Choosing between an Alpha and a Rogue

Chapter 9

Alec’s POV

Bringing my drink to my mouth, I remind myself to stay relaxed, despite the dark looks that frequently come my way.

I am used to it. It is just a part of my life and has been ever since I can remember, being hated and feared by basically everyone in the entire werewolf community. And I have grown to just accept it.

The only other option is to feel sorry for myself, and I refuse to do that.

My hand squeezes around the glass I am holding so hard that it becomes in danger of shattering, Jason gives me a small tap with his finger as a reminder to keep my cool.

Giving him a grateful glance, I take a discreet, calming breath and continue my thoughts, which instantly turn to Kylie.

Even the new tennis instructor seemed frightened by me and she was just a human who didn't even know anything about my past.

The memory of the tiny figure curled against my chest seems etched into my brain.

The way she smelled, the way she felt, the way she spoke so quietly and innocently…

How the tears escaped down her soft cheeks...

Not sure why the image haunts me so much.

Scolding myself, I finish my drink and hand it to Jason to get me another.

She isn’t one of us. She shouldn't even be here. Not sure what game the club is playing at to bring herein.

Although, there was something…different…about her.

Her scent was unique.

Not that I should be worried about that.

Or thinking about it, or the new human tennis instructor, at all.

Definitely should not be thinking about how I wanted to move my hand further up her smooth, shapely leg…

To distract myself, I look up to scan the room and make the mistake of locking eyes with Dean Calvin.

Fuck.

I remain in eye contact until he looks away, his body tense as he turns his back to me.

I don’t know why I come to this god awful place.

Even as I think it, I know that it is a lie.

I know perfectly well why I come here.

Obligation.

A need to prove myself.

A need to prove to everyone here that I am not my father.

But I am also not weak, not an Alpha to be messed with.

A tough image to portray, I have come to realize, which is why I haven’t made much improvement in the last year.

“Look who just walked in.”

I glance at Jason as he hands me a drink and then looks up.

Fuck me.

Alpha Milo.

I quickly look away so as not to accidently make eye contact again.

There is nothing that I want more than to get out of this place, but now I have got to stay.

It cannot look as if his presence bothers me, or the fact that I can feel so many eyes now shifting to see my reaction as I purposefully and nonchalantly take a small sip of my drink. Even though I would prefer to down it all in one gulp.

And then maybe chase it with a few more.

This place just got a lot more crowded with Alpha Milo’s presence, I will have to navigate the situation carefully.

“Looks like Dean is leaving.”

I give a brief nod of acknowledgement to Jason, wishing that I were the one getting out of here.

Spotting Staci through the crowd, it makes me have a vague and unexpected thought that I wonder what happened to Kylie.

Wasn't Staci going to go to her?

Is she alright?

“What’s wrong?”

Jason tenses at my side and I shake my head dismissively, feeling slightly ashamed at myself.

I guess my face showed my frustration at myself for thinking of the little tennis instructor again.

The tiny girl is dangerously distracting.

I cannot let any emotions show, it could be my undoing. All my hard work…and why should I have emotions for the human girl anyway?

“Alec Van Kerr.”

Here we go.

I turn slightly to meet Alpha Milo’s eyes.

No need to address him respectfully if he will not do the same for me.

I incline my head, “Milo Kinston.”

His eyes flash briefly in annoyance with me following the game that he started, but then he smiles easily and takes a lazy swig of his drink as he glances around the club.

“I will be staying here for the summer.” He says this in a boring sort of way, as if it has no meaning, but it was clearly meant as a warning.

“Enjoy your time here.” I match his bored tone and start to turn away dismissively.

His irritation at being so obviously dismissed is palpable.

“You enjoy yourself as well, Alec.”

His tone is more aggressive this time, but I don’t turn around, refusing to engage anymore.

“He walked away.”

Jason’s eyes follow him as he does so.

I can hear the murmuring of the crowd all talking about the short interaction.

So glad that I could entertain them.

Sometimes I wonder if my effort is even worth it.

Will anyone ever change their mind? Do I really need them to?

I force myself to stand around for nearly an hour longer, making sure that I stay just long enough to make my point.

That I am not intimidated or bothered whatsoever by Milo’s appearance.

It’s nearly 1:00 AM when I tell Jason to let’s get the hell out of here.

We make our way out, Jason, Braden, and Jackson all following close behind me while the room seems to hold their breath as they watch us go.

“I feel so popular.” Jackson jokes as we reach the parking lot and pile into our large golf cart.

Braden doesn’t seem amused, “I don’t know why we have to come here. It’s a waste of time, if you ask me.”

“No one asked you.” Jason shuts him up and turns the golf cart towards the country club.

The moment we go through the gate, something shifts in the air.

What…what is that?

“Stop.”

Jason slams on the brakes, looking confused, but alert, as Braden and Jackson step out of the golf cart, crouching low into attack positions.

“I am going to run home from here.”

The three of them look shocked at my abrupt decision, then they look at each other as if they think their Alpha has come a little unhinged.

“Do you want us to go with you?”

Jason makes as if to step out of the golf cart, but I shake my head as I climb out and start to pull off my shirt, then change my mind and pull it back down.

“No. Go on. I will meet you back at the house.”

Braden and Jackson climb back in.

I watch them drive away, then turn to follow the scent that seemed to come out of nowhere.

Rotating between walking and running, I follow the scent along the winding trail until the staff buildings come into view.

The scent is stronger, pulling me towards it faster and I make my way to the building at the far end, facing a different direction than the others.

As I make my way nearer, a second scent mingles with the other.

I recognize that scent.

Dean Calvin.

I stop outside the small building and inhale deeply, ignoring the urge to barge inside.

My mate is in there.

And she is in there with my enemy.

Kylie’s POV

It feels as if I have only slept for a total of two minutes when my alarm goes off.

With a groan, I turn over to hit the snooze and lay on my back, placing my hands on my head as images of last night keep flashing through my head.

Well, it was an interesting first day to be sure.

Now the real work begins today, and my goal is to not make a fool of myself and to just get through the day.

I take a deep breath and then pause.

What is that?

Sitting up, I throw the blankets off.

My heart starts to pound, and I feel all weird as I move without even thinking about it towards my bedroom door.

My entire room is starting to fill with the most enticing scent...but it is coming from outside my room and it almost feels as if it is drawing me to it.

Flinging my door open, I stop and stare.

Dean is standing across from me, framing his own bedroom door, wearing just a pair of green plaid boxers.

For some reason, I am hit with an overwhelming urge to run to him, to throw myself at him and wrap my arms around him… To do other, umm, very inappropriate things with him.

What. The. Hell?

I swallow and meet his eyes.

They burn into mine and I grab onto the door frames with both hands as my knees start to wobble underneath me.

“Good morning.”

His voice is sexier than before, inviting, and I don’t know why I am reacting to him in this way, but my body seems to throb under his gaze.

“M-morning.”

He takes a step forward when I speak, then hesitates.

We stand still for a full minute, just staring at each other.

What the hell is happening to me?

It almost feels as if everything inside of me is about to explode if I don't get closer to Dean. To touch him...

“We…we need to talk.”

Dean reaches out his hand to mine and I stare at it, wanting nothing more than to grab it, to feel his skin.

But…didn’t I say that I wouldn’t get involved?

He is a player. Staci said so…and he was with Cindy right in front of me just last night.

I look up at Dean again, he lifts his eyebrows at me and gives me an encouraging smile.

Oh hell, I can’t resist him.

I place my hand in his.

A gasp escapes as a weird energy seems to shoot out from Dean’s skin into mine, it spreads throughout my body in odd, but pleasurable tingles.

I lick my lips and look up at him with wide eyes.

He moves his free hand to the side of my head, running his fingers through my hair and grabbing a fistful of it as he stares down at me, studying my face.

Without even thinking, or realizing that I am doing it, I lean against him, placing my hand on his bare chest, moving it down over his bumpy abs, then around his waist, resting my cheek against his skin where my hand had been and inhaling deeply.

Oh my god, he smells absolutely amazing, I wonder what his skin tastes like...

That's a weird thought.

But...I kind of does want to taste him...I move my face so that my lips can touch his skin discreetly, but Dean’s grip on my hair tightens, his head lowering, but then he gives a small groan and steps back from me.

And now I am oddly disappointed that I didn't get to taste his skin.

Something is clearly wrong with me...

Dean hesitates, then pulls me towards the small couch in our living space.

He gestures for me to sit, and I obey, staring at our entwined hands as he sits beside me, our knees touching.

He clears his throat, “Kylie…there are some things…that you might not…you wouldn’t…”

He gives a little groan of frustration and runs his hand through his wavy hair, his arm muscles flexing in an enticing way as he does so.

I unconsciously scoot closer to him, and he gives another groan.

“f**k, Kylie.”

“What is this?”

I touch his thigh with my free hand and feel the tingles running through me again, settling between my legs so that my n*****s harden against my pajama top.

The urge to throw my legs over his lap, to straddle him, wrap my hands around his neck, and put my lips against his is so overwhelming, that my body starts leaning towards him as if it is going to act on the thought on its own accord.

“f**k!” Dean says again and stands up suddenly, pacing to the other side of the room and turning around to look at me. “Kylie, this wasn’t supposed to happen. Especially not with you.”

I am so confused.

I watch him as he paces a few more steps, looking slightly demented. Tortured.

Why is he tortured...when all I want to do is touch him, taste him, and do wildly inappropriate things with him.

Hmm. Maybe I am going a bit mad.

“I don’t understand.” My voice is small as I watch him, trying to comprehend what it is that is happening and wanting him to sit back down and grab my hand, at the very least.

Which is ridiculous…I never even kissed a boy before, and now I want to climb onto one’s lap?

He sighs and plops back down on the couch, as far from me as possible.

Which isn’t that far.

I reach out my hand to touch his skin again, but he plops a throw pillow in between us.

For some reason, a pang of hurt runs through me, it’s so strong that I almost feel like the breath is knocked out of me.

“Listen, I know that this is confusing, and you don’t truly understand what you are feeling, I mean, how could you…being what you are...but I can’t…”

Hard pounding on our front door interrupts him and he curses under his breath as he looks over his shoulder.

“Ignore it.” He mumbles, but the pounding persists, followed by an annoyed female voice.

“Kylie! Why aren’t you answering your phone? You have a client lesson in ten minutes!”

“Oh!”

I stand up quickly and hurry to the door.

Staci nearly falls inside when I open the door, her eyes moving around the room and narrowing when she sees Dean standing from the couch, still in just his boxers.

Her eyes slide back to me as she shakes her head.

“Really? Didn’t I warn you?”

She throws a vicious glare at Dean and then looks back at me.

“Get dressed and let’s go. You have my cart and I need to go with you to make sure everything goes well on your first lesson anyway, so we can ride together.”

I look at Dean and back at Staci, whose eyes go huge.

“Go!”

I jump a little and then run to my room to get dressed, having a hard time concentrating and accidently putting my skirt on backward as I think about Dean and the weird feelings that are happening between us.

What were those tingles? Is that normal?

It sure didn’t feel normal.

And what did he mean that I didn’t understand what I was feeling? That I couldn’t? "Being what you are." What the hell?

None of this makes sense.