The Alpha's Favorite Rogue

Chapter 3

Ali’s POV

“Sit.”

I fold my arms across my chest and look defiantly up at Alpha Ralph.

I now know that he won’t hurt me, or he already would have, so what will he do if I keep disobeying?

It’s like he reads my mind again and his eyes pull together in a glower.

A glower that I would normally be pretty damn intimidated by…but I am totally not intimidated…

I swallow and tilt my chin up.

“Why do you want me to stay?”

“Who are you running from?”

“No one.”

“Why did you steal from me?”

I shrug.

“I needed the money and you looked like an easy target.”

Oh s**t.

That just slipped out.

Whoops.

Wrong thing to say.

Alpha Ralph moves so quickly that we are in the hall before I can catch my breath. He is carrying me on his wide shoulder, his arm wrapped across my bottom while I dangle, stomach down, and very ungracefully, down his back, my backpack left on the floor where I dropped it in his bedroom.

“Hey!”

I pound my fists against his back, then pause.

Wow…that’s a hard back and his hand around my bottom is making me feel…ways that I shouldn’t.

Pull yourself together, Ali!

I continue pounding my fists and trying to wiggle out of his grip as he follows the same path that we just took, but in reverse to go back outside.

He drops me unceremoniously onto my feet, where I stumble and barely catch myself from landing on my face.

“Fine. You can go.”

His voice is low grow as he turns his back on me.

“Hey!” I step forward and grab his wrist, a weird shiver running through me at the touch, I ignore it, but my voice comes out all weird as I continue. “I need my stuff!”

He slowly turns back around, an eyebrow raised at me as he glances down at his hand, which I quickly, although almost unwillingly, let go of.

“Consider it your punishment for stealing.”

“No way!”

He tilts his head at me, and I take an involuntary step back.

“I…I really need that. It’s all that I have.”

Alpha Ralph’s face turns blank as his eyes meet mine and my shoulders sag as I realize that he won.

That is not a face of someone willing to compromise.

What am I going to do now?

Rubbing my forehead, I nod in understanding of my defeat, and turn around.

That’s what I get for thinking that I can take on an Alpha, again.

When will I learn?

At least no one got hurt this time…but now I have got to start all over, without the spray.

“You can stay if you tell me what you are running from.”

I look over my shoulder at Alpha Ralph, whose face remains the same, and for just a brief second, I am more than tempted, but then I shake my head.

“I can’t. If I could, I would, but I cannot. Not just for my own safety.”

His beautiful blue eyes stay locked onto mine for what feels like eternity, then he nods.

“Fine. You can have your bag.”

I can’t stop a wide, genuine smile from spreading on my face as a huge wave of relief washes over me.

“Thank you!”

He rolls his eyes and jerks his head for me to follow him back inside.

And this time, I walk beside him. Feeling elevated at my turn of luck.

“You know, you should think about putting some guards around the packhouse, it seems really unprotected right now.”

Alpha Ralph glances down at me as we start to climb the stairs.

“We have patrol around our territory.”

“Yeah, but what if enemies get passed it? You should have some patrol positioned inside or just outside the packhouse. I mean…” I look around the hall pointedly. “Where is everyone? This place seems deserted.”

“They’re at the club.”

“Everyone?”

Alpha Ralph looks slightly exasperated as he opens his bedroom door wider for me to walk through ahead of him.

“No.”

I raise my eyebrows questioningly at him.

“We aren’t a big pack.”

“Hmm.”

I walk in and grab my bag.

“I still think you should have guard around the packhouse. I mean, if it weren’t for you catching me, it would have been an easy escape for me just now.”

He laughs.

“Easy for you to say, after you got caught.”

I lift a shoulder nonchalantly and look around the room.

“How did you know what I was doing anyway?”

“Please.”

His lips twitch in amusement, and I can’t help returning the smile.

It’s a really nice smile.

On a really nice face.

I rock back and forth slightly on the spot, switching my bag to my other hand.

It’s the weirdest thing, but now that I can leave if I want to, I kind of don’t want to leave.

I kind of want to grab his wrist again to see if I get that same feeling…or any part of him really…

“Would you like a drink? Something to eat?”

My stomach gives an unflattering growl in response to the mention of eating.

Those cherries in my drinks at the club were the only thing I ate today.

He holds up a finger, his eyes getting that kind of far away look to them that I know means that he is mind-linking with someone, then steps around me to make his way to a bar cart against the wall by the couch.

“Shut the door, please.”

I obediently step forward and shut the door before making my way over to the couch and sitting down, placing my backpack carefully on the floor by my feet and kicking off my shoes.

Alpha Ralph turns around with two drinks in his hands, his eyes sweeping downwards to my bare feet before handing me a glass of champagne and sitting down across from me in an overstuffed armchair with his glass of what looks like whiskey.

I wish he weren’t so far away.

He lifts the drink up in a sort of cheers and I do the same before taking a sip.

Huh.

Tastes expensive.

Which surprises me.

How does such a small pack, one desperate enough to recruit rogues, have a recently remodeled packhouse, an Alpha carrying around a huge wad of cash, and expensive wine?

I look questioningly at Alpha Ralph as he lowers his glass from his lips, his very full, very kissable looking lips…

“Like it?”

I nod and take another sip.

“It’s a good friend’s favorite. Her husband likes to keep a few cases here for when they visit.”

Oh.

I nod again and strum my fingers on my thigh, itching to ask about the remodeling.

But I shouldn’t.

I always ask too many questions that aren’t any of my business.

It’s part of the reason why I am always getting myself, and others, into trouble.

So, I obviously shouldn’t say anything. I should mind my own business.

“I noticed that your bathroom seems recently remodeled too.”

Alpha Ralph almost spills his drink as he pulls it from his lips, looking surprised.

Shit.

It just blurted out of me.

He throws his head back in a bark of a laugh.

“You don’t miss anything.”

My heart flutters as I return his smile.

I was right about one thing regarding Alpha Ralph, he really is different from any other Alpha that I have ever met before.

Is that why I just had the overwhelming desire to toss my drink aside and jump in his lap?

“Yes, we remodeled the entire packhouse. It was part of the deal that was made when King Cameron gave me the pack. It was in a lot of financial stress, so he helped us out, basically to start over.”

I tap my fingers against my glass thoughtfully.

“That must be nice. To have such wealthy, and powerful friends.”

His forehead creases.

“Yes. But I like to think of it more as a loan, that I intend to pay back, with interest.”

“How?”

Alpha Ralph looks taken back again as I lean forward.

He sets his whiskey on the small table beside him and runs his hand through his hair.

“I have some plans.”

His tone suggests that he really doesn’t want to talk about it anymore.

But I can’t help myself.

“Like taking in rogues?”

“That is one of my plans.”

He speaks slowly, tilting his head to study me.

I take a big gulp of my champagne and lean back again.

I am overstepping.

Like I always do.

The door behind me opens and I jump up to face it.

An elderly woman with her gray hair pulled back into a tight, low bun, smiles kindly as she carries in a tray of food that almost looks to heavy for her to manage.

Alpha Ralph goes over to her and takes the tray, smiling gratefully at her while she beams back at him before she exits.

He lifts the tray at me in a gesture and sets it on the couch beside me.

The tray is filled with sandwiches, fruit, a bowl of steaming hot soup, and cheese cubes, which I pop one into my mouth as I try to decide where to start.

“She seemed friendly.”

Alpha Ralph laughs again.

“She is. And she is the best cook around.”

I take a bite of a hot sandwich and close my eyes, nodding my head in agreement.

There is little of small talk as I devour the sandwich, a bowl of soup, and a handful of grapes before leaning against the couch, feeling overwhelming sleepy.

Alpha Ralph finishes his third glass of whiskey and stands.

“I am going to get ready for bed. Would you like to go to your room?”

I set up in confusion.

“I thought I was sleeping with you?”

I don’t think my face has ever burned this hot as Alpha Ralph lifts an eyebrow at me, and I realize how what I said must have truly sounded like.

“I mean…”

“By all means, you are welcome to sleep with me, but you can also have your own bed if you prefer. I think I can trust you to not steal from me again?”

I nod a little too eagerly.

He grins as he turns and makes his way across the room to a door, swinging it open and gesturing with his hand.

Grabbing my backpack and my shoes, I make my way over to him and peek through the door.

The Luna suite.

Is he really offering me the Luna suite?

“Unless you want to stay with me.”

I meet Alpha Ralph’s eyes and I feel slightly hypnotized.

I want to stay with him.

I want his hands on me.

I want to feel his lips against mine…against my skin…

Making up my mind, I lean over to grab the door and shove it shut, keeping my eyes on his.

Who knows what the future holds for me?

My future is dangerous, uncertain, and possibly even short-lived.

But tonight…tonight I can pretend to be safe.

Tonight, I can give in to that temptation of lust that I have been feeling since I laid eyes on this handsome, and unpredictable Alpha.

I let my shoes and backpack fall to the floor as I take a slow and tentative step towards Alpha Ralph.

Am I really doing this?

With a stranger that I just met?

Alpha Ralph watches me take another step closer, then reaches his hand out to wrap around my waist, pulling me closer against his hard chest, my body getting all tingly and hot in response.

Oh, hell yeah, I am doing this.

Placing my hands flat against his abs of steel, I lift up onto my toes as he slowly leans down, my heart beating a million beats a minute as it feels like eternity for him to reach me.

His lips are an inch from mine when he hesitates, running a hand up my back and into my hair, placing his forehead against mine.

My breathing heavy, I wait…until I cannot wait anymore.

Sliding my hands upward, I wrap them around his neck and pull him lower, pressing my lips against his with a groan of relief…and shock.

The moment his lips touch mine, it’s like a spark of hot energy shoots down the rest of my body, especially in-between my legs, and my head feels kind of dizzy and disoriented, like being drunk, but in a good way...

My body seems to react on it’s own, practically climbing on him to touch him more, moving my hands to his hair, down his arm, his back...and he does the same, lifting me up and against him with one hand under my bottom so that I can wrap my thighs around his hips and deepen the kiss as I grab his face with both hands.

He turns and makes his way to the bed, where we do a kind of graceful tumble onto it, Alpha Ralph rolling on top of me, his hand moving up my thigh, his lips now against my collar bone.

Grabbing fistfuls of his hair as his head moves lower, I lean my head back and lift my chest invitingly, desperately.

A tiny, very tiny, part of me cannot believe that I am doing this right now…but the rest of me wants it, wants more, needs more.

Alpha Ralph’s hand moves to my dress straps and starts pulling it down, his head lifting for his dark blue eyes to meet mine.

My heart nearly stops when they do.

He hesitates, his eyes swirling with desire and something else…

Keep going!

I silently plead with him to continue, but he pulls back, placing his hands flat on either side of me as he gives me one last, regretful look, then rolls onto his back, grabbing the sides of his head in a heavy sigh.

Stunned, I lay still, staring at the ceiling, not sure what just happened.

Hurt courses through my body at the abrupt rejection.

My hands loose at my side, I tug at the blankets underneath me while trying to regroup.

“I’m sorry I can’t…”

Alpha Ralph starts, but it’s like his words revive me and I roll off the bed without looking at him, and rush to the Luna’s suite door, scooping up my backpack and shoes as I go, slamming the door a little harder than I meant to before leaning back against it and sliding down onto the floor.

What was that?

Did I really let my guard down that easily?

And why did he stop?

Is he unattracted to me?

Knocking my head softly against the door, I shake it back and forth.

The sooner I get out of here, the better.

My eyes fall onto the luxurious bed in the center of the room.

I’ll get one good night of sleep before I head out.

Just one.

Standing, I cast a wistful glance at the door behind me, thinking of how nice it would feel to be in Alpha Ralph’s embrace while I slept.

Ridiculous thought.

Madness.

But as I climb into the soft, plush bed and pull the blankets up to my chin, it’s as if Alpha Ralph is imprinted on my mind.

His lips on mine, his hand running up my thigh, his hard-as-a-rock torso…

The way he makes my body tingle…almost…almost as if…

Nah.

That can’t be.

Impossible.

But wouldn’t it be nice if he were…