Alpha's Pet - Free and Complete

Six: Fighting Instinct

Alice didn't let go of the chain until she was safely back in her house. She dropped it to the ground and stalked toward Justa. He just watched as she approached, didn't even wince.

It made the beast in her pause. The hunting instinct faded away by just a bit and Alice could think coherently again.

More importantly, she didn't want to attack him and betray her earlier words. Her wolf could be too stupid at times. "Sorry," she grunted.

He backed up another step as he stared at her. His brows were drawn as he stared at her teeth that still dripped with Jared's blood.

Alice shook herself and with focus, she shifted back into her human form. This time she let a long black skirt and a blouse wrap around her body. True, she had better control of her wolf. 

But she couldn't resist the urge to show off a few of her curves.

"Sorry, I forgot you can't understand that form yet." She brushed herself off. "But now you won't be bothered. They all know you are mine, and they won't lay a finger on you."

"You could have killed him," Jared mused. "But you didn't."

Alice shrugged as she took a seat on a weathered chair close by. Justa continued to hug his corner. "I didn't need to. Jared knows his place in this pack, and everyone else was witness to it too."

"You're going through more than you have to for having me here." Justa looked away from her and Alice frowned.

She liked to stare into those blue orbs of his.

"Just let me go."

"I don't want to," Alice replied as she put her chin on her hand. "I should warn you so you can prepare yourself. Although I tend to keep complete control, and I am able to control my wolf in most situations. Today she's announced that she wants to make more use of you than as a pet."

Justa's eyes narrowed as he pressed himself against the wall. "Why are you telling me this?" he demanded.

"I wanted to warn you. I have every intention of keeping her in control. But I made you a promise earlier. A promise that I have no plans to break. As such I wanted you to know the worst-case scenario."

Justa took a step away from the brick and closer to her. "You don't have control of yourself when you're a wolf?"

Alice was quick to shake her head. "No, that's not it. I do. But we're usually on the same wavelength. To be honest she's never wanted to go after someone like she apparently wants you. But I will keep on a short leash. You are my pet, nothing more."

"Or you could let me go and not worry about it. Now that you've won there's no need to keep me, is there?"

Alice couldn't help the smile that tickled her lips. "There are so many reasons, Justa." she languished the taste of his name on her lips. There was something about this human that called to her.

Even in this form, she felt a strange attraction. 

To a human of all things!

Justa continued to watch her with wary eyes. He reminded her of a caged animal and the attraction that simmered inside had a pail of water thrown on it. 

"I'm not going to do anything to you. I refuse to let you go yet. Call it selfish, and I know with the pack no longer after your life, I should." She bit her lip. "But I can't, not yet."

Justa sighed. "Will you ever be able to?" he questioned as he studied her.

Alice glanced at the ground to avoid his eyes. The eyes she wanted to get lost in. The eyes that reminded her of a deep blue ocean that she wanted to drown in. "Give me a few days to make sure it's truly safe. They look like they'd be willing to let you go right now. But I would feel guilty if you died because of me."

Justa pushed by her as he entered the kitchen Alice found herself trailing after him like a puppy.

What was this?

It wasn't a mate bond. True, she'd never experienced a mate bond before. But she'd been told what they consisted of. How they would make her feel, and how the wolf of her dreams would know it too.

What was kindling to life for this human was something different. Something that she couldn't put into words. But she didn't want him away from her. Not yet. Surely a small lie to keep him close for just a few days couldn't hurt too much.

She had to figure out why her wolf wanted him, and why she herself wanted to be closer to him. Right now she had the desire to spear her hands through that hair of his. Was it as soft as it looked?

Alice licked her lips as she watched him move around her kitchen. He wasn't even facing her anymore. Was his skin warm? And those lips. He had full lips that she wanted to touch and explore with her own.

Alice scowled and crossed her arms over her chest. She would not let this strangeness overrun her. She wasn't this kind of person. She wasn't about to assault her pet. 

"I'll make lunch," Justa mentioned over his shoulder. He moved around her kitchen as if he already belonged. Alice watched him and a soft smile spread on her lips.

Strange, this one didn't feel awkward.

As if he sensed her gaze on her Justa turned and studied her before chuckling.

"What?" she demanded jerking upright and the smile vanishing. Had she reached out to him? Had he sensed the strangeness of her thoughts?

"I think that's the first time I saw a real smile on your lips. Or at least the first time you didn't look like I was prey to you."

Alice covered her instant choke with a cough as she turned away. Her cheeks burned and once more she couldn't meet his eyes.

What, had she turned into a puppy? This was her pet! Why was she so self-conscious? It hadn't even been twenty-four hours in her life yet.

"Sorry," Justa turned his back on her. "I didn't mean to insult you like that. I just am trying to understand why you think it's best to keep me, instead of letting me go."

"I'll let you go," Alice whispered.

Justa turned once more as he studied her. He held a pan in one hand as his eyes roamed over her. "Are you telling the truth?"

"Give me a few days to make sure it's safe. A week at most, and I'll take you back to whatever human settlement you want. I'll take you personally, okay?"

Justa set the pan back down on the stove and reached up to the collar on his neck. "Will you take this off?"

Alice shook her head. "No, not yet. I can't yet."

He raised a brow. "Because you think I will run away." He said it as a statement, not a question.

"Because I think you will run away," she repeated. "Trust needs to be built on both sides. I want you to trust that I'll return you safe and sound to where you belong. But I can't let you go until I know you trust me."

She resisted the urge to cage him against the stove, force him to look at her, and kiss him.

Alice blinked hard as her breathing rate increased. Why? Ever since she had shifted and her wolf had made that crazy decision, things had changed.

He had to trust her. He had to get used to her. He had to soften to her. He had to want her.

She needed all that. 

What would Mark say if he knew of these crazy thoughts running through her? An Alpha was supposed to have perfect control at all times. This was not what was happening right now. Her control was strained, virtually non-existent. 

She'd told Justa he'd be safe, but would that really be the case? Could she hold it together long enough to make that true? It was for a week! She could handle a week. 

A week to test herself. She'd find out what drew her to this man. She couldn't even just regard him as a mere human now.

He was her pet, her precious pet, one that she wanted to reward, especially considering there was a strange scent coming from that pan of his.

Alice took a stance behind Justa. The aroma of passionflowers tickled her nose the closer she stood to him.

Passionflowers, really? Out of all the things this man could smell like. She closed her eyes and took a tiny step back. She was not about to just sniff him like some creepy predator. 

Though she was kind of a predator. But she could choose to not be one. She was the Alpha of her pack. She had way more self-control than that.

Justa turned and Alice's heart skipped a beat as she got an even closer look into those eyes of his. She hadn't meant to be this close to him. She'd just been curious about that tantalizing smell.

The smell other than him.

"Have you never had a hamburger before?" he questioned with a smile. "Well a chicken burger I guess?" he glanced back at the pan. He didn't seem aware of how close they were.

If Alice wanted to, she could lean forward. She could kiss him, taste him.

Alice wanted to, she took a step forward as her hands fell from her sides and she reached out.