Approaching Alpha Zeke Sterne

Chapter 5 Alexander Merrick

*Mira*

Stepping into the dimly lit servants' quarters, I caught sight of Carlos straightening up the linen closet at the end of the hallway.

“Carlos!" I called out.

“Thank goodness, Mira!" He turned and hurried over, his concerned expression softened when he saw me. “Everything okay? Where have you been all night?"

I sighed, “Long story short, Jane lured me out and locked me in the gardener's house. By the time I was able to sneak away from the guards, it was too late for the dinner. Was Mrs. Feldman upset about my absence?"

He finished putting things away and we started to walk back to our room.

“Lucky you," Carlos replied with a slight smile, “she was so busy that she didn't even notice you weren't there."

I let out a sigh of relief. Even though my plan to approach the Alpha tonight didn't work out, as long as he was in the pack, there would be other opportunities.

“So... did you hear anything about how long the Alpha is going to stay this time?" I asked Carlos.

“That I'm not sure. In fact, I doubt anyone knows."

“How so?" I frowned, puzzled by his response. I thought that would be the first question the Beta, the Council, and all the women would ask.

“My bad!" Carlos smacked his own forehead. “I forgot to tell you that Alpha didn't even show up for dinner tonight," he explained, giving me a quick once-over. “By the way, you look very pretty in your dress."

I stopped in my tracks. Alpha Sterne didn't show up?

“Why didn't he come?"

“Gamma Manson mentioned that the Alpha was tired, which makes sense since he just finished a long trip. I mean, if it were me, I'd want a hot shower and go to bed too. The thing is, even though Alpha wasn't there, everyone still had a blast. It's not the first time Alpha skipped a party, after all. People are kinda used to it."

“I guess I didn't miss much then," I said, relieved.

“Nope," Carlos chuckled and handed me a small wrap. “Here you go."

Aroma of meat immediately filled my nose, making my stomach grunt.

“I figured you haven't had any food yet. Those are leftovers from the party," Carlos said.

“Venison sandwich!" I opened it up and took a bite. “Oh my goodness, it tastes like heaven! Carlos, why are you so good to me?"

“You saved my life, remember?" He smiled, reminding me. “Well, I don't know about you, I've actually had quite a long day and I'm ready to call it a night. Besides, starting tomorrow, we have another event to prepare for, more work to come."

“What event?" I was confused for a moment.

He sighed, “Jane's birthday party."

***

More than a week had passed since Alpha Sterne's return, but I hadn't seen him at all. I tried sneaking into the Alpha's wing in the pack mansion a few times, but it was heavily guarded and all my attempts failed.

Even the Beta and council members seemed to struggle to get face-to-face meetings with the Alpha. Obviously, Alpha Sterne was a cautious man. I guess he had to be, considering the numerous wars he started, there was no doubt many of his enemies wanted him dead.

I sighed. I guess I just had to be patient and take my time to execute my plan.

Then my hand brushed the matte black flask in my pocket. It wasn't until the next morning when I cleaned it that I truly appreciated its sleek and elegant design. It even had stars over waves subtly engraved on its body.

Now that it was ready to be returned to its owner, I'd been carrying it with me every day in case I bumped into Joshua, but I hadn't seen him since that night.

“Hey Mira, do you think we have enough balloons?" Carlos nudged me. “Do you think the corner looks too bare?"

“No, I think it looks good," I assured Carlos, who was putting in way more effort than I was. Preparing for Jane's birthday party wasn't exactly thrilling for me. Honestly, I thought the whole thing was over the top, but Carlos took it seriously, so I felt obligated to help.

“You okay? You've seemed kinda out of it these past few days," Carlos asked.

“Yeah, I'm all right," I replied, trying to sound convincing.

Carlos gave me a gentle push, “Come on, something's up."

I paused, thinking it over. I had one and only one goal in Star Ocean, and I shouldn't let a random stranger distract me so much. Maybe the reason I kept seeing that pair of silver gray eyes in my mind was because I hadn't returned his flask yet.

I made up my mind. “Actually, Carlos, I do have something to ask."

“Go ahead."

“Do you know a guy named Joshua?"

Carlos furrowed his brow as he seemed to search his memory. “Joshua? Can't say it rings any bells. Why?"

“Well," I hesitated, unsure how much to share, so I said vaguely, “I ran into this Joshua guy by accident, and he left something behind. I just want to return it to him."

“Ran into by accident?" Carlos repeated. “How? Are you sure it's just an accident?"

I raised an eyebrow this time. “Now you're confusing me."

“There's no Joshua here, not that I know of," he said, “But you know, it's not the first time someone's used a fake name. Alexander has done that before, approaching young women under different identities."

“Alexander?" The name sparked recognition. “You mean, Alexander Merrick? That rich playboy?"

“Yup, that one," he confirmed.

The Merrick family was known for their wealth and they had their own estate fifty miles away from the pack mansion. That explained why I hadn't seen Alexander before and after the party.

Since the Alpha didn't show up at dinner that night, Alexander might have decided to take a walk in the garden, maybe looking for a prey for the night...

I shivered at the thought. Joshua didn't seem like a womanizer, but who knows what an experienced playboy might do?

“Thanks, Carlos," I murmured, my mind reeling with this new information.

“Anytime, Mira. And hey," he added, a protective glint in his eye, “be careful, okay?"

I exhaled a slow breath, my mind clouding with thoughts of Joshua—or Alexander—and his infuriating games.

“Enough about mysterious strangers," I muttered to myself, feeling the weight of my resolve settle firmly on my shoulders. With that, I pushed away the lingering curiosity and turned my attention to the task at hand. “Time to focus, Mira."

“What did you say?" Carlos asked.

“Um. Oh, I said, do you know if Alpha Sterne is coming tonight?"

He shook his head, “Dunno."

Just then, a sudden, excited shout cut through the air.

“Alexander! He's there!"

Carlos muttered, “Speaking of the devil…"

I watched a flood of girls immediately rush over to the windows.

“Is he this popular?" My eyes widened.

Carlos shrugged, “Yep. He's a celebrity here."

Even though I had decided to have nothing to do with him, curiosity gnawed at me; I wanted to see if this Alexander really was Joshua. However, given the crowd in the dining hall and the group that had already gathered around the tall man in the distance, I wouldn't be able to clearly see him.

“Where are you going?" Carlos called out to me as I dashed toward the second floor.

“There's a balcony up here that should give me a good view."

Reaching the balcony, I leaned against the railing, pulling out the flask. My gaze shifted from the matte black bottle to the man in the distance.

Could it really be you, Alexander?

Suddenly, the flask was snatched from my hand, and a sharp female voice pierced the air.

“What the hell are you doing up here? My birthday party is in an hour and you should be working, you f*****g slacker!"

“Jane, why couldn't you just leave me alone?"

She was about to retort when she glanced at the flask, and her expression immediately turned furious. “Where did you get this? How dare you steal this flask!"

“I didn't. Give it back!" I demanded, gritting my teeth.

“Yeah right, like I'd believe you. Quit playing innocent. You're just a scrounger. Now back off before I make you regret it!"

My fist clenched at my side, I fought the urge to strike her. Just then, Jane's lips curled into a smirk, and her hand twitched as if she was about to toss the flask over the railing from the balcony. Instinctively, I lunged forward to stop her.

In that split second, as I was mid-air, she shoved me hard.

Shit!

By the time I realized I had lost my balance, I was already rolling off the second floor railing. As I braced for impact, expecting to hit the ground, I landed instead in a pair of arms—and greeted by the roguish smile of a handsome blond man.

His deep blue eyes sparkled with mischief beneath neatly trimmed brows. His short, effortlessly styled hair perfectly complemented his sharp features..

“Well, aren't you a sight? Not every day a beautiful woman falls from the sky right into my arms," he quipped, his tone playful. He paused for a moment, his gaze lingering on me with an intrigued smile. “I'm Alexander Merrick, and who do I have the pleasure of catching?"

Realizing I was safe but still in shock, I quickly gathered my wits. First things first, Alexander wasn't Joshua.

For whatever reason, I found myself letting out a breath of relief. But…why was I hoping Joshua wasn't Alexander? I quickly pushed that question aside, refusing to think too deep of it as my brain churned out its second thought—while Alexander saved me, I wasn't planning to fall for his game.

Before I could say anything, compelled by a force I couldn't explain, my gaze drifted past Alexander, out toward the fringes of the garden, and caught the briefest glimpse of a silhouette under the distant trees—a tall figure turning away.

My heart skipped a beat.

Although I didn't see his face, I knew it was him.

Joshua!

I broke free from Alexander's embrace. “Thanks for saving me, but I don't think you need to know a maid's name."

The confident smirk on Alexander's face faded into an expression of surprise and slight confusion.

“I gotta run!" I gave him a quick wave and started dashing towards where Joshua was.

“Wait!" Alexander called out behind me, but I didn't slow down or look back.