The Alpha’s stripper mate

Her worlds colliding

*Levi*

We sit in silence while eating, except for Josh who talks nonstop, taking small bites of everything and leaving them. I admit I'm not very experienced with kids.

I watch Natalie with Joshua, amazed by her warmth and nurturing nature. It's like seeing a whole new side of her that makes me want to know her even more. But it's clear she's angry with me; I can see it in her eyes whenever she looks at me.

After Natalie washes Josh's face and he runs off to the indoor playground, she turns her gaze on me, glaring intensely. "Levi, you can't just come and interfere with my private life like this. This is my personal space."

"I didn't mean to intrude or be a bother. I'm sorry. I just wanted to get to know the real you and do something nice for Josh." Her words sting like a slap. My chest tightens, and a lump forms in my throat.

She closes her eyes, her jaw tensing. "Isn't it enough that you own Destiny? Do you have to invade the rest of my life too?"

"I... I... sorry, I didn't mean to. I should go now, and I won't bother you at the club either. Consider it a paid vacation; you deserve it." Weakness floods over me unexpectedly. I never meant to hurt her or make her feel like she's something to be bought.

She makes me feel like a bad little puppy i stead of a powerful Alpha.

This feeling is overwhelming. It's like a suffocating cloud has enveloped me, making it hard to breathe.

"Levi, stop. Don't go." She reaches out and grabs my hand, and I look at her, tears welling up in my eyes. "I'm sorry. I wasn't being fair. I'm just trying to protect Josh from that part of my life. It has nothing to do with you personally."

"I'm truly sorry, Natalie. I didn't mean to meddle. I understand you want to protect him. He's an amazing kid." I hold her hands, squatting down in front of her, I am gonna be completely honest here, or almost. "I didn't mean to offend you or make you feel like a commodity. I... I just wanted to protect you, and maybe I felt a little jealous seeing other men get close to you."

She gently rubs her thumbs over the back of my hands, smiling softly. "You really are such a sweetheart, Levi. So different from the other Alphas I have met… and that is a positive thing. I know you didn't mean to offend me, but you shouldn't have spent all that money. What if it gets out? It would reflect poorly on both of us."

"I don't really care about that," I say, and I genuinely mean it. Yes, it was an excessive amount of money, but I can afford it.

She sighs, lifting one hand to stroke my cheek gently. "But I do care about our reputations. If the truth comes out, people will think you're a freaking or something, sorry to say. And they definitely won't believe that I only give lap dances for that kind of money. You could have easily hired a call girl."

"I don't want a call girl, and I don't expect anything from you except your time. We can play chess if you prefer that," I say, but deep down, I know she is right. People would assume the worst.

She smiles softly at me. "Levi, honey, you didn't pay to play chess. And I really enjoy having you as a customer. I just can't let that part of my life interfere with Josh."

"I understand, and I truly get it. He's an amazing kid, and you have done a great job. Is his father involved at all?" I can't help but ask.

"Thank you, but Levi, you might want to come up on the chair. People are starting to stare," she says, and I quickly get up on the chair next to her, still holding her hands. "And no, his father is not in the picture in any way. He's in jail."

*Natalie*

I genuinely like Levi, and I feel remorseful for my outburst. I have never witnessed someone looking so devastated. I have worked diligently to keep those two aspects of my life completely separate. Josh can never know what his mother has to do to provide for him.

"Well, I should probably get going then. I don't want to intrude any further," Levi says, offering me a small smile as he stands up.

I stand up as well and lean in to give him a gentle kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, and I genuinely hope to see you soon. I meant it when I said I enjoy having you as a customer."

"I'm looking forward to it, darling," he replies with one of those mischievous grins that inexplicably weakens my knees.

And just like that, he is gone, back to the part of my life where he belongs, where I have the time and space for a man. However, for a brief moment, I can't help but fantasize about opening up and allowing a man like him into my real life.

He truly appears to be an exceptional person, as I said, he is very different from any other Alpha I have met and it would be incredibly beneficial for Josh to have a male role model. But there are too many obstacles in the way, and to be honest, a man like him would never genuinely choose a woman like me. It would likely only be a fleeting affair. Just think about what his pack would say.