Page 2 of The Denver Alpha

“All good,” Jax says, pushing back his blonde hair with a hand as his mate shoulders in next to him and flashes me a winning smile.

“Hey, Cole,” Quinn greets, her hazel eyes gleaming. Jax is a good enough looking guy, but he definitely outkicked his coverage with Quinn. While brunettes aren’t typically my first choice, I’d have to be blind not to notice how stunning she is. “Astrid wanted me to let you know that she sends her love,” she offers.

I can’t help but smile at the mention of my baby sister. She’s the one female I have a weak spot for. “Tell her I send it back. And that she’s overdue for a visit.”

“I’ll be sure to pass that along,” Quinn winks.

“Ahem,” comes a voice from behind Jax, a dainty finger reaching up to prod him in the back of the shoulder. He rolls his eyes in response, shaking his head in feigned exasperation and stepping aside.

“This is my sister, Juliet,” he provides, tossing a thumb in her direction as he moves to reveal the blonde girl standing behind him.

Her ice-blue eyes meet mine and my breath catches, my heart tripping over its valves. She’s…gorgeous, and suddenly I’m just standing there staring at her mutely, my brain short-circuiting.

She’s tall, slender, with blonde hair and a sunkissed tan, looking as if she was plucked from a California beach and dropped on my doorstep. I’ve always had a thing for blondes, and with her little blue sundress and bashful smile, this one has a sweet, girl next door quality that just so happens to embody my dirtiest fantasies.

When Jax asked if his kid sister could stay here while studying at Denver University, I expected her to be… well, akid. Not a fucking knockout. I find myself immediately doing the math in my head- did he say she was nineteen? I’m a few months shy of thirty, so she’s entirely too young for me, but…fuck.

Juliet cocks her head to the side demurely as she extends a hand in greeting, those clear blue eyes sparkling and her plush lips parting to offer me a breathy “Hi”.

I just stand there like a fucking moron until Sam elbows me subtly, yanking me back to reality while I mentally bitch-slap myself. This isn’t me. I don’t get caught off guard, especially not by an attractive woman. Girl. Kid.Fuck.

I quickly regain my composure, pushing all unwelcome thoughts out of my head as quickly as they’ve entered and offering Juliet a tight smile as I take her hand in mine and give it a brief shake. “Nice to meet you,” I say politely, keeping my eyes trained firmly on hers so they don’t wander down to take another peek at how the fabric of her sundress is straining to conceal her breasts.

“Likewise,” Juliet replies sweetly, batting her lashes. She squeezes my hand gently with her fingers and I flinch back as I feel a little zip pass between our skin, my wolf perking up in response.

I yank my hand back with a barely contained scowl.Nope. Not today, Satan.

“Erm, Shay’s gonna show you around and help you get settled in,” I mutter, whipping around to Sam with a silent question in my eyes. This was the plan, but his mate’s conspicuously absent from this little welcoming committee. Sam nods to me in understanding as he pulls his phone out of his pocket, presumably to call Shay, while I turn back to Jax and Quinn. “Should we go talk business, get that out of the way?”

“Sure,” Jax replies, stepping closer and clapping me on the shoulder. “I’m sure you’re dying for an update on the shadow pack loyalists our security squad has been hunting down.”

I grunt in affirmation as I turn to lead them to my office, stealing another glance in Juliet’s direction and wondering why the fuck the devil picked today, of all days, to tempt me.

2

I drag in a deep lungful of fresh air as Shay leads me out the tall sliding glass door and onto the terrace, chattering away about the packhouse and all its amenities. The air smells different here in Denver. It smells like sweet, sweet freedom.

“I mean, you grew up in a packhouse, so all of this is probably normal to you,” Shay tosses over her shoulder as she treads a path to the edge of the terrace. “But it was a huge change for me when I came here. It took some getting used to. And hey, if you-”

“Holy shit,” I interrupt, pushing past Shay as a huge pool area comes into view. “There’s a pool?!”

Her lips pull into a grin, her chin-length hair bouncing as she nods. “Yeah, girl. There’s a pool.”

She starts to say something else, but her words are lost to me as I rush forward to get a closer look at the large swimming pool, the crystal-clear water beckoning me in the sweltering summer heat. I might’ve grown up in a packhouse, but the one in Westfield pales in comparison to this place. The Denver packhouse feels more like a luxury hotel than a home, and the impressive pool deck is just further proof of that. The whole thing is lined with wooden lounge chairs topped with luxurious looking cushions that I bet my tush would just sink into, the water of the pool taking on a bright blue hue reflected from the tiles beneath. It’s like a damn paradise out here, complete with towering metal palm trees and a little straw-thatched tiki bar set up on the far end of the pool deck.

“Is this heaven?” I ask dreamily, the hem of my sundress floating around my thighs as I spin back around to face Shay.

She titters a laugh, stepping closer and flinging an arm around my shoulders. “Pretty damn close, girl. I mean, the six-pack will always be home to me, but this place is a hell of an upgrade.”

I’ve known Shay for years, but I’m not sure if I’d classify us as friends. More like casual acquaintances. We both ran in our own circles back at home, but I heard about it when she found her fated mate in the Denver pack’s beta, Sam, and moved here last year to be with him. This is my first time seeing her since then, and life in Denver must suit her, because she seems more relaxed and carefree than I remember. She even looks different- she’s chopped off her long dark hair and added fuchsia streaks to it like a punk rock princess, a bold choice that she totally pulls off. Everything about her screams ‘wild and free’, and I can only hope that the move to Denver will have the same effect on me.

“So you’re enrolling at Denver U?” Shay asks, and I nod enthusiastically.

“I’m still kinda shocked that my parents agreed. Quinn helped talk them into it, and it’s only on the condition that I stay here while I take classes, which is fine by me,” I say, gesturing to the pool. “This place is a palace!”

She laughs again, linking her arm with mine and steering me back toward the patio doors. “C’mon, let’s finish the tour. I’ve still gotta show you your room!”

I grin from ear to ear as I follow her eagerly, my mind spinning with the possibilities of the new life spread out before me while still reeling over my newfound freedom.

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