ve got places to be.”

She crooked an eyebrow. “I think I’d know if I had somewhere to be. Pack-related activities are suspended while the Tribe’s in town. My schedule has been freed up to watch you getting your sorry ass handed to you.”

“Except for right now. Pop on your hiking boots,” he said, his bossy tone making her want to slug him in the face. Sierra crossed her arms and didn’t budge an inch. Dax heaved a sigh before giving her the side eye. “You’re going to take off your shoes and plant, aren’t you?”

She didn’t resist the smug smile surfacing. “Not sure if I trust you yet, Mr. Williams. Not enough to go traipsing blindly after you.”

He shook his head in disbelief. “I need to practice a couple of the moves you showed me the other day, and since you’re a tough pup like this Enrico bastard, I volunteered you for the position. Getting a good hike in is just a bonus.”

Warmth curled in her stomach at his words, even though she hid how his regard made her melt. He’d chosen to come to her for help, driving all the way out here to drag her along. The implied flattery was there—he trusted her strength.

“That so hard to say?” she asked as she sauntered over to her couch where her hiking boots had keeled over, leaving dried chunks of mud on the carpet. She laced them on and rose, wiping her hands on her jean shorts. Her canvas bag with spares lay rumpled on the floor, so she scooped it up and looped it around her shoulder. Sierra caught Dax’s eye as he leaned there against her kitchen counter. “Come on, you’re holding us up.”

Dax placed the mug on the countertop, his brows furrowed with annoyance. If he wanted to be a pain in her ass, she’d turn his own games around on him. “Anyone tell you that you’re a stubborn, stubborn woman?”

“Every day of my life,” she said, making her way to the door. Dax followed suit, slipping his hands into his pockets. Any hint of irritation disappeared from his easy smile.

Dax climbed into his beast of a truck he’d parked out front and leaned out the open window. “Hop on in,” he called. Sierra basked in the sunlight as she made her way to the passenger’s side.

Her heart floated more lightly than it had in years, as if the burden of being alpha had been lifted from her shoulders for a brief gasp. As she settled into the leather seat, she cast a glance his way. Dax leaned back, his powerful forearms taut as he gripped the steering wheel. Maybe because for the first time, she had an equal, a fellow alpha to confide in. He rolled out of her driveway, following the gravel road to the highway. The rays soaked his skin, highlighting the nick on his cheek and the dark stubble along his chin.

“You going to be there to cheer me along tomorrow?” Dax asked, casting her a glance, his eyes twinkling. “Make sure to wear the whole pleated-skirt getup.”

Sierra’s jaw clenched more tightly as the familiar prickle of irritation rose in her chest. “You had to ruin it all by opening your mouth,” she drawled, running her hand through her hair to tame the strands tossed around by the breeze.

The sign for Ricketts Glen State Park appeared on the side of the road amid the tall grasses and surrounded by the thick, unkempt woods she’d run through too many times to count. Dax turned down the narrow dirt path leading deeper into the forest, the pines towering overhead. Already the sounds of the park pricked her hearing, the distant rush of the streams channeling into the dozens of waterfalls throughout this stretch and the whistling of birds chirping to one another from above.

They came to a halt in one of the parking lots where one or two other cars were stationed. Sierra hopped out of her side, her boots sending gravel and dust flying as she slammed to the ground.

---