Alpha Unknown

Chapter 9

Lucas

As I approached the human town, my heart rate kept creeping up faster and faster at the thought of seeing Val. I couldn't see her as I pulled in just before 4, so I parked my car and headed in. As I entered the cafe, I could smell Val above everything, including the coffee. I turned around to see her standing behind the bakery case, condensing items together. She looked up and saw me and smiled, and smacked her head as she tried to stand up from the case. I ran to the case, and asked if she was okay. "Yeah, the only thing hurt is my pride". She chuckled.

She took my breath away wearing a pair of dark washed jeans and a simple t-shirt she was throwing a jacket over.

"Are you ready to go?" I asked.

"Yep let me just grab my purse and stuff from the fridge." Val said.

"Can I help?" I said, following her like a puppy.

" I don't know? Are you strong enough to carry a cheesecake? " She joked at me.

"I think I can manage" I told her, holding up a bicep.

"Oh my! Well, strong man, here you go!" She said as she handed me a huge cheesecake.

Just then there was someone clearing their throat behind us. I saw a woman about 5 feet, brown hair, brown eyes who looked about the same age as Val standing there, thoroughly unimpressed by our banter back and forth. "Oh Heather! This is Lucas, Lucas Heather!" Val said as she motioned back and forth as she continued to grab bags out of the refrigerator.

"Hello Lucas!" Heather said, eyeballing me up and down with a disapproving look.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Val said to Heather as she moved past her into the Cafe.

" yep! I'll be here. Chat with you then! Heather answered, still eyeballing me.

"Nice to meet you Heather!" I told her as I followed Val out of the Cafe.

Val

I hadn't heard anything else from Lucas, and I had been fielding questions about my date from Heather all day. I looked up to see the clock saying 330pm, so I went and changed my shirt to go with my dark washed jeans and dress jacket. I double checked my hair and makeup in the mirror and walked back out front. I tried to keep myself busy for half an hour, because I felt like my heart was running a marathon at the thought of Lucas and the kiss last night.

I was in the bakery case, condensing items together, when I saw Lucas smiling at me. I went to stand up, forgetting that my head was still in the bakery case, and smacked my head. Lucas ran over to me, and asked if I was okay. "Yeah, the only thing hurt is my pride", I told him.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked.

"Yep let me just grab my purse and stuff from the fridge." I told him, moving back toward the kitchen.

"Can I help?" Lucas asked, as he followed me.

" I don't know? Are you strong enough to carry a cheesecake? " I joked at him, giving him a wink.

"I think I can manage" he said, holding up a bicep.

He looked absolutely delectable in a pair of dark jeans and a grey polo shirt, that had already been straining along his chest and arms, before holding one up.

"Oh my! Well, strong man, here you go!" I said, handing him the cheesecake I made this morning.

Just then, I heard someone clearing their throat behind us. Heather was standing there with a raised eyebrow listening to us banter back and forth. "Oh Heather! This is Lucas, Lucas Heather!" I said quickly, motioning back and forth. I continued to grab bags out of the refrigerator as fast I could before Heather started in with a line of questioning.

"Hello Lucas!" Heather said, eyeballing him up and down, giving me a disapproving look.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" I said to Heather as I rushed past her into the Cafe, with Lucas right behind me.

" yep! I'll be here. Chat with you then! answered watching us the entire way out of the Cafe.

"Nice to meet you Heather!" Lucas told her as he followed behind me.

We loaded up things in my vehicle and headed over to my house. Luckily, we didn't have far to travel with the cheesecake and everything. As I gathered my items to get out of the vehicle, my door swung open and Lucas was standing there holding a hand out. I smiled at him and said "thank you".

He proceeded to grab all of the grocery bags and cheesecake from the backseat before I could grab anything. "You got it all?" I asked

"I think I can manage," he grinned.

"So what's on the menu?" Lucas asked as we walked to the front door.

"Lasagna" I replied, and saw an excited look sweep across his face, especially after saying "and cheesecake for dessert".

We went into my small kitchen. How he didn't hit his head I don't know. I put cold things away in the refrigerator, all but the meat for the lasagna, and placed it on the counter so I could brown it. I went to go grab a pan and was met with a huge chest and arms wrapped around me from behind. I could feel Lucas' warm breath on my ear and then on my neck as he bent down to me. "You have to pay the toll." He said playfully. As he kissed the side of my head and then down my neck, giving me goosebumps.

"Oh really?" I said. "In my own kitchen? So what is the toll?" Now turning around to face him.

His eyes seemed darker than usual, and he said "this", placing his lips on mine passionately. I leaned into it and moaned slightly, which just made him pull me in tighter. I moved my hands along his arms and up to his neck, tightening our kiss more.

A few moments later, he broke the kiss, leaving us both breathless for a moment. "Excuse me", I said, reaching behind him for a pan. Glad the counter was there to hold onto since I felt dizzy and weak in the knees from that kiss. I went back to the stove, placed the meat in the pan and then washed my hands. As I went back to the pan I could feel those arms slip around my waist again, and then a sultry voice in my ear" can I help with anything? He asked. As he held me close to him, I could feel his manhood against my back, that was now hard.

Clearing my throat, I said, "there is a large pot over there you can put water in for the noodles."

Lucas kissed the side of my head and released his grasp. It must be his body wash or something that gave him such a pine scent with those hints of mountain air.

Lucas

We loaded things into Val's vehicle and I followed her over to her house. As she gathered things in the front of her vehicle, I walked up and opened the door. I held out my hand and she grabbed it, saying "thank you".

I grabbed all of the grocery bags and cheesecake from the backseat before and she asked, "You got it all?"

"I think I can manage". I smiled at her.

"So what's on the menu?" I asked as we walked to the front door.

"Lasagna" She replied, and I couldn't help but smile excitedly as she then added "and cheesecake for dessert".

I followed her into her small kitchen. She put cold things away in the refrigerator, all but the meat for the lasagna, and placed it on the counter. As she went to grab a pan, I couldn't help but wrap my arms around her from behind. I bent down, placing my mouth close to her neck and ear. I breathed in her scent, it was intoxicating, I blew softly on her neck as I said "You have to pay the toll."

I kissed the side of her head and then down her neck. I could feel my c**k growing in my pants.

"Oh really?" She said. "In my own kitchen? So what is the toll?" She said, turning around to face me.

I could feel Gavin trying to come forward. "This" I said. Placing my lips on hers forcefully. She began to lean into it and moaned slightly into my mouth. Which just made Gavin growl in my head, I pulled her closer to me, and she moved her hands along my arms and then up to my neck, tightening our kiss.

"Mate!!" Gavin was screaming at me.

I broke our kiss a few moments later, both of us breathless for a moment. "Excuse me" she said, reaching behind me for a pan.

She went back to the stove, placed the meat in the pan and then washed her hands. As she went back to the pan, I slipped my arms around her waist again, and whispered in her ear "can I help with anything?"

She cleared her throat and said, "there is a large pot over there you can get to put water in for the noodles".

I walked over and grabbed the pot, filled it with water, and placed it on the stove where she pointed. We had a conversation while she finished putting the lasagna together, and then put it in the oven. "Do you want to watch a movie or something while we wait for it to bake?" Val asked.

I was still curious about the wolf ring. "Let's pick something out, but can we finish talking about what made you pull out your wolf ring yesterday?" I asked.

She wrinkled her nose, and said "okay". We picked out a movie and I sat down on the couch and pulled her next to me.

Val

I was impressed at how thoughtful Lucas was, asking if I needed help and staying with me while I put dinner together. The conversation was so easy and effortless. I can't remember the last time I had such an easy conversation outside of Heather and Max.

"Do you want to watch a movie or something while we wait for it to bake?" I asked Lucas.

A curious smile crossed his face and he said "let's pick something out, but can we finish talking about what made you pull out your wolf ring yesterday?" He asked.

I was hoping we were past having to talk about it, but no such luck. I furrowed my brow thinking and said"okay".

We picked out a movie. Lucas sat down on the couch after I motioned, and pulled me next to him. I was tense and embarrassed thinking about explaining this, but I could feel myself relaxing sitting next to him.

"So your mom gave you your ring when you had bad dreams, and you haven't worn it since she passed away. Until yesterday..." He trailed off.

I took a deep breath and said" Yes, that is correct, my mom gave it to me after we moved here and I started having nightmares about wolves. Dreams of me being chased by them through the forest, and then waking up right before they bite me." I said, looking down at my hands.

Lucas grabbed my hand and rubbed it while I spoke. "Over time the nightmares went away, and after my mom died I couldn't put it back on." I told him.

"So why the change yesterday? " He asked.

I blushed, " I started having them again 2 nights ago".

I hope he didn't think it was because of him. Since that was after I met him, it flashed in my head. "Did they ever figure out why you had them?" Lucas asked.

No one had ever asked me that, "no I don't think mom could afford to, and just figured it was from the move." I said.

I really didn't know why. Maybe Max knew? We met him after we moved here. "So has it helped this time?" Lucas asked, thoughtfully kissing the top of my head.

"Not yet." I said sheepishly.

"So did you have them last night too?" He asked.

I didn't want to answer, and tensed up. He again bent down and kissed the top of my head, and rubbed my hand. "Yes", I said quietly.

The timer on the oven went off and I started to jump up to get it, and was grabbed by some muscular arms, and turned toward Lucas. He cupped my face and rubbed a tear away that had started running down my face. He said nothing but held me for a second and kissed my lips gently.

Lucas

I pulled her close to me on the couch. I could tell she was tense and embarrassed. Slowly I could feel her relaxing sitting next to me. "So your mom gave you your ring when you had bad dreams, and you haven't worn it since she passed away. Until yesterday..."I trailed off.

She took a deep breath and her voice cracked as she said" Yes, that is correct, my mom gave it to me after we moved here and I started having nightmares about wolves. Dreams of me being chased by them through the forest, and then waking up right before they bite me." She finished looking down at her hands.

I grabbed her hand and rubbed it while she spoke. Running my thumb over her knuckles and wolf ring. "Over time the nightmares went away, and after my mom died I couldn't put it back on." She told me.

I had to know, "So why the change yesterday? " I asked.

She blushed, " I started having them again 2 nights ago".

I was really hoping that wasn't the answer. I really hope this wasn't my fault. "Maybe she isn't a human? Maybe she can feel us?" Gavin said.

"She doesn't smell like a wolf" I said, reminding him.

"She doesn't smell like a normal human either", Gavin retorted.

"Did they ever figure out why you had them?" I asked.

She paused, "no I don't think mom could afford to, and just figured it was from the move." Val said.

"So has it helped this time?"I hoped, as I asked, kissing the top of her head.

"Not yet." She said so silently I almost couldn't hear her without my wolf hearing.

"So did you have them last night too?" I asked.

She tensed up again, so I bent down and kissed the top of her head, and continued rubbing her hand. "Yes" she said quietly.

The timer on the oven went off and she started to jump up and get away from the conversation. I grabbed her in my arms, and turned her toward me. I cupped her face in my hand.. her face was barely bigger than the size of my hand.. I wiped away a tear that had started running down her face. I moved forward and gently kissed her on the lips, and then let her go to the oven.