The alpha 2, p.14
The Alpha 2, page 14
I figured the tension in the room could have been cut cleanly with a knife.
“Professor, I know you emailed me, but maybe now isn’t a good time,” I said.
“Oh, heavens, no!” Professor Collins turned from the three of us and started toward his desk. “It’s a quick meeting. I wanted to give you your audition materials.”
“Audition?” Gray lifted an overly manicured eyebrow.
“Ah, yes!” Professor Collins stopped at his desk and put his hands on the wood surface with a smile. “For the alumni banquet this spring. Mister Rafe is a young man of exceptional talent, so I extended him an invitation to audition for our senior quintet, even though he’s only a junior.”
“Wooow.” Gray looked at me, and then he lowered his voice so the professor wouldn’t hear. “What did I tell you? Any old fool can play.”
“I hope you can come by and possibly hear for yourself at the banquet.” Professor Collins scanned his desk and started moving papers seemingly at random over the broad surface. “Now, where did I put that folder…”
“The infamous senior quintet.” Gray flashed me a knowing look. “How very lucky you are, Jesse. This could be your new leash on life. Oops. I meant to say lease. Forgive me, I’ve got dogs on the brain.”
“Do you have a dog, Gray?” Professor Collins asked as he looked up momentarily from his work.
“Heavens, no,” Gray laughed. “All the shedding, the dirt, the smell… I don’t care much for those domesticated wolves.”
“That’s rich,” I muttered.
“Anyways, this could be a wonderful opportunity for you to focus your life,” Gray continued as he turned back to me.
“How do you figure?” I asked the man with a suspicious edge.
“Oh, you know how people your age are,” Gray insisted. “So…”
The alpha held out a hand in front of him and flexed his fingers, as though he was trying to pluck the word out of the thin air in front of his face, and the only sounds in the room for a moment were the soft hiss of the shuffling papers on Professor Collins’ desk and Arielle’s fluttering breaths.
I wondered if taking a swing at the man would be worth the risk of suspension and a withdrawal of my audition slot.
Maybe for a good punch.
Gray didn’t leave me pondering the consequences of my actions for long, and the werecoyote dropped his hand with a sigh.
“It will come to me later,” he said with a chuckle. “To say it another way, you youngsters have a knack for stretching yourselves so thin. Taking on new hobbies, or maybe even new responsibilities, you forget why you do anything to begin with. It’s refreshing to see someone take a step back from that lifestyle and stick to what they know.”
“So, trying new things is bad?” I asked.
“Not necessarily.” Gray shrugged. “Now, sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong, that could get you into trouble.”
“A little trouble is just a side effect of making things happen.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
“Perhaps you want to make the wrong things happen,” Gray quipped back.
“Maybe.” I shrugged. “Or maybe it scares the right people.”
“I’m getting the sense you’re not talking about music anymore,” the alpha confessed with a chuckle.
I smirked. “Funny. I’ve begun to feel the same way.”
“Found it!” Professor Collins lifted a plain black folder into the air with a joyful laugh, and he came back around the desk and promptly put the folder into my hands. “I printed this off this morning. Like I told you before, it’s going to be a very straightforward audition. Scales, some sight reading, and a prepared piece, but most students seem to be pursuing their jury pieces to fulfill that requirement. As I mentioned before, we’ll be having the auditions Friday afternoon, around three in the Windsor auditorium. Make an effort to show up early so we can begin as soon as possible.”
“Can do.” Even as I spoke to Professor Collins, I refused to take my eyes off Gray.
The other alpha held on tight to Arielle’s neck and glowered down at me with his thin lips pressed so hard together they started to lose some of their rosy hue.
A familiar heat started to rise up in my chest, and the flame of rage flickered and grew the longer I stared at the alpha. I wanted to fight this guy, here and now, but I knew there was no way in hell I would be able to do that.
I hated how he seemed to know so much about me while I knew very little about him. Maybe that was his game, and he came here intentionally because he knew even if he couldn’t strike, I would also be powerless to attack him.
The ghost of a smile tugged at the corners of Gray’s lips and confirmed my suspicions.
Bastard.
Professor Collins clapped me on the shoulder. “Well, Mister Rafe, I won’t keep you for much longer. Thanks for coming by as promptly as you did.”
“No problem.” I plastered my fakest smile on my face as I stared at Gray. “And, really, lovely meeting you, but I’ve gotta run. New responsibilities and all.”
“Sure, sure,” Gray replied. “It would seem to be about that time. I can walk out with you.”
“I don’t think that will be necessary,” I said.
“Ah, come on.” Gray looked over at Professor Collins and laughed. “Do you not teach these kids about good networking anymore?”
“I’m sure Mister Rafe is only joking,” Professor Collins replied with a chuckle. “You’re not really planning on leaving Gray hanging, right?”
I darted my gaze over to Arielle for a brief moment. “… Maybe not.”
“Wonderful!” My professor clasped his hands. “Well, you two, have a wonderful rest of your days. You both know where to find me.”
“Of course,” Gray and I said in unison, and then we snapped our attention toward each other with a glare.
Professor Collins just laughed at the two of us.
I wanted to be the first one to leave the room, but Gray beat me to the punch, turned with Arielle still under his hand, and sauntered toward the door. I followed hot on their heels, and in a moment the three of us were outside the office and back in the spacious halls of Erickson.
A stillness hung in the air, and there was nobody in the halls but us.
I turned sharply on my heels and started to walk away from Gray and Arielle, even as my body yearned to take Arielle along with me.
But I didn’t get too far before the alpha called out my name.
I turned as he relinquished his grip on Arielle, and the second he did, the poor girl lifted her hands up to her throat and started to rub the place he’d been squeezing.
“Before you go wandering back to your little life, I wanted to make sure I was being abundantly clear about what I said in the office,” Gray drawled. “I know who you are. I know what you’re doing. And I’m going to warn you now: don’t fuck with me.”
“I’ll take your recommendations into consideration,” I growled.
“Good. Then we can coexist happily and stay above this streak of fighting that seems to be running rampant lately.” Gray flashed a half-smile. “Word on the street is some hotshot wolf boy’s gotten himself in hot water with the werecats. Have you heard about this?”
“Not a word,” I said as I stared at him down the hall. “But, you know, they probably had it coming.”
“Perhaps.” Gray ran a hand through his hair. “I do hope he gets himself in check soon. I’d hate to have to hurt him if I caught his friends snooping around my house again.”
“Again?”
“It’s the funniest thing, really,” Gray chuckled. “My neighbors told me they saw three mountain lions walking together in the trees the other day outside town. Strange, isn’t it? They usually stay solitary.”
“I think we’re done here,” I growled.
“For your sake, I hope we are,” Gray sneered.
The two of us stared at each other for several long moments. It was an intimidation game, and I had no fucking plans on letting Gray think he won, so I crossed my arms over my chest and matched his steely expression pound for pound.
“Gray,” Arielle said, and this time she spoke at a volume I could hear. Her voice sounded melodious. “We’re going to be late for our dinner reservations.”
“What have I told you about interrupting me, Arielle?” the alpha snarled and spun on his heels to face her.
Tears sprung up in the omega’s eyes immediately, and she retreated back a step in terror. Gray looked over at me and straightened himself back up, and he slicked a stray lock of hair back out of his face as he let out a long sigh.
“I’m sorry you had to see that,” Gray apologized in a hollow tone. Then he reached out, grabbed the omega by the waist, and tugged her close to him. “I’m a pretty calm guy, Jesse Rafe. You don’t want to see me angry. I promise. Don’t. Fuck. With. Me. ‘Kay?”
“Okay,” I replied with a glare.
“Good.” Gray lifted his free hand in a spindly wave. “Toodles.”
He turned with Arielle and stormed off toward the exit doors on the other side of the hall, practically dragging the woman along as he did. Arielle hazarded a quick glance back at me as they left, and for a brief moment my heart pounded rapidly in my chest in longing.
Then Gray opened the doors, and the two vanished into the light beyond.
I waited until the doors closed completely before I let out the breath I’d held in my lungs, and it rushed out of me like a hydraulic machine as I balled and untensed my hands to calm down. I wanted to chase the guy and pummel him just like I’d done to Newt and Sabine, but I kept myself frozen in place until the pounding sound in my ears started to fade and my tunnel vision opened back up again.
Once my emotions were back in check, I turned around and headed for the front doors again. I pushed them open a lot harder than I needed to, and the boom of the glass and metal door snapping out to the end of the hydraulic metal arm’s length made both Nikita and Benji jump on the bench across from the front entrance.
They hopped up to their feet as I stomped over to them.
“Jesse?” Benji asked with a concerned look on his face. “You good?”
“Nope,” I gritted out and walked right past the two of them.
After a brief hesitation, the duo trotted to catch up with me, and they walked in my wake as we marched toward the commons.
“What happened?” Nikita asked gently. “Are you in trouble?”
“The alpha,” I growled, and then I let out a sigh and slowed my pace. I shouldn’t take this out on them. I knew better. “The werecoyote alpha was here.”
“What?” Benji and Nikita chorused in unison.
“Apparently, he’s a former student,” I explained. “And he knows about me and how we scouted out his territory a few days ago.”
My companions fell silent as the revelation settled in, and Benji ran a hand through his hair and shook his head.
“Is he going to attack us?” my captain asked.
“Right now?” I wrinkled my nose. “No, I don’t know if he really wants to dirty up his pretty hands with a fight. He did that machismo thing and told me to back off and leave his pack alone.”
“Does he have an omega?” Nikita asked.
“Yeah.” I rubbed my arm. “I don’t get it, though. You said the smell is supposed to be a little less potent when they’re bonded, right?”
“A little,” the omega agreed. “Not always.”
“I don’t get it, then,” I said again. “She smelled just as strong as you did, before we met. Maybe even stronger. No offense.”
“None taken,” my lover laughed. “That would be an insane thing to be jealous about, you realize that, right?”
“I’m just covering my bases,” I replied, and a genuine smile stretched across my face as I spoke.
“I’m appalled that you think I’m so shallow.” Nikita clutched her chest in mock-despair. Then, after she laughed again, she dropped her hand and returned to a more somber expression. “In all seriousness, though, none of this is really an exact science. A lot of what us shifters know about alphas, betas, and omegas is something like instinct and observation. Not everything will follow a textbook pattern, especially with the whole smell thing.”
“Yeah,” Benji agreed. “I’m no omega, obviously, but to my understanding the only way she could smell as strong as you’re suggesting would be either some fluke, like Nikita said, or that she’s not actually bonded to the werecoyote alpha.”
“His name is Gray,” I replied. “Gray Mackenzie.”
“Not bonded?” Nikita snorted in an undignified way, and then she leaned forward to look at Benji. “Not a chance in hell. The presence of an alpha sends an omega straight into heat, and there’s no way they wouldn’t bond after their first encounter.”
“Maybe she didn’t go into heat?” Benji speculated. “I don’t know. I’m just spit balling.”
“What kind of omega doesn’t go into heat?” Nikita wrinkled her nose in something like disdain. “Are you smoking crack?”
“Alright, alright, you two,” I interrupted. “Bickering isn’t the answer. However it happened, it happened, and the omega smelled strong to me. There’s no need to read more into it.”
“Sorry, Jesse,” Benji apologized.
I just chuckled and rolled my eyes.
The commons building rose up ahead of us, and I could see groups of students moving in and out of the building. The place looked busy, but I knew dinner time was when the crowds really came into full swing.
“So, what are we going to do about the werecoyotes?” Nikita asked, and she spoke in a softer voice as we approached the other students.
“The plan hasn’t changed,” I replied. “We still need to up our numbers, and the only way we can do that is to take them over. Gray’s an asshole, but that’s not the worst of it. He treats Arielle like shit.”
“The omega?” Benji asked.
I nodded. “You should have seen it. It’s textbook douchebag behavior. He’s controlling, he’s manipulative…”
“This is almost starting to sound like a rescue mission,” Nikita giggled. “The brave knight saving a beautiful princess from an evil dragon.”
“It’s a lot of things,” I agreed. “I want more information on this guy. If I want to put up a fight, I need to know as much about him as he knows about me.”
“You want to do another recon mission tomorrow?” Benji asked.
“I want to do one tonight.”
We reached the front doors of the commons, and I held open the door for my two friends and a few solo people who snuck in around us. Then I met up with my pack again, and we started toward the cafeteria.
“Tonight,” Nikita echoed. “Should we tell the others?”
“Let’s keep it simple,” I said. “You, me, Benji. We can communicate with each other, too. It’s the smartest thing to do.”
“Okay.” Benji nodded. “Let’s do it.”
“But before that…” I nodded toward the cafeteria. “Let’s get some grub.”
As we stepped into the cafeteria, the aroma of the buffet lunch served as a welcome distraction from the stress of the afternoon, but it was still only a matter of time before reality settled onto me again.
Benji and Nikita chattered cheerily amongst each other as they ate, but I found myself staring meditatively at my meatloaf and gravy.
Gray promised to put up a hell of a fight. And with the size of his pack, we were going to have our work cut out for us when we made our move this weekend, but there was no alternative.
I hardened my jaw and cut off a piece of meatloaf with a newfound fervor. I had to get Arielle out of trouble, and I wasn’t saying that just because I was an alpha and I wanted to mate with her. The hurt on her face and the fear broke my heart in two, and the fact a man could willingly do that to a woman made me sick.
I was going to free Arielle from her abusive relationship.
But first, I was going to kick Gray Mackenzie’s pompous ass.
Chapter Eleven
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Nikita had one more class for the day after lunch, so when we finished up our meals, the three of us discussed our next steps.
“I’m gonna head home for now,” Benji said to Nikita and me. “I’ve got a little homework to catch up on, and anyways it’s sounding like I’ll need to sneak in a disco nap before tonight.”
“Sounds like a plan, man,” I replied. “We’ll catch you around.”
After Benji left, Nikita turned to me, took my hand into her own, and gave me a little squeeze.
“I guess I better get going to class, too.” She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Don’t want to be late, you know.”
“Sure.” I smiled. “I’m gonna go to the computer lab to get some stuff in order. You want to meet me there later on?”
“Sure thing.” The omega popped up onto her tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss on my cheek, and then she let me go and went to her class.
For the first time in a few days, I was alone.
I left the commons and made my way to the computer lab tucked into the corner of the library. Then I plopped down in front of the large monitor, cracked my knuckles, and got to work.
At first, I tried to do schoolwork, but I found my mind wandering back to Gray and the werecoyotes, so I gave up on getting any schoolwork done and dove into studying up on Monroe.
I pulled up maps of the area and charted out a path from Max’s house to the outskirts of the town. We wouldn’t have our phones with us if we were shifted, so having a route in mind would be the only way we could get there and back without getting too turned around.
It seemed like no time at all before I caught sight of Nikita sauntering toward me from across the room, and a small smile hung on her full lips and grew wider when she finally caught sight of me.
I closed out of the open tabs and signed off the computer.
“Ready to go?” my mate asked.
