The Alpha's Stolen Mate

Chapter 7 - David vs Goliath

"Hi David." I could hear the tremor in my voice and if guilt had a specific facial expressions, I would be wearing it right now. I backed away further from Buck, making an exaggerated avoidance path around him and towards David.

David was around the same height as Buck, but nowhere near as big or chiselled for lack of another word. Still, I had to stretch myself to almost tippy toe stage, to plant a kiss on his cheek. He didn't even lean down. He just stood there like a statue, throwing virtual daggers at Buck, with his eyes.

"Well, what do you have to say?"

"What do you mean, what do I have to say?" He was treating me like a child again. I usually let it slide when it's just the two of us, but in front of a complete stranger? It wasn't gelling well with me.

"Exactly what I said. I walk in here, expecting to find my girlfriend making food platters and instead I find her in the arms of another man, making goo goo eyes at him." I could hear the venom in his voice and felt a surge of pure anger wash over me. How dare he?

When I turned to gauge the reaction from my new store manager, he was throwing the same virtual daggers back at David. It was like an invisible sword fight was taking place in midair between them.

"For your information, Mr Wilson here was catching me from hitting the floor for the second time today! Oh yeah, have you met my new boss?" I spat back at him.

The expression on his face softened for a split second before continuing with the death stare stand off. "Doesn't give him the right to put his grubby little hands all over you! You're mine, not his."

"Excuse me!"

The same words were dancing on the tip of my tongue as I turned to their source. Buck was seething. I've never seen him angry before, being that I only just met him today, but I never expected anger to be such a visible emotion on every part of his being.

"The company of a lady is a privilege, not a god damn right. If you even bothered to listen, or even cared for that matter, you would be more concerned with her health then accusing her of any wrong doing!"

My heart melted at Buck's chivalrous speech but the look on David's face told me that this could get ugly, really fast. Pushing my hands against his chest I pushed him backwards and out the doorway. Once Buck was out of sight, he finally looked at me. The anger had all been washed away and his brows were furrowed in concern. "Are you okay?"

Better late than never, I thought as I let my hands drop to my side and headed to my locker. His feet shuffled across the floor behind me as I made my way back to my locker to grab my bag.

"Not really."

"Why, what happened today?"

"Apart from being totally embarrassed by the shovanistic behaviour of my less than supportive boyfriend?"

"Yeah, sorry about that, I don't know what took over me." His words oozed sincerity, but I wasn't ready to forgive him just yet.

"I noticed!"

"Please tell me what happened. Why did you nearly hit the floor twice today?" He held the back door open as I walked through and out into the carpark.

"I don't know," I sighed, opening the passenger door and sliding into David's car. "It's like my legs couldn't hold me up anymore and my head started spinning until the lights went out."

"Do you remember what you were doing before your head started spinning?" He had shifted from boyfriend mode to nurse mode as he scanned my face for answers before turning the key.

My face flushed with embarrassment as I remembered the scent and physical reaction being near Buck had triggered. I hoped David didn't notice, I thought as I searched for the right words to tell him. I'm pretty sure that 'my new boss is so hot, I got flustered and weak at the knees', was not going to go down well.

"I'm not sure? The first time was when I just got to work after helping carry party stuff in with Amyleigh, and the second was after work preparing the food platters." That didn't sound too bad, I mentally congratulated myself.

"So both attacks were immediately after physical work?"

"I suppose so, although they weren't really that physical."

"You had an appointment with Dr Whittaker this morning." It was more of a statement then a question.

"Yes."

"And the second attack was after a long shift at work. Was it a draining shift today or stress free?" The cogs of thought were turning in his mind. I really hope that he saves some of his concentration for driving us home.

"Well, Amyleigh was drilling me about making another appointment with Dr Whittaker all day, otherwise no troublesome customers that I can recall." He pulled into my driveway and turned off the car, still deep in thought.

"I believe your attacks are related to mental or emotional stress. I'll give Brenda a call when we get inside."

Did I even get a say in this. Between David and Amyleigh I was starting to feel like a helpless child or god forbid, an experiment. My keys found each lock without too much of a hassle and I used my hip to nudge the front door open. David made his way to phone in the kitchen, picking up the receiver and dialling Dr Whittaker's personal number. Shutting the door with a loud bang, I latched the chains and locked all the deadbolts.

"I'm having a shower." I told David, heading towards the bathroom. He raised his arm in a half wave type acknowledgement, and continued with his call.

The day's clothes lay heaped on the floor as I tried to balance as much hot water as bearable with cold. I wanted to burn the memory of today off my skin, or at least punish my body for betraying me the way it did.

My skin was turning red as hot water washed over me, burning away knots of tension and soothing away the aches. I had to get a grip on myself and my reaction everytime Buck was too close. He had an unexplainable effect on me that was both scary and exhilarating. He even managed to anger placid, reliable David. If I didn't address that situation, and quickly, I could lose my job.

Hot showers are the best medicine for me. By the time I'd finished, I had formulated a plan of action to deal with both David and Buck.