Alpha Unknown

Chapter 6

Lucas

As we sat there and talked, Val's focus was shifted from me.

I looked over and saw her teenage help waving across the Café at her. She looked at the clock. "5pm time to close up. I'll get the stuff cleaned up in the morning if you want to go?" She told her.

"Thanks Val! I wrapped up all the left-over bakery, took out the trash, and made more cold brew! See you tomorrow! " She yelled as she went out the door.

Gavin wined in my head, "Do we have to go too?"

"So, are you kicking me out?" I asked her, and I grabbed our empty plates.

"Not at all, follow me." She said, motioning to the back after locking the front door.

Gavin's tale was wagging, at not having to leave.

She showed me where to set the dishes, as she went over next to the bakery case, pulled out a box and popped in a couple of each cupcake and cookie. "Here you go!" she said, handing me the box.

I can't believe she is just giving me those. They're so good to get for free, I should pay for those, I thought.

"I should pay for those. They're delicious!” I exclaimed.

"Nah, the owner is an old softy, it’s on the house" she said with a wink.

My heart skipped a beat I think, and Gavin was now howling in my head, itching to come out.

"So, what would you like to do now?" I asked.

Val seemed nervous, biting her lip. I was too, this was all new ground for me. "Can I take you to dinner?" I asked her, hoping she wouldn't have other plans.

"Yes" she said hesitantly.

"I don't want to rush things, if you don't want to, I understand" I said, hoping that was not the case.

"No, no, I'd like to. I was just thinking I needed to go run by my place and let my dogs out" she said, kind of flustered.

"Dogs?" I questioned.

"Yeah, can we do that first? "She asked sheepishly.

She was adorable, her confidence and vulnerability all at once. "Absolutely! Do you want me to follow you?" I asked.

"Sure. Hopefully you don't mind dogs!" She said nervously.

"Nope not at all!" I told her.

I don't know how I could mind them, seeing as I was kind of one myself, I thought. I followed her out of the front door, she locked it and we headed to our respective vehicles. Within 2-3 minutes, we were pulling up to a small white modular home with a detached garage. It wasn't huge but it was well kept, with flowers, bushes and trees throughout the landscape. I parked behind her, as she hopped out of the vehicle, and she gave me a head tilt to follow her to the front door.

Val

So, what do I want to do now? I don't know! I hardly ever do anything. There is nothing in this town to do other than sit at the bar and go bowling. Plus, what do people do? No one asked me out, correction, no one I haven't grown up with and not drunk has ever asked me out.

Lucas snapped me out of my own head and asked, "Can I take you to dinner?"

"Yes" I hesitated. What do I do with the dogs?

"I don't want to rush things. If you don't want to, I understand" he said.

Good job Val! Drive a wedge right through there. "No, no, I'd like to. I was just thinking I needed to go run by my place and let my dogs out", I said flustered.

"Dogs?" He questioned.

How had we not talked about the dogs? "Yeah, can we do that first? I asked, hoping he wouldn't mind.

"Absolutely! Do you want me to follow you?" He asked. Never seeming like I had said anything stupid.

"Sure. Hopefully you don't mind dogs!" I said and thought nervously.

"Nope not at all!" Lucas spouted back.

He followed me out the front door, after I set the alarm and she locked the door. We both headed to our respective vehicles. Within 2-3 minutes, we were pulling up to my house. It wasn't huge, but it's what I grew up in. I parked my SUV, but it was almost dwarfed by the size of the one pulling in behind me. I hopped out of the vehicle, gave him a head tilt to follow me to the front door. "They're both big babies really, but Booker, my shepherd, tends to be a little protective " I told him before we walked in.

"Not a problem. Most dogs like me” he said, with a smile. Wow, someone could just get lost in that smile.

I could hear the dog's tails hitting the sides of their crates, as I uncovered them and let them out. "Come on guys!" I said, trying to get the dogs to follow me out the door.

Molly stopped, smelled Lucas and went right away, and then I heard a low growl as Booker walked toward Lucas. "Booker!" I exclaimed, and he snapped his head, looking at me, and followed me out the door.

Lucas

As Val readied to open the front door she said "they're both big babies really, but Booker, my shepherd, tends to be a little protective " she said before we walked in.

"Not a problem. Most dogs like me”, I said with a smile, Or I make them act like they do.

I looked around as we entered, various small pictures covered the room and walls, and I noticed several wolf-themed statues and paraphernalia as we walked through the house. The dog's tails were hitting the sides of their crates, making noise. She uncovered them and let them out. "Come on guys!" She said, trying to get the dogs to follow her out the door.

Both, of course, had to stop and smell me, and of course they could smell my wolf... Her border collie stopped, smelled me and walked away. The shepherd was a different story. As he tried to show me his teeth, I growled low, his ears went back and his tail tucked as Val yelled “Booker!" his head snapped and he followed her out the door, as did I.

"I'm so sorry! I don't know what got into him." She said.

"No harm done!" I told her.

I watched her outside with the dogs, in the setting sun with the breeze blowing her hair slightly. She took my breath away, and I could smell her so clearly. Cinnamon with lavender and rose hung in my nose.

Gavin was screaming in my head. "Mate!!! Mate her!!"

"I can't! It doesn't work that way, relax! " I told him.

"What are you grinning at?" She asked. Catching me staring at her.

"At how beautiful you are" I told her.

Her face instantly blushed and she looked down. I quickly closed the distance between us and put a finger under her chin and lifted her face to meet my gaze. "You are beautiful," I told her, smiling.

I kissed her forehead and sparks erupted from my lips. "Ready to go?" I asked.

"Yeah!" She said hesitantly.

"Molly, Booker, come!" Both dogs were immediately at her side. They followed her into the house, and she placed them in their crates.

"What sounds good for dinner?" She asked.

"What is around here?" I asked her.

"Here in town? Not much, just the greasy diner. There is a good Mexican place, a steak house, and a few other restaurants in the next town, over 20 minutes away?"

"Ooh steak sounds good!" I told her.

She chuckled, noticing my excitement about being close to her. "OK great!" She said.

We walked out of the front door and headed out to my vehicle. I opened the passenger door for her. She smiled as she climbed in. Wow, I could melt at that smile. I went around the car and hopped into the driver's seat. "Where to? “ I asked.

"That way", pointing to the north.