Bound by the Alpha

That one night

As evening began tosettle in, casting long shadows across the streets, Roberta prepared to leaveher workplace. With a tired sigh, she gathered her belongings, feeling theweight of exhaustion pressing down on her shoulders.

Just as she was about toleave, her boss, Mrs. Laura, approached her with a concerned expression."Leaving already?" she inquired, her tone filled with genuine care.

Roberta managed a wearysmile in response. "Yes, ma'am," she confirmed, her voice tinged withfatigue.

Mrs. Laura's brow furrowedslightly as she studied Roberta. "You don't look well. You should takesome time to rest; don't push yourself too hard," she advised gently.

"Thank you, ma'am.I'll try to," Roberta promised, her gratitude evident in her tired eyes asshe nodded.

"Take care,dear," Mrs. Laura bid her farewell with a warm smile, watching as Robertabegan to make her way out.

With a sense of urgency,Roberta hurried out of the building, the fading light of day urging her toquicken her pace. She knew she needed to reach home soon to complete herassignments and finally get some much-needed rest.

As Roberta made her waytowards the bar to pick up the beer her uncle had requested, she couldn't helpbut feel a sense of unease creeping over her. The dimly lit streets were filledwith rowdy crowds and the scent of alcohol hung heavy in the air, making herstomach churn with discomfort.

As she walked, she couldn't escape the leering gazes and catcalls of the men loitering outside thebars. Some were visibly intoxicated, stumbling as they called out to her withslurred words, while others eyed her with unsettling intensity, theirintentions clear in their predatory stares.

Feeling a surge ofirritation, Roberta quickened her pace, hoping to reach the safety of the bar'sentrance as soon as possible. She kept her head down, avoiding eye contact withthe men who continued to call out to her, their voices blending into acacophony of unwanted attention.

Finally, she reached thebar and approached the counter, her heart pounding with relief. She glancedaround anxiously, hoping to catch the attention of the bartender so she couldmake her purchase and leave this uncomfortable situation behind.

"Excuse me," shecalled out, her voice slightly shaky with nerves. "Can I get a six-pack ofbeer, please? It's for my uncle."

The bartender, a burly manwith a gruff demeanor, glanced up from where he was cleaning glasses behind thecounter. He eyed Roberta with a hint of annoyance, clearly preoccupied with histask.

"Yeah, yeah, hold ona sec," he grumbled, his tone brusque as he turned to retrieve therequested item.

Roberta shiftedimpatiently, her discomfort growing with each passing second. And just then sheaccidentally stepped on the feet of the man in black beside her.

"Oh, my good Lord! I am sosorry sir." She apologized immediately but got no response from the man.

"Oh, sorry..." shewhispered. She couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, the weight of themen's stares lingering like a heavy cloak around her shoulders.

Finally, the bartenderreturned with the six-pack of beer, setting it down on the counter with acareless thud. "That'll be twenty bucks," he said curtly, holding outhis hand expectantly.

Relieved to have thetransaction over with, Roberta quickly fished out the money from her purse andhanded it over. "Thank you," she muttered, her voice barely above awhisper as she took the beer and made a hasty retreat from the bar.

Meanwhile, Alpha Ketax hadbeen at the bar for quite some time. Uncharacteristically, he decided to keephis voice low when Roberta accidentally stepped on his foot. Normally, he wouldhave reprimanded her sharply, but his mood wasn't conducive for suchinteractions.

"Who is thatgirl?" Ketax inquired of the bartender as soon as Roberta was out of sight.

"Oh, just someregular customer. She comes in often to buy beer for her uncle," thebartender responded casually, shrugging his shoulders.

"Ah, I see,"Ketax replied tersely.

"Looking for somecompany for the night?" the bartender teased, shooting Ketax a suggestivesmirk.

Annoyance flickered acrossKetax's features. "No, just give me my drink," he replied curtly, histone leaving no room for further discussion. The bartender flinched at theabrupt response.

"Uh, right. Here yougo, man," the bartender mumbled, hastily handing over the requested wine.Ketax tossed his payment onto the counter before striding away from the bar,the bottle clutched tightly in his grasp.

Meanwhile, Roberta hadexited the bar and begun her journey home. As she walked, she could feel thechill of the evening air against her skin. Turning onto a dimly lit street withsparse illumination, she reached for her earpiece and phone, drowning out theoutside world with the melody of her favorite song, "Heaven" by JuliaMichaels.

Unknowingly to Roberta,there were a group of men following her behind with no intention of letting hergo home without touching her.

As she hurried backtowards home, the sounds of the bustling street faded into the distance behindher, replaced by the comforting quiet of her own thoughts.

Those men continued totail Roberta; their footsteps silent to her ears as she remained absorbed inher music. Suddenly, a voice cut through the melody, calling out to her, butshe remained oblivious.

"Hey, little one, are you deaf?" one of the asked her in an annoyed tone and she rolled her eyes as she hastened her steps home.

"I know so well youcan hear me, you need to stop" he said to her, Roberta halted, her

"Hey there, sweetheart," another one of them slurred, his breath heavy with alcohol.

"You move a step close to me, you would regret it." She warned him with a stern eye and he laughed out.

"You think you have the power to face us, you little girl?" he asked, grabbing her by her arm.

Roberta tried to fend them off, but they were too strong. She struggled, her heart pounding in her chest. Just as she was about to give up, a figure emerged from the darkness.

"Leave her alone," a deep voice commanded, cutting through the tension.

The men turned, their faces contorted in surprise. The figure stepped into the light, revealing himself to be Ketax. His presence was a stark contrast to the dim street, his aura of power and authority illuminating the scene.

"And who are you?" one of the men challenged, his bravado wavering.

"You wouldn't want to know," Ketax replied, his voice cold and calculating. He didn't need to reveal his identity for them to understand the gravity of his threat.

"Look at this lost i***t," one of the men scoffed, his words laced with contempt. "You think you belong here?"

Ketax didn't respond immediately. Instead, he took a step forward, his eyes scanning the men with a predatory glint. "I am," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "And I'm telling you to back off."

The men exchanged nervous glances, their bravado fading. They knew when to retreat. One by one, they dispersed into the darkness, leaving Roberta alone with Ketax.

She turned to him, her heart pounding with a mix of gratitude and fear. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Ketax nodded, his expression unreadable. "It's nothing," he replied, his voice low.

Roberta hesitated, unsure of what to do. She wanted to thank him again, to express her gratitude for his intervention. But she also knew that it was best to leave the encounter behind.

With a final glance over her shoulder, she turned and began to walk away, her footsteps quickening as she hurried towards her home. The incident had left her shaken, but she was grateful to be safe. As she walked, she couldn't shake the feeling that she owed Ketax a debt of gratitude, a debt that she wasn't sure how to repay.