Page 6 of Perfect Alpha

“A week.” Hannah spins to glare at me suspiciously. “Why the sudden interest in my best friend?”

Raising my hands defensively, I reply, “Just making conversation, Hannah Banana.”

“Ugh,” she groans, unable to hold back a giggle. “You aresoannoying and immature. It’s like living with an extra toddler.”

“Some people say I’m charming and irresistible.”

“Right,” Hannah agrees, and I can imagine her eyes rolling in exasperation, “I forgot about the delusional women in this town. I’ll never understand it.”

“You wouldn’t,” I drawl. “Being the sister of the irresistible is a hard role to play, but you’re doing a bang-up job, kid.”

Ever since high school, finding a willing partner to keep me warm at night hasn’t been a problem. Of course, when I finally tasted my dream girl, no one else could compare. The flings have continued, but my heart has only agreed with my dick once.

Victory.

“You’re seriously insufferable. I’m surprised your ego fits inside the house,” Hannah returns.

“What ‘sufferable?” Aidan asks innocently, and Hannah and I both burst out laughing.

“I’ll do double duty this weekend so you can spend time with Victory,” I offer.

Any plans I had can be canceled. Everything I do nowadays is just meaningless filler to pass the time and let me escape the chaos in my head. My family will always come first.

“Thanks, I appreciate it. I need… some time,” she replies.

I understand the unspoken context, and my heart aches for everything Hannah has sacrificed.

Of course, the only reason I plan to stay around this weekend is to help my sister as much as possible.

It has nothing to do with dying to get a look at Miss Victory Parker.

Chapter 3

Victory

Thechangeinairpressure alerts me that the plane is descending and somehow four hours have passed. Getting to baggage claim is a slow motion shuffle made on autopilot.

The bustle of the small airport is nowhere close to La Guardia, and it takes way longer than it should for my bag to appear. I’m dragging it behind me when I spot my parents.

My heart twists because every time I visit, they look a little bit older.

I have to blink emotion out of my eyes as guilt bubbles in my chest for being so far away when I’m theirVictory. Running at full speed, I reach them in seconds and hug them fiercely.

“I missed you guys,” I whisper, tears burning my eyes and setting the roof of my mouth on fire.

“We missed you, too, honey,” Dad replies. “We love you.”

“I love you bothsomuch,” I return.

The deep blue sky is visible just outside the high windows, and the view instantly fills me with joy. My favorite vista on earth is the charcoal, snow-covered mountains cutting through the puffy white clouds with an unmoving, clear lake spread before them.

The constant adrenaline thrumming through me in the city immediately dissipates, and my body chemistry slows down to normal as calm fills me.

No matter how many times I stand under the big Montana sky, it never fails to captivate me. It’s the only place on earth Ifeelnature as though it courses through my veins. Being in the woods has the power to take me out of the real world and make me forget about work.

“You could always move back home,” Mom says.

She’s smiling, but it doesn’t come anywhere close to reaching her perceptive eyes. Fiery red hair and jade irises were her gifts to me, and we’re often mistaken for sisters. Her hair is piled in a top knot, and she’s wearing jeans and a sweatshirt that was plucked from my closet.