Page 6 of The Denver Alpha

I just stand there gaping at her.

Who the fuck is she and what did she do with the sweet girl from last night?

A whistle sounds from across the room and Juliet’s cheeks flush pink as she glances past me toward the tables full of young men, smiling coyly as she raises a hand and flicks her fingers in a little wave.

“You’re distracting my warriors,” I grit out.

“What?” she gasps, feigning innocence as her sky blue eyes dart back to mine. “No I’m not.” Then, with a barely concealed smirk, she peeks around me again, raising her voice to loudly ask, “I’m not distracting you guys, am I?”

They all trip over themselves to answer in the negative, and she turns her gaze back on me with a triumphant grin. “See?” she shrugs, turning at the waist and grabbing her coffee cup from the counter. “They don’t mind.”

Her eyes spark with mischief as a sly smile pulls at the corners of her mouth, and I now know for sure that she was putting on a front last night at dinner. The girl standing in front of me right now is a far cry from the shy, reserved one that sat across the dinner table; she’s a walking temptation, draped in sin and dipped in deviance.

The girl from last night, I could handle.

This one is going to be fucking trouble.

“Try to put some clothes on before you come in for breakfast tomorrow,” I grumble, turning away abruptly and stalking toward the doorway. I’ve barely touched my food, but for some reason, I’ve lost my appetite.

“Sure thing, Sarge!” Juliet calls after me.

I grind to a halt, pausing in the doorway and considering turning back to address her insubordination. To remind her who I am and put her in her place.

I don’t. I recognize that I’m too wound up at the moment, and I’m better off walking away than escalating the situation. I decide to let it go, for now.

I inhale deeply, continuing into the hallway without so much as a backwards glance. Swiping my phone out of my pocket, I start to type out a text message when I hear the familiar sound of Sam’s footsteps following behind, moving quickly to catch up.

“Are we still heading downtown today?” he questions, falling into step at my side.

My phone vibrates in my hand as I receive a near-instantaneous response to the message I just sent. “Give me an hour,” I grunt, sliding my phone back into my pocket and continuing toward my office.

I just need to take the edge off to get this day back on track.

4

could feel the shift in the atmosphere when I woke up this morning; the sense of liberation buzzing through my veins. I hadn’t stopped thinking about the pool since I laid eyes on it yesterday, so I started my day with a swim, immediately concluding that it’s the way I’ll start every day here until the weather turns. It was infinitely more relaxing than my usual morning runs- I must’ve been a mermaid in another life because I love being in the water.

I’m pretty sure I left a lasting impression when I wandered into the kitchen for coffee afterwards. Cole’s jaw was clenched so tightly that it looked like he was about to blow a gasket, but I didn’t miss the way he looked at me. And yeah, I might’ve goaded him a little bit to gauge his interest. It’s there. He clearly likes to play his cards close to his chest, though, so if I have to push his buttons more to bring out that side of him, I’m more than up for the task.

He disappeared afterwards, but Shay came by my room while I was getting ready for the day to let me know that another pre-med student would be taking me to campus to help me register for classes and show me around. I stupidly forgot to ask for more details, so I’ve been loitering in the foyer of the packhouse for the past ten minutes, awkwardly making eye contact with everyone who walks by in search of my mystery escort.

I finally spot a familiar face when Tobias steps into the foyer, approaching me with a confident swagger in his step. “Hey, troublemaker,” he remarks, undressing me with his eyes as they roam up and down my form. I’m not exactly dressed to impress in a plain white t-shirt and a pair of cutoff jean shorts with beat-up sneakers on my feet. Still, he drinks me in like I’m a tall glass of water and he’s dying of thirst, making my cheeks flush and my heart beat faster.

“Well if it isn’t the rebel,” I reply coolly, tossing my blonde hair behind my shoulders and resting my hands on my hips.

“Heard you made quite the entrance at breakfast this morning.”

I shrug nonchalantly. “Didn’t realize there was a dress code.”

Tobias chuckles lowly, shaking his head. “You weren’t kidding when you said all bets were off after your brother left, were you?”

“I never joke about a good time,” I smirk. My gaze drifts past Tobias as someone enters the foyer behind him, my eyes searching their face for any indication that it’s the person I’ve been waiting for. They keep on walking by, and I turn my attention back to Tobias with a sigh. “Hey, have you seen any pre-med nerds around here? I’m supposed to get a ride to campus with one of them but I’m not sure who I’m looking for.”

“I’m who you’re looking for, babe,” Tobias winks, beckoning me with a lift of his chin. “C’mon.”

“Smooth,” I snort. “But seriously, I’ve gotta find them so I can get registered for classes today.”

“I know, Alpha asked me to take you. I’m pre-med at the U, too.”

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