Page 19 of The Denver Alpha

It's a huge space on the upper floor of the packhouse that’s basically a bachelor’s paradise, chock full of all kinds of stuff that guys go crazy for. There’s a full-sized glass-front refrigerator stocked with beer, a massive flatscreen TV mounted on one wall, floor to ceiling windows that overlook the terrace lining another, and no shortage of comfortable furniture scattered between. A second TV is across the room with two different video game consoles hooked up to it, and as if that isn’t enough, there’s also a pool table, an air hockey table, and two pinball machines to round out the space. Like I said, it's a total bachelor’s paradise, so it comes as no surprise that it’s a complete sausage fest when I show up.

The low buzz of conversation from the handful of guys in the room peters out when I step inside, and the looks cast in my direction are… less than friendly. Which throws me off because up until now, I’ve been made to feel welcome at the packhouse by the people that reside here. This is the first time I’ve been met with stares like these from the pack warriors; they look almost wary, like they’re nervous to have me invade their haven or something.

Maybe they aren’t used to having girls hang out up here?

Suddenly feeling awkward, I spot Tobias and Eddie by the pool table with a couple of other guys and make a beeline in their direction, thankful for the comfort of familiar faces.

“Hey,” I breathe, marching up to Tobias as he watches Eddie lining up a shot with his pool cue. I land a hand on Tobias’ arm, flashing him a bright smile. “So can I get next game or what?”

Tobias gives me a weird look as he shakes my hand off, glancing around anxiously. Then he takes me by the elbow, steering me away from the pool table and to a vacant corner of the room.

“You can’t do that,” he says, dropping his voice low as he leans in.

“Do what?” I ask, now thoroughly confused. Tobias was the one who told me about their nightly hangout here- why would he do that if it was some bro’s club that I wasn’t welcome in? He didn’t just tell me about it, he encouraged me to come by and check it out- so why the hell is he suddenly acting so weird?

Tobias shakes his head, a lock of auburn hair flopping down over his brow. His eyes meet mine, then dart away like he’s hiding something. Like there’s something on the tip of his tongue that he’s holding back.

“Tobias,” I sigh, starting to get annoyed by his evasiveness. I reach out to touch his arm again, but he flinches back like I’ve got poison on my fingertips. I fold my arms across my chest, staring at him dubiously and arching a brow. “Okay, what the hell is going on?”

He chews his lip, eyes darting around the room. “Alpha…” Tobias starts, but his voice trails off and he shakes his head. “Nevermind.”

“What about him?” I ask, my hackles raising at the mention of Cole.

He shakes his head again. “Nothing.”

“No, Tobias, tell me,” I demand, raising my voice as irritation prickles beneath my skin. “Now.”

He cringes at my increased volume, grabbing my elbow again and ushering me out the doorway and into the hall, away from prying eyes. The others watch us suspiciously as we exit, exchanging nervous glances, and that’s when I know there’s something seriously fucked going on here.

Once we’re alone in the hallway, Tobias leans in, dropping his voice to a whisper. “He warned us off of you, okay?” he hisses through his teeth.

“Huh?” I wrinkle my nose in confusion, mind grappling to comprehend his admission. “What does that even mean?”

“He said nobody’s allowed to touch you.”

NowthatI understand perfectly.

“What?!” I blurt, my jaw going slack. My face gets hot, anger prickling beneath my skin as I stare at Tobias in disbelief.

“You’re here as our guest, and disrespecting you would be disrespecting the alliance our pack has with yours…”

“Oh that’s fucking rich,” I snap, cutting him off. “When did this happen?”

“Yesterday afternoon. We had a training session, and…”

I don’t give him a chance to finish before I’m storming away, heart pounding and blood boiling.

How fuckingdarehe?! This has to be my brother’s influence, but even so, the fact that Cole has gone along with it is reason enough to tear him a new one. This is exactly why I was so eager to leave home; what I was trying to get away from- but it seems that no matter how far I run, I can’t escape the reach of my family. I can’t escape the expectations carved out for me, caging me into a role that I have no interest in fulfilling.

My anger builds with every step, and when I reach Cole’s office the door is closed, but the strip of light underneath tells me that someone’s inside. The polite thing to do would be to knock, but I’m too heated to stop and consider the ‘right’ move here- instead, I twist the knob and fling the door open, storming right into the office on a damn mission to give him a piece of my mind.

“Who do you think you are?!” I demand, marching up to the large desk that Cole’s seated behind.

His head lifts from the open file he was perusing, brow furrowed in annoyance at my sudden intrusion. “I’m a little busy, Juliet.” His dark eyes pierce mine, alpha energy practically vibrating off of him and warning me to back down.

Too bad I’ve never been the submissive type.

“I don’t give a shit,” I snap, slapping my palms onto the desk and leaning over it. “Where do you get off giving orders that nobody can touch me?”

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