Page 61 of The Denver Alpha

“There’s nothing to tell,” Cole supplies before my mind sends me spinning off the deep end. He peels his arm from his face, leveling me with a stoic stare. “She tried to come onto me under the guise of explaining why she set you up, and after I realized what she was after, I sent her away. She isn’t even supposed to be here at the packhouse, she’s on fuckin’ thin ice after what she did to you.”

“Well obviously she doesn’t care,” I huff, throwing my hands up. “Maybe if you were a little harsher with her after what she did…”

“Don’t tell me how to run my pack,” Cole snaps, cutting me off. “You don’t know the full extent of her punishment.”

“I know it can’t be that bad if she showed up thinking you’d take her back!”

Cole shoots to his feet, his eyes stormy and his chest heaving, fists balled and pressed to the top of his desk. I don’t feel any calmer from my position across from him- and to think I was the one who entered this room with a level head not too long ago.

We’re locked in a staring contest, both of us fuming, when Max, the head of security at Jokers, shows up in the doorway to Cole’s office.

“Hey…” he says tentatively, gaze pinging between the two of us. “You busy? Should I come back?”

“I was just leaving,” I say, turning on a heel. My damp hair whips out behind me, my bare feet slapping against the bamboo flooring.

“We’ll finish this later, Juliet,” Cole calls after me.

“Can’t wait!” I call back, gritting my teeth as I resist the urge to flip him the bird over my shoulder.

Then again, I’ve always liked to play with fire.

24

I’ve never been a big fan of surprises. Chalk it up to my penchant for structure and discipline or my control-freak tendencies, but I just don’t understand why it excites people to have something sprung on them when they’re completely unprepared. I mean, wouldn’t it be better if everyone knew what the fuck was going on and could plan for it? For me, surprises don’t equate to fun, they just add unnecessary stress. Those closest to me know this and respect my strict no-surprise policy.

There’s only one exception to the rule, and that’s my five-foot-nothing, curly-haired, overly-chipper little sister. She found her fated mate and moved away last year, and I’ve missed her like crazy since. She’s the one person who can show up unannounced at any time and I’ll always be happy to see her. And she knows full well that she’s the exception, which is why she never hesitates to do exactly that.

She’s such a little sneak about it, too. When non-residents arrive at the gate to our pack’s community, my guys stationed there always let me know- except when it’s Astrid. She’s grew up as the princess of our pack, adored by all, and even though she’s no longer technically a member, she’s still got everyone here wrapped around her little finger. Whenever she comes to visit, she sweet-talks both the guys at the gate and my packhouse security so she gets that true surprise moment when she ambushes me.

This time she roped Sam into her little game, getting him to text me and ask me to meet him in the foyer before he leaves. I know he’s spending the day with Shay, so I don’t think anything of it, nor do I question him when I get there and he says he has some paperwork for me that he accidentally left on the coffee table in the living room. I just head that way, none the wiser until I walk in to find Astrid and her mate, Brock, casually hanging out on the sofa like they live here and it’s just an ordinary day.

“What are you doing here?” I blurt, staring at my sister as the beaming smile on her face spreads.

She clucks her tongue, folding her arms. “C’mon, is that any way to greet your favorite sister?”

“You’re my only sister,” I toss back, though I can’t contain my grin. My little sister is everything good and right in the world, and she’s got this way of lighting up everyone around her, myself included. “Get over here,” I growl, beckoning her with a flick of my head as I start toward her.

She pops up from the couch, rushing to meet me halfway and throwing her tiny body into my arms with an excited squeal. I wrap her up tight and squeeze, lifting her off her feet like I always do because she’s a tiny little thing.

“Hey, careful!” Brock objects, shooting to his feet like he’s ready to intervene. On a fucking hug between siblings.

I roll my eyes, releasing Astrid from the embrace and taking a step back to give her a once-over. Life in her new pack must suit her because she looks great every time she comes back for a visit. Her hair is shiny, her skin practically glowing. Above all, she looks happy, which is all I’ve ever wanted for my baby sister.

“You look good,” I say with a nod of approval. “Happy, healthy.”

She pats her belly as her mate steps up beside her, glancing up at him adoringly as he tosses an arm over her shoulders. “Brock has been feeding me lots of tacos,” she replies, and the two of them share a smirk like she’s alluded to some private joke between them.

Astrid’s mate is Alpha of his own pack and he’s her opposite in every way. He’s a big fucker, at least a foot taller than my sister and built like a brick shithouse. He’s also a dead ringer for Jason Momoa, long hair and tanned, tatted skin to boot, and in stark contrast to Astrid’s bright smile and sunshiny disposition, Brock has a permanent scowl on his face, always surly as fuck.

Not gonna lie, I wasn’t a fan at first. Nobody was ever going to be good enough for my baby sister, least of all him. But then shit went down last year with a rival pack and Astrid was taken, and when I saw the way Brock fought to get her back… well, I knew that he’d do anything to keep her safe, because he did. He has the scars to prove it. So I set my own feelings aside, welcomed him with (somewhat) open arms, and now he’s family.

“So what are you doing here?” I ask again, sliding my gaze between the two of them. “I can’t imagine you’re here for the run in a few days since you’ve got your own pack to lead…”

“I could sense you needed me,” she replies with a wink.

I’ve been around Astrid and her abilities long enough to know that’s bullshit, so I roll my eyes, folding my arms across my chest. “C’mon, don’t pull that psychic juju on me.”

She snorts a laugh, shaking her head. “I’m just teasing. Does there have to be a reason, though? Can’t I just come visit my big brother because I miss him?”

---