The Lost Alpha

The Attack

MICHAEL

I couldn't resist her even if I wanted to. Not as Alpha, not as my mate. Xavier wouldn't let me, and I didn't want to anyway. I stood and allowed Andy to pull me out to the dance floor.

The music was blaring, the beat vibrated the floor underneath us. I grabbed Andy by the waist, pulling her back against me, her backside grinding against me as she danced, her hands stroking my arms around her. Her body was all that mattered to me, and God, did I want to rain kisses all over that body.

I dipped my head, gliding my nose down her temple and cheek and into her neck inhaling her scent. Andy's head fell back against my shoulder, her body relaxing into mine. I couldn't resist it. My lips found the skin of her bare shoulder and tasted her skin for the first time. After that, I couldn't get enough.

I left a trail of soft kisses up her neck to her jaw. Cupping her cheek, I guided her to turn towards me, but I didn't immediately kiss her. This had to be her choice.

Andy had Alpha's blood, and an Alpha's power. Even with alcohol in her system, she could easily throw me off. With a word, she could push me away forever. If she wanted to.

We stood nose to nose, feeling each other's breath. Gray eyes rose slowly to blue eyes and Andy whispered one word.

"Mine."

"I know." Andy's lips curled into a smile, and she pushed up onto her toes to kiss me.

Lights exploded behind my eyes. My body warmed and I pulled her even closer to me. I slid my tongue along her lower lip and Andy's mouth opened to mine, our tongues entwining together.

Somebody bumped into me from behind and I pulled away from Andy with a growl. I had forgotten we were in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by people.

"Come with me." I said in her ear, grabbing her hand. I led Andy out of the club and straight into the back seat of the waiting black sedan.

"Where to, Mr. Hardwick?" The driver asked.

"The pack house. And take the long way." I paused, looking at Andy. "The very long way."

"Yes, sir." The driver pushed a button and a dark privacy divider rose into place.

I sat back and Andy immediately straddled my lap. She was forward, taking what she wanted. That was the Alpha in her. It meant that I was going to have to be careful with her.

Andy's lips claimed mine once again, her fingers raking through my hair. I didn't stop when she ground against me. I didn't stop when my hands found her thighs and slid up under her pushed up skirt, or when I found her shapely ass. I didn't stop when my lips found the sweet spot on her neck and sucked on it, making her groan. But when she reached for my belt, I quickly grabbed her hands, stopping her.

"What?" She asked, confused.

"I can't let it go that far." I said gently. "We can't go that far."

"Why not?" She wasn't whining. She wasn't pleading. She wasn't mad. She was genuinely curious. I took a deep breath as she slid from my lap to the seat beside me, curling her legs beneath her.

"If we go that far it solidifies the mate bond. My wolf will mark you as mine. I won’t be able to stop him." I explained. "And there will be no going back from there. There's no rejection at that point. If you leave, our wolves will all but die."

"If I stay, I’ll have to give up everything I've worked for." She said. I nodded.

"You have a decision to make."

Andy sat back against the seat with a sigh, staring into the void in front of her.

"If I stay, I become Alpha. I stay with you. But I give up everything." She repeated. "If I go, I get everything I've ever wanted. But I lose you." She looked up at me.

"If you decide to leave, we will reject each other and never cross paths again." I could feel Xavier become desolate with the idea of rejection. "It's the only way to move on."

ANDY

ANDY

Faolan whimpered at the word 'rejection'. It even put a pang of terror into my heart. I had never felt like this about a person, especially one I had just met. Everything inside me just wanted to be with him, wanted to stay with him. But That meant giving up everything.

Michael took my hand and gently kissed my palm.

"You don't have to make a decision tonight. You don't even need to make decision this weekend. It's a lot to think about and I will never rush you with a decision like this." He told me.

The car came to a stop in front of the pack house. Michael climbed out and helped me to my feet. Holding my hand, we walked through the house to my room. He turned my hand over and kissed my palm again.

"Good night, Andy."

"Good night, Michael." I turned and opened my bedroom door, stepped through, and turned back to look at him one more time. A little smile twitched at his lips, but his eyes stared intently, full of admiration and love and . . . lust.

I closed the door quietly and fell back against the smooth oak wood. I had had boyfriends before. I had made out and gone to third base. Hell, I lost my virginity in the back of one guy's truck. I wasn't naïve to s*x or relationships. But not one of those boyfriends had ever looked at me the way Michael just was. It was a look that smoldered into my soul. I sighed and pushed myself away from the door. I changed into an oversized tee shirt and a pair of cotton shorts and climbed into bed. I fell asleep to the memory of Michael's hands on my body.

My eyes shot open. The room was dark, there was no one else there. It was silent. I didn't know what it was that had awoken me so suddenly. I grabbed my phone. No messages, but it was 2:00 in the morning.

"Faolan, what's going on?"

"Intruders." She replied. She was on high alert. "On the pack grounds. Intruders."

There was pounding on my door.

"Andy!" It was Grant. "Andy open the door! Are you there?"

I jumped out of bed and ran to fling the door open. I saw Grant sigh with relief.

"What's going on?" I asked him as he pushed into the room.

"Rogues have attacked the pack lands. Alpha Morris is sending reinforcements."

"Was it a big attack?" I asked.

"Big enough to need back up.”

It only took me a second to wrap my head around what was going on. It was happening again, and the Alpha was responding in exactly the way he had before, and that’s exactly what they expected him to.

"No," I said. Grant looked at me questioningly. "No, he can't send reinforcements. He's playing into their hands." I ran to grab my shoes. "I need to talk to him. Now."

"Andy, what are you -"

"I said now, Grant!" I yelled. I watched his eyes slide out of focus for a second and then he was back with me.

"Okay. He said okay."

I grabbed my sweatshirt and threw it on, following Grant out into the hallway. We dodged around people carrying out orders and running about. Within a few minutes, we had reached the Alpha's office. Grant didn't even knock, just opened the door, and stood aside for me to go in.

"You're playing into their plan." I blurted.

"What are you talking about?" Alpha Morris asked.

"They're doing the same thing they did twenty-two years ago. They're drawing you out and away from their true target."

"How do you know that?" Beta Theo asked. There was a tinge of suspicion in his voice.

"I will guarantee you that there is only a small group of rogues involved in the initial attack, and not strong fighters. The rest will be circling their intended target. It's what they did before and it worked, and if you keep going the way you are, it will work again." I stopped to breathe.

"So, what would you suggest?"

“Are you truly trusting this girl?” Beta Theo asked Alpha Morris. “She’s not one of the pack. You only just met her.”

“I will do as I please, Theo.” Alpha Morris responded sternly. “Andy, what would you suggest I do?”

"Send a small group to the attack site." I started. "The rest, keep here to defend the pack house." The Alpha stared at me for a moment, but then movement outside picked up. Beta Theo walked from the room, closing the door sharply behind him.

"Done." I started towards the door, but Alpha Morris grabbed my arm. "Where are you going?"

"To help."

"No."

"I can help." I argued.

"You are very strong. I know that." Alpha Morris said. "But you have never fought another wolf. I can't risk you being hurt. I won't risk it. For now, you can help from here." I nodded and he released my arm.

I moved to the window, looking out into the darkness.

"Let me look." Faolan said. I consented and I felt her take over my vision, hearing, and smell. Immediately, I saw the movement in the tree line. It was a large, lean wolf creeping towards the pack house boundaries.

As the wolf stalked close, I saw he was brown with grey smattered around his face and head. He broke into a run and easily jumped the eight-foot fence encircling the property.

As he landed, the wolf’s scent hit me. It was an old-fashioned, bitter smell.

“No.” I whispered. I knew that smell. I had smelled it every day of my life.