Return of the Bad Boy Alpha

Loretta

Naomi

“I’m not riding on that,” I say while staring at the blue motorcycle parked in front of my building. I back away from Magnus with my hands up. “I hate motorcycles,” I say to him, and he frowns. “They are ugly and loud.”

“You did not just call Loretta ugly,” He steps towards me.

“Loretta?” I scoff and step back. I am ready to flee back to the safety of the Archive. But the tingles on my skin when his hand brushes my arm make me stop.

“Her name is Loretta, and I promise that you will be safe,” He pleads with me, and against my better judgment, I look him in the eyes.

I hate how this man is succeeding in making like him. His deep green eyes sparkle as they look into my plain brown ones. He brushes the hair from my face. “I-I just…don’t…feel-“ He interrupts my sputtering with a kiss. ‘Fuck.’ I say as I lean into him. The tingles spread through my body, and I can’t help but moan with pleasure.

He laughs against my lips. “Live a little, Naomi,” Magnus whispers and clasps my hand, and pulls me to the cursed bike. He straddles it. “Hold onto me, and I will not let you fall.”

I sigh and hesitantly climb onto the motorcycle behind him and wrap my arms around his waist. We both shudder from the contact as he starts the loud beast. I screamed when it lurched forward and buried my face in his warm back. I closed my eyes and held tight while he laughed. The ride seems long to me as I imagine the worst. But it comes to a stop and turns off.

“Okay, babe, we are here,” Magnus says, and I slowly open my eyes and unwrap my arms from him. He gets off the bike and helps me. “It wasn’t so bad, was it?”

I stare at him, unable to form any coherent words. He had brought me to the new burger place located at the edge of our territory. I have been wanting to try the burgers, but I don’t like crowded and loud places. Magnus grabs my hand and leads me inside. The inside is like a biker bar but clean. There are car and bike memorabilia all over the walls and loud rock music blaring through the speakers. A thin blonde hostess greets us.

“Good evening,” She smiles brightly at Magnus and looks him up and down. “Magnus Bowie,” She purrs his name and flashes her long eyelashes at him. She is dressed in a pair of tight shorts and a tank top that leaves little to the imagination. Her long blonde hair flows down her shoulders, and she reminds me of Elena.

“Hello,” Magnus greets her with a nod. “A table for two, please. Preferably in a quiet corner.”

“Two?” The hostess blinks and then notices me. Her smile disappears, and she sneers. “Fine.” She grabs two menus and leads us through the restaurant.

My mouth waters from the smell of the food. I love my junk food. The hostess stops at a booth in a relatively quiet part of the restaurant. “Can I get you two anything to drink?”

“I’ll have a couple of beers. Whatever you got,” Magnus replies as we sit down. “Naomi?”

I shrug. “Just some water, please,” I reply.

“You can order whatever you want, babe,” Magnus says to me.

“Fine. Bring me a rum and Coke, easy on the Coke,” I tell the hostess, and Magnus chuckles. The hostess glances at him with a seductive smile before walking away, and I find I want to rip her head off.

“Rum and Coke, huh?” He says with raised eyebrows.

“I like the burn,” I mumble and look at the menu.

We sit in silence for a few minutes until another barely dressed female walks up with our drinks. I recognize her as one of Elena’s friends. She looks right at Magnus, hardly noticing my presence. “Magnus, I am so glad to see you home. I wanted to say hi at your party, but you disappeared.” The waitress says to him.

“I’m sorry to be rude, but who are you?” Magnus asks her as she leans over, nearly spilling her breasts from her small crop top.

“You don’t remember me? I am Courtney Shane. You used to uh hang out with my older sister Ashley,” She explains.

Magnus nods. “Oh right. Sorry, it's been a long time since I have been home. I do remember Ashley.” He replies to her as she coos and touches his arm.

A low growl escapes me, and Courtney finally notices me but says nothing. She turns back to Magnus. “Is there anything I can get you, Magnus? I’d call my sister, but she left the pack after she found her mate.”

“My mate and I will need a few more minutes to decide,” Magnus flashes a smile at her.

Courtney turns her brown eyes on me. “Her? Naomi, the nerd, is your mate?” She scoffs. “How?”

Magnus shrugs. “I suppose the goddess knew my type,” He winks at me.

“Or she hates you,” Courtney touches his arm again, and I growl a little louder. Magnus pulls his arm away from her. “I’ll be back,” She says curtly and scrambles away.

I watch her walk away, and Magnus chuckles. “What?” I say to him.

“For a woman trying so hard to resist her mate, you sure are letting the jealousy show,” He smirks.

“I-I-I’m not jealous. That was my wolf,” I blurt out.

‘No, it wasn’t,’ Ruby interjects.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night babe,” He looks at his menu. “What looks good to you?”

“All of it,” I reply and lift the large menu, so I don’t have to look at his hot ass face. I finally decided on a burger with green chilies and caramelized onions and bacon. My mouth waters just thinking about it.

“Do you like fried pickles?” He asked.

“Sure,” I say as I fold the menu and set it on the table.

Courtney returns to the table with another waitress I recognize from high school. It’s Jessica Smith, Josh Rogers ex chosen mate. Jessica looks me over. “I had to see it for myself. Magnus Bowie stuck with Naomi for a mate. That’s just, wow,” Jessica snorted.

Magnus glares at both of them. “Just take our damn order,” He snarls with his alpha tone, and they both stiffen.

“What would you like?” Courtney asks him.

“Naomi,” He smiles at me.

I can’t help but smile back. ‘What is this man doing to me?’

‘He isn’t doing anything. You are just falling into the bond,’ Ruby whispers.

I shake my head and clear my throat. “I’ll have the New Mexico burger with extra green chiles and sweet potato fries,” I say to Courtney.

She snorts and glances at Jessica. “Someone isn’t counting their calories.”

I look away from them and look at Magnus. His green eyes have darkened as he gives Courtney his order. They walk away, and I sigh. “What’s wrong, babe?”

I just shake my head as all of my insecurities come rushing back. “I don’t know why you are here with me. I’m nobody.”

“You are my mate, and that is everything to me,” He replies and clasps my hand. The tingles make me shudder with pleasure.

I pull my hand away from him and place it on my lap. I keep my eyes downcast so that I won’t be swayed by him anymore. “I am used to being invisible. The one everyone forgot. Elena is the life of the party.”

“You were never invisible to me, Naomi. I always noticed you. Elena is lovely, but she did what everyone else was doing. You do your own thing. You forge your own path. That’s the sort of thing I notice,” He explains, and I find myself gazing into his green eyes.

“You haven’t seen me since I was eleven. Are you saying you were leering at an eleven-year-old?” I ask him.

“Naomi, you are the sister of one of my closest friends. When I was young, I just knew I liked you and wanted to keep you safe,” He explains. “I noticed you whenever your parents brought you and Elena to visit with Bryant. You were quite hostile to me the first time you visited, so I backed off. But I could never get you out of my mind.”

“I was hostile because you nearly got me killed,” I retort, and he frowns. The pain in his eyes makes me frown and my wolf cry.

“That was the worst day of my life, Naomi. My recklessness cost this pack dearly. That and I lost my father’s respect that day. If I could go back and do it over -“ He pauses as Courtney sets the fried pickles on the table. She smiles sweetly at him and then walks away. He shakes his head.

“Are you sure that she isn’t your type?” I say bitterly, remembering my eighteenth birthday party where Josh rejected me. “I’m just-“

“Quit putting yourself down, Naomi. And quit assuming you know the type of woman I am into. Maybe when I was a dumb kid, I was into vapid women who only cared about fashion and popularity. But that’s not me now. I am not blowing smoke up your ass when I say you are my type of woman.”

I sigh and eat a couple of the pickles. “These are good.”

“They are,” He agrees.

We sit in silence for a few minutes. My mind is awash with many stray thoughts. I just absentmindedly eat pickles. My fingers brush against Magnus’s, and I let out a gasp at the pleasant tingles. I pull my hand back and hold it against my chest.

“Why are you resisting me so much?” He asks sadly.

“Because you are going to get bored and reject me. Josh rejected me, and well, I’m okay with it. I have the Archive. I don’t need anything else,” I tell him without looking at him.

“Do you really want to be alone the rest of your life?” Magnus reaches across the table in an attempt to touch my hand. I keep them both on my lap. “Let me hold your hand, please.”

I hesitantly raise my left hand and lay it in his. He holds it tight, and I can’t help but smile. “I’m not alone, Magnus. I still have my family and friends.”

“They tell me that you spend most of your time buried in the Archive. Phoebe says that you sometimes get so caught up that you forget to eat,” He strokes the top of my hand. “That's no way to live, especially for someone like you. You are too beautiful and intelligent to hide away from everyone.”

I wrench my hand out of his. “I don’t need to be the center of attention. I like my solitude. Why does no one understand that?” I snarl and fold my arms.

He sighs and guzzles his beer. Jessica shows up with our food and sets it on the table. She smiles brightly at Magnus. “Is there anything else I can get you, Magnus? And I do mean everything,” She waggles her eyebrows at him.

“I see a mark on your neck, and you are here trying to pick me up?” Magnus looks at her with anger.

She waves her hand. “Oh, Preston, he is kind of a dud. But my parents insist that I stay with him because he is my mate.” She giggles. “But I can use some excitement,” She leans into Magnus, and a vicious growl rolls out of my throat.

“Can you get your t**s out of my mate’s face, please?” I hiss out.

Magnus smirks at me as Jessica glares at me. “Shut up, Naomi. You are not his kind of woman. Stick to guys like Greyson.”

I roll my eyes. “Greyson is gay, you bimbo.”

She turns back to Magnus who’s eyes are black. “So, what do you say, Mag?” She purrs and touches his arm.

“First, it’s Major Bowie to you. Second, Naomi is my mate. I have no intention of ever dishonoring her by cheating on her or rejecting her. Third I would appreciate it if you and your friend stop disrespecting Naomi, or there will be consequences,” His voice raises as he speaks. “Am I clear”

Jessica stands up tall. “Yes,” She mumbles and walks away.

Magnus flicks his green eyes at me. I don’t know what to say and dig into my burger. The faint hint of popcorn hangs in the air, and I look towards the bar to see Josh with a few of the other warriors hanging at the bar. His eyes are on me as he takes a swig from his beer. I eat my burger in silence while Magnus looks at Josh.

“Isn’t that the one that rejected you?” He asks, and I nod. “He is an i***t to have thrown away a gift such as you, Naomi.”

“Why did the Goddess mate me to him first if I was meant for you?” I ask quietly.

He shrugs. “Hard to say what her plan is. Maybe it was a lesson.”

“He rejected me for Jessica. Who then dumped him for Preston,” I tell him.

“Karma, then.” He laughs. “Though I feel sorry for whoever Preston is.”

“He is a warrior.” I tell him.”Kind of low on the totem pole, though.”

Magnus nods. “I see.”

I finish my food and feel the need to use the ladies' room. I excuse myself. The bathrooms are down a long hallway behind the bar, and I fail to take in my surroundings as I walk into the ladies' room. I do my business and wash my hands and walk out. I am then pushed against a wall. “Josh!” I protest.

My ex-mate buries his nose in my neck and inhales. “Goddess, Naomi, you smell so good. I should never have rejected you.”

I try to push him off of me. “Well, you did and-“

“I know. I see how you look at Magnus. You should be looking at me like that,” He leans in and licks my neck. I shudder with disgust and try pushing him off again.

“Get off of me, asshole,” I screech and manage to wiggle out from under him. I try getting away, but he grabs me and slams me against the wall again. My head collides with the brick, and I cry out in pain. “Let me go!” I scream.

He covers my mouth with his hand as his eyes turn black. “Come on, baby,” He grins evilly. “I’ll be gentle.”

He loosens his hold on my mouth, and I bite his hand, so he releases me again. I scream and try to run, and he tackles me to the ground. I keep screaming and kicking my legs as he laughs. Then he is suddenly lifted off of me and thrown down the hall. He hits the brick with a sickening sound, and I am lifted off the ground into strong arms.

“Magnus,” I start to cry into his chest as he holds me tight.

“Did he hurt you?” Magnus looks me over. I hear other voices around us. “Stand back, everyone,” Magnus orders. He releases me and steps towards Josh, who is looking up at him with blood trickling out of his ear. “You dared to attack my mate,” Magnus snarls.

“She’s my mate,” Josh mumbles. “I want her back.”

Magnus squats down. “That is not happening. You gave her up, and now I have her, and I will not let her go.” He stands up. “You will sit there until I say you can move,” Magnus orders in his alpha tone.

“Y-you,” Josh sputters and then cranes his neck. “Asshole.”

Magnus pulls out his phone and dials it. “Hey, Pops. Yeah, it's going fine. Can you send some warriors to Mike’s Burger Grill, please?” He nods. “Josh Rogers attacked Naomi, and I want him locked up,” Magnus pauses. “I sure did, Pops. Thank you.” He hangs up the phone. “Josh won’t be hurting you anymore,” He runs his hand down my cheek. “Are you sure that you aren’t hurt?”

The back of my head hurts, but I don’t want to make a fuss about it. “Just some bruises,” I look at the ground. Magnus pulls me into his arms, and I just let him comfort me.

‘See, it’s not so bad, is it?’ Ruby speaks up.

‘Hush,’ I say to her. She just laughs and retreats to her corner.

Josh is still sitting on the ground at the end of the hallway when my father and brother show up. “Where is the asshole?” Bryant slams his fist into his other hand.

I am still nestled in Magnus’s arms when my father steps towards us. “What are you two doing here?”

“We were in the office with Darryl when he got the call,” My Dad tells me. “Are you okay, Naomi?”

I look up at Magnus and nod. “I’m fine, Dad.”

“Thank you for saving her, Magnus,” My Dad pats Magnus’s shoulder.

“There is nothing I wouldn’t do for her, Al.” Magnus smiles at him. “Asshole is down there,” Magnus nods his head towards the hallway.

My Dad and Bryant go down the hall, and moments later, they are dragging a blubbering Josh with them. “I am so sorry, Delta. I didn’t mean to-“

“Shut the f**k up before I rearrange your face,” My Dad growls at him.

“I don’t know what came over me,” Josh begs. “I’m sorry, Naomi,” Josh tries to step towards me, but my father and brother hold him tight.

“What do you want us to do with him?” Bryant asks.

“Just throw him in the cells and let Pops deal with him,” Magnus replies.

My Dad looks at me. “I’ll see you later, Naomi.”

“Yeah, see ya, sis,” Bryant smirks as he and Dad drag Josh out of the restaurant.

A short man approaches us and nods at Magnus. “Alpha Bowie, I am very sorry about what happened with your mate,” He says. “I am Lyle Hawk, the owner of this establishment.”

“It’s not your fault, Lyle,” Magnus tells him. “Your burgers are awesome, thank you.” Magnus pulls out his wallet and hands it to Lyle. “The only complaint I have is about your two servers, Courtney and Jessica. They were very disrespectful towards my mate, and I don’t appreciate it.”

“I am very displeased to hear that, sir. I will talk with both of them,” Lyle waves off the money. “The meal is on me.”

Magnus shakes his head and presses the money into Lyle’s hand. “Come on, babe,” He drapes his arm over my shoulder and guides me out of the restaurant. I spy Jessica and Courtney glaring at us. I just smile at them and lean into Magnus.

‘Are you finally accepting this man as your mate?’ Ruby chides me.

‘I don’t know, Ruby,’ I answer her. We walk outside to Magnus’s motorcycle.

“Is there anywhere else that you would like to go tonight?” He asks me.

I shake my head. “I just want to go home,” I tell him. “I am feeling overwhelmed.” I climb onto the motorcycle with him and wrap my arms around his waist. He starts up Loretta, and I don’t scream when we take off this time. We reach the Archive, and I scramble off the bike and head for the door. Magnus grabs my arm and turns me around. “I just want to be alone,” I tell him and try to pull away from him.

“We can be alone together,” He leans into me. “We can watch movies or something. Please quit pushing me away, Naomi.”

“Magnus, please. I just want-“ I am cut off by a kiss, and I fall into his arms again. I moan as I pushed against the wall. Flashbacks of what happened with Josh flash through my mind, and I start struggling. “Stop!” I yell.

Magnus pulls away from me. “I’m sorry.”

“Just go now,” I wiggle out from him and pull my keys out of my pocket and unlock the door. I start to go inside and turn to Magnus. “Thank you for dinner,” I say and then dart into the building shutting and locking the door behind me. I dart up the stairs to my apartment. I flop on my couch face first and scream. I then sob as my mind does not know what to think. Ruby is silent as I cry myself to sleep.