Her Alpha's Greatest Secret

Chapter 5- Taste

I was just going to return his jacket. That was all. That’s what I told myself anyway that next Saturday when I returned to the Capital. The past week had been restless. I cleaned my parents’ house, cooked for my mother, and took care of her on a couple of bad days. Mostly I thought about the Alpha, and I dreamed of wandering snowy woods and falling into frozen streams. My ankle healed- wolves heal quickly, but the memory of that day wound its way tightly around my mind like a vine sinking its roots in and pricking me with thorns a hundred times over the course of the day; prick- he thought you were foolish, prick- he didn’t find you attractive, prick- he thought you were helpless. This trip seemed the surest way to break this spell so here I was, winding my way back up the mountain- through the capital and all the way up to the pack house. Every mile I travelled up the mountain excited my wolf more and more, and the anticipation was so acute it was almost painful. I just wanted to swim in his golden eyes again and smell him- not the diluted version of his scent that lingered on the jacket, but the pure aroma from the source. That’s ALL.

The pack house was a massive three-story structure. Atop the peaked roof rose a watch tower- the highest point in all the land; a steel monolith overlooking the elegant stone mansion and the valleys below. Usual I would have longed to climb to the tip of the tower and taste the air at the top of the world, but I was consumed by a different kind of longing. It was the delicious fiery longing that had ignited a week ago in the Capital and it had burned me mercilessly every day since. Raw flames of intrigue and passion razed my insides to smoldering ash, but the fire somehow only burned bigger and stronger despite having consumed all of me for fuel.

My mouth was a desert as I approached the tall dark wooden double doors at the front of the house. I steeled myself and then knocked confidently. Before I could blink the door was being opened for me- a woman in a clean-cut black dress greeted me- she had the air of a housekeeper.

“Can I help you, miss?” she asked.

I licked my lips, “I’m here to see the Alpha,” I said projecting all the confidence I didn’t feel.

She half smiled at me, “is he expecting you?”

“Yes, he-“I started to lie, but my mind went blank in shock as he appeared over her shoulder.

“I’ll see her in my office, Bette,” he said to the housekeeper, but his shocking eyes never left mine- boring into me. I had to remind myself to breathe.

For an immeasurable moment we stood frozen in each other’s eyes, then he turned on heel a set off at a brisk walk. I assumed I was supposed to follow, so I hurried after him, gawking a little at my surroundings along the way.

The rich interior of the house combined elements of dark wood, metal, and stone artfully- elegant works of art occupied walls, and tall fireplaces dominated every living space we passed, he turned a corner at the end of the hallway instead of going up the grand staircase- he slid sideways through a small door, and I followed emerging in the office. It was round and reminded me of being in a castle turret. I didn’t see any of the details, however, because he had turned again, and I was consumed by my study of him.

He was lean, but muscular- light golden skin, honey blonde hair cut short, but longer on the top falling almost into his golden eyes- fringed by dark thick lashes. His jawline was nobility and classic handsomeness and his lips- I got lost there and then realized I was staring like a moron and averted my gaze back up to his eyes.

“Why are you here?” he asked.

His words rolled into me and ran through me crushing the little bits of blooming hope as they went.

“I wanted to return this,” I said casually thrusting the jacket out in front of me like a shield.

He stepped closer and I thought he was simply going to snatch the jacket, but he walked right up to me until the heat of his body was pressing against me like an impenetrable wall. I was on the tall side, so he only had a few inches on my five foot seven- he felt much taller in this moment as he hovered over me- looking down at me with molten gold eyes. His scent muddled my thoughts and my arm dropped- the jacket hanging forgotten at my side.

He looked like he wanted to say something else, but he swallowed- I watched the movements of his throat and wondered what the skin on his neck tasted like, “you drove all this way to return a jacket?”

I blinked a couple times, “how do you know where I live?”

I glimpsed a flash of embarrassment before he recovered his composure- “It wasn’t terrible difficult to figure out who you were.”

I felt a thrill at the thought that he had been interested in figuring out my identity.

“You shouldn’t have come all this way,” he added, and ice plunged through my feverish veins.

“Sorry to disappoint you,” I said through gritted teeth dropping the jacket and whipping around to the door.

His fingers closed on my wrist, and I yanked away attempting to pull free, but his long fingers were strong, and I couldn’t budge them.

“Release me!” I hissed glaring at him- hoping to infuse all the venom he had injected into me into the look.

“Wait,” he growled, and I stilled automatically. Suddenly I felt his strong arm around my waist crushing me into him and our lips came crashing together.

My anger crumbled to dust, and I kissed back with all the ravenous passion that had been building inside of me. I threw my arms around him pressing myself to his unyielding chest. I felt his other hand release my wrist and knot painfully in my hair. I gasped and his tongue entered my mouth- he tasted better than I had dreamed- his sweet musky scent amplified by the flavor. I was effervescent- every move of his lips scattering me in bubbles. I wasn’t careful and neither was he as we kneaded each other’s lips with as much force as we could manage. He broke away and we both panted against each other. I realized my back was pressed against the wall though I didn’t remember moving. He breathed together our eyes locked until I saw it creeping into his eyes- a slinking shadow that I recognized with heart wrenching certainty- regret.