Submitting to the Alpha

Chapter 5

Sunlight flooded in through the windows behind my desk, hitting one of the hundred used pages in my journal. My pencil glided across a piece. Each line I drew imitated Isabella’s curves almost perfectly. I had sketched her so many times but nothing like this.

Nothing with her naked. Nothing with her fingers in her p***y. Nothing with her eyes closed in utter bliss. Nothing like what I had seen last night.

Her vanilla scent still lingered on my clothes, and I could feel her fingers curled into my chest. I loved the way she had stared at me with those big blue eyes when I walked into her room, but I loved the way she had smiled at me when I teased her about the little childhood love bite she’d left on me more.

I couldn’t control myself last night. I needed to have a taste of her, needed to see how she felt in my hands. She had been driving me crazy for months. I put myself through pure torture, watching her touch herself and listening to her moan. I knew that I shouldn’t. I knew that it was wrong.

Someone knocked on my door, and I scrambled to close my journal.

My beta, Cayden, peeked his head into the room. “Ryker’s here to see you.”

I stood up, clenched my jaw, and nodded. Ryker, the asshole leader of the Lycans, was here to talk my ear off for the next hour about rogues and how he needed more people to join his team of warriors to fend them off.

“Listen,” I said, locking the maroon leather journal in my desk, “whatever he says, do not bring up Isabella.”

Cayden furrowed his eyebrows. “But—”

“Do you understand me, Cayden? No mentioning her name,” I said, hardening my stare.

He bowed his head and disappeared into the hallway. A few moments later, Cayden and Ryker appeared at my door.

I plastered a fake smile on my face and shook his hand. “Ryker, what brings you here?”

“Roman,” Ryker said, sitting across from me. “It’s always a pleasure to see you.”

I bet it was.

He leaned back in his seat. “Rogues are more rampant than ever. I’m here to recruit the strongest warriors from every pack in the area to join the Lycans.”

“I thought I’d already told you that the group of trainees coming out of high school doesn’t have as much potential as my previous years.” I gazed into the thin file on my desk that had the name of every senior graduating this year, except Isabella’s, and handed it to him. “You can look through it … but I doubt there is anyone who will suit your needs.”

Lie.

Ryker took the file, sat back, and opened it. Tattoos of moonflowers—the official flower of our Moon Goddess—covered his forearms. Each one represented a rogue he’d killed to help keep the werewolf packs safe. Each one was a reason that I didn’t want him to know about Isabella’s superior abilities.

“All of our wolves are average,” I said.

Lie. Lie to protect her from joining a group of Lycans who fought against bloodthirsty, handsy, filthy rogues every day. Lie to protect her from him.

After placing the file back down on my mahogany desk, Ryker kicked one ankle onto his knee and locked his hands together. “Which one is the most skilled fighter?”

I gazed at Cayden and shook my head. “Derek probably.”

Another lie.

My sister, Jane, walked into the room. “Derek? Hell no. Isabella kicks his ass every day in gym class.”

“Why aren’t you at school, Jane?” I asked through clenched teeth.

She was going to ruin everything for me. Everything that I’d worked so hard to hide for the past three years.

Ryker gazed at her, his eyes lingering on her hips. I growled under my breath.

What a f*****g pig. It disgusted me the way he looked at any woman, especially after the rumors of what he had done to Michelle—his supposed mate.

What a f*****g pigsupposedI stood up from my desk and hurried to her, snatching her by the elbow. “What would Mom and Dad think about you skipping school?” I asked, trying to talk some sense into her.

“Don’t use that card on me,” she said, ripping her arm out of my grip. “I’m leaving now. Just wanted to give you this … you left it on the kitchen table.”

She handed me a sketch that I’d wanted to give to Isabella last night, but I’d been too scared and too horny to remember to bring it. Hell, I had been too drawn in to think about anything when she sat right on that bed of hers and thought she could just disobey me by touching herself.

Jane crossed her arms over her chest. “You know that it looks awfully like Isabell—”

“School. Now.”

She stomped down the hall, and I slammed the door. She had to ruin everything for me, like usual.

Ryker c****d a brow at me. “Isabella? You haven’t mentioned her.”

Of course I hadn’t mentioned her. She wasn’t even eighteen yet, wasn’t legal age to be considered as a Lycan. Ryker didn’t need to know about her. Not now. Not ever.

“I’ve seen her fight,” I said. “She’s good …” I hated lying about her. I wanted everyone to know how great she was. “But … not great. She has a lot to learn.”

Ryker nodded his head and stood. “I’ll be the judge of that.” He placed the file on my desk. “You’re hosting tryouts for your warriors this week, aren’t you?”

I clenched my jaw. If I didn’t have a pack to take care of, I would kill him right here for even putting the idea of recruiting Isabella on the table.

“Yes,” I said.

He slapped me hard on the back, squeezing my shoulder like we were friends. “I’ll be by to see her sometime this week.” And with that, he walked out of the room.

I just stood there, staring at the empty doorway.

No. No, he would not take Isabella away from me. I wouldn’t let him.

I had to do something, anything, to keep her safe. Even if it meant hurting her.