Page 37 of The Denver Alpha

I just nod, shooting Tobias a sideways glance, but he’s already tucking into his food again, accepting defeat. If I were in a feistier mood, I might try to challenge the way Cole’s barking orders.Typical Sarge. I’m too curious, though. He’s never offered to spend time with me on purpose before, and I’ve gotta wonder if there’s more behind it. If something has shifted between us since last night.

I don’t have to wait long for the answer.

Cole doesn’t say much during the rest of dinner, but I don’t miss the looks he shoots my way while I talk and laugh with the others, Tobias in particular. I can tell our flirty banter grates on his nerves by the way his jaw twitches and how tightly he grips his fork. Maybe that’s why he eats so fast- so he can make a quick escape.

Cole finishes his food in record time and leaves the kitchen, and after chatting with my friends for a few more minutes, I excuse myself, drop my plate in the dishwasher, and start to head back to my room. I’m walking down the corridor outside the kitchen when a door to my right suddenly opens, a hand darting out to grab me by the wrist and yank me inside a darkened room. I yelp in surprise and another hand clamps down over my mouth to muffle it- then the door is kicked closed and I’m forced against it, a hard chest pressing against my back.

My fight or flight instincts kick in as I immediately start to panic, struggling against the big body restraining me, but then Cole leans down to whisper ‘shh’ into my ear and the fight drains from me as soon as I register who it is. His warm breath fans my neck, his scent enveloping me, and my body must be sending all the wrong internal signals because my adrenaline shifts from panic to passion in an instant.

I squeeze my thighs together as a steady thrum starts between my legs, my head falling back against Cole’s shoulder as my gaze flutters up to meet his.

He slowly peels his hand from my mouth, sliding it down to grip my throat instead. “Are you trying to get a rise out of me?”

I arch my back, grinding my ass against the very obvious bulge in the front of his pants. “If I was, it’s clearly working,” I breathe.

He punches his hips forward and I slap my hands up against the door to steady myself as he presses in from behind, pinning my body against the door tighter. Flexing his grip around my neck, Cole dips his head down, mouth hovering beside my ear. “Did you learn nothing after last night?”

“Was there a lesson in there?” I pant, the throb between my legs growing stronger. “If so, I might need a refresher.”

A low growl starts in his chest, vibrating against my back. “Don’t push me, Juliet.”

He abruptly releases his grip on me and backs away, the air suddenly cool on my backside without the warmth of his body covering it. I spin around to see him stepping backwards, receding into the darkness of the small room, which I realize is actually just a big walk-in pantry.

“But it’s so much fun,” I tease, my eyes meeting his through the darkness.

Gold shimmers dance in his irises, his wolf close to the surface, and I feel my own rise up to peek back.

I decide to take a chance.

I advance toward him.

“Touch me,” I whisper.

He holds up his hands, matching my step forward with a backwards one of his own.

“Don’t,” Cole grits out.

I roll my eyes, frowning. “Whatever. Your loss, then.”

Tossing my hair over a shoulder, I spin around and pull the door open, light from the hallway flooding into the pantry and illuminating Cole’s form. He takes a step forward, lips parting like he wants to say something, but I don’t stick around to give him the chance to turn me down twice. Instead, I step out into the hall, continuing toward my room without so much as a backwards glance.

Wondering if he’ll ever give in or if I should just cut my losses now.

15

Heat lightning cracks across the sky in the distance, illuminating the canopy of leaves in the forest for a brief moment as I throw my head back and drag in a deep inhale. All I can scent is the rain. The earth beneath my paws is soft and wet from the downpour when the storm came through here, fast and furious, and I can feel mud squidging between the pads of my toes as I stalk through the dark woods, searching.

The rain has slowed to a drizzle, my wolf’s thick coat wicking away the moisture as I creep through the foliage. I won’t be able to rely on my sense of smell, so I’m channeling my other senses, relying on my animal instincts and going with my gut to point me in the right direction. Despite my massive size in my shifted form, I’m quiet as I travel through the familiar woods on four paws. My wolf is adept at the hunt; silent but deadly.

Small animals realize too late that I’m nearby, skittering away to conceal themselves in the thick brush as I pass. They have nothing to fear tonight, though. I’m not out here hunting them. I’m searching for something else, someoneelse. I just hope I can find her before she slips through my fingers.

I caught sight of Juliet sneaking off into the woods right as the storm rolled in. I was contemplating skipping my nightly run due to the weather at the time, but something about the way she left the packhouse so soon after our brush in the pantry didn’t sit right with me, so I decided to follow. Problem is, the rain washed away her scent before I could properly track her, and the longer I search, the more time I have to speculate as to why she’s out here by herself in the dark.

The most logical explanation would be that she’s gone out for a run, but she’s not familiar with these woods and nobody in their right mind goes out in a raging thunderstorm like the one that just passed through here. The only other conclusion I can draw is that she’s running away, and if that’s the case, I feel responsible. I haven’t exactly been welcoming since she arrived in Denver, and I confused things even more by crossing a line at the club last night. And again by pulling her into the pantry after dinner tonight.Fuck.

This is exactly the kind of thing I was trying to avoid. Juliet’s young, emotional. If something happens to her out here, I’ll have to answer to her brother and risk toppling the alliance between our packs. Not only that, but my sister is mated into the six-pack. We’re all too intertwined, which is why I gave Jax my word that I’d look out for Juliet’s best interest and keep her safe in Denver. It’s why I haven’t allowed myself to let go and cave to my own selfish desires.

As I continue my hunt without success, my speculation over why she took off shifts to worry for Juliet’s welfare. It’s dangerous to be out here during a storm- lightning could strike too close, high winds could topple trees. She could slip on the slick mud underfoot and injure herself somehow. She can’t mind-link with my pack, so if she got hurt out here, it could be days before we find her. The longer I search, the more nervous I become. She doesn’t know these woods like I do, but that hasn’t stopped her from evading me thus far.

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