Alpha Alexandra: The Alpha in Disguise

Terms and conditions

Alex's POV

“I, you, that’s not…”

I was stammering like an i***t, trying to find a way to deny to Jaxon that I wasn't a girl, but I had become so shocked and tongue tied to the point where I couldn't even bring myself to form any meaningful words.

I was also unable to say a word because Jaxon Maddox was staring down at me like my whole damn story was visibly written on my face, and lying would only make me look even more pathetic.

I took a step back, but before I could put more space between us, he moved fast, and his hands brushed across my cheek, stopping just under my jaw which immediately caused my skin to feel like it was on fire.

“Don’t bother denying it,” he said, in a voice that was annoyingly calm. “You’re my mate, and I can sense your wolf just like you can probably sense mine.”

The moment he said it, I didn't bother trying to deny any further because he was right, and I could definitely feel his wolf.

I wanted to scream in frustration because, but instead, I let out a frustrated scoff and shook my head.

“Great,” I muttered. “Just great. It's only my first day in the academy and I've already gotten myself caught. All those plans I made, just for you to show up and ruin it in a single day. Isn't that great?”

He raised an eyebrow, looking mildly amused. “Ruin it? How?”

“You caught me, didn’t you?” I snapped, raising my voice in frustration. “So what now, huh? Are you going to drag me to the director, and report me for sneaking into the prestigious Academy meant only for the boys?”

I waited for the smug grin, and maybe even for the self-righteous speech, as well as the feeling of betrayal that would come when he decided I wasn’t worth protecting, but instead, Jaxon just chuckled like I was being ridiculous.

He crossed his arms and stared back at me like I was a strange creature he couldn’t quite figure out, but he found oddly amusing anyway.

“I’m assuming,” he said slowly, “that you were here to take a bath, right?”

I blinked in confusion. “What?”

“Public bathhouse, sneaking to the lake while holding a towel, and a change of clothes,” he gestured lazily toward the bundle I was holding like my life depended on it. “You were planning to clean up here, right?”

“Yes?” I answered, feeling both confused and thrown entirely off balance.

“Then go ahead.”

“What?” I repeated.

He shrugged one shoulder like this was no big deal. “Go ahead and take your bath, and I’ll keep watch to make sure no one else finds out about your big secret.”

My brain halted, and I struggled to understand what was going on. “You’re… going to stand guard and let me bathe instead of reporting me?”

“Yeah, unless, of course, you’d rather have an audience.”

I stared at him like he had just grown a second head.

“Of course I don’t need an audience,” I snapped, tightening my hands around the towel like my life truly depended on it. “What I do need is to know why you’re helping me. You could be dragging me to the Academy director right now. Hell, I’m pretty sure there’s a rule about reporting identity fraud—or impersonation—or something.”

Jaxon just stood there with a calm expression while keeping his arms folded across his chest like we were having some casual conversation about the weather and not whether or not my entire life was about to go up in flames.

He shrugged. “I have no intention of reporting my own mate.”

There it was again. That word—Mate. I didn't like how he said the word like it wasn't a big deal and like it was now a permanent status we just had to live with it. It technically was, but I refused to believe it.

“I’m willing to keep quiet,” he added. “Even protect you. For tonight, at least.”

That caught my attention, and I immediately narrowed my eyes. “You’ll protect me just tonight? What, do I need to sign a contract for tomorrow then?”

He gave me a slow smile that made my pulse spike, but it was not in a good way.

“I said I’d keep quiet, not that it was free.”

There it was, the catch. I should’ve known that there was always a catch.

I crossed my arms. “Alright, fine. What do you want, then? What is it you want from me in exchange for your precious silence?”

He tilted his head slightly, as if he was proud of me for catching on so quickly. “Honestly? I haven’t decided yet.”

I scoffed. “You haven’t decided?”

He shrugged again. “It’s late, and just in case you're forgetting, I just got out of a freezing lake. I’m a little too tired and cold to come up with blackmail material right now.”

I scowled. “You make it sound so romantic.”

His lips twitched, and I hated how easy it seemed for him to find this funny.

“Just go take your bath,” he said, nodding toward the direction of the lake. “Before the patrol guards start snooping around and find us both loitering out here like a pair of idiots.”

Unfortunately, he had a point. If anyone from the Academy’s patrol teams saw us right now, we’d both be screwed, although I had a strong feeling that I would end up ten times more screwed than he would.

I hesitated for another moment, still not sure if trusting Jaxon Maddox was brave or monumentally stupid, but then I thought about everything I’d done to get here, and if I got myself kicked out now, it would all be for nothing. The thought was way too embarrassing.

“Alright, fine,” I muttered. “I’ll accept your help.”

“Generous of you.”

“But,” I held up a finger. “If you so much as peek while I’m bathing, I will kill you, and I'll do it very slowly and very painfully.”

Jaxon let out a short laugh. “Relax. You don’t look like you’ve got much I’d be desperate to peek at anyway.”

I glared, my jaw dropping. Did he seriously just say that to me? Wasn't that an insult?

Before I could get a single insult out, he smirked and spoke up again like what he had just said was absolutely nothing.

“Besides,” he added casually, “I’m going to see them eventually. We are mates, after all.”

My brain stalled. “What?”

My eyes widened in shock, and I could barely make out any words. Did he really just? Oh my gods.

He stood there completely unaffected, like he hadn’t just casually declared some future in which we were naked in front of each other and doing mate stuff as if it was normal and expected. Absolutely not!

I was still trying to recover from the mental slap when his tone suddenly changed, and he sounded less amused and more curious.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

I hesitated briefly before responding. “Alex,” I said finally. “Just call me, Alex.”

“Alright, Alex,” he replied smoothly, “Go take your bath now before I change my mind.”

I walked quickly, and even though I could feel Jaxon following me from behind, I didn't bother to look back in his direction.

When I reached the lake again, I scanned the place just out of habit, making sure he wasn’t peeking, and of course, he wasn’t. He stood at a respectful distance with arms crossed over his chest like he couldn't be bothered enough to look my way.

Still, I watched for another second longer just to be sure. After confirming that he had no intention of looking, I let out a breath and started to peel off my dirty clothes before slipping into the lake.

The cold hit me hard at first, but after the day I’d had, it was more refreshing than painful.

After I was done making myself clean with the odorless soap that the school had provided, I got dressed quickly, rewrapping myself in clean bandages before putting on the layer of clothes I had with me.

By the time I walked back to where Jaxon stood, he was casually leaning against a tree, and when he heard my footsteps, he straightened, and then he spoke.

“I had time to think while you were bathing,” he said. “And I now know what I want in return for my silence.”

I halted in my steps immediately as my heart started to beat extremely fast.

I narrowed my eyes at him before speaking. “What is it?”

He didn’t answer right away, and instead, he moved. One second he was standing by the tree, and the next, he was in front of me, grabbing my wrist, and before I could blink, he pulled me closer.

He slipped his other hand around my waist and held me to him, and I stiffened immediately as my head started to spin from how close we were. All I could think about was how warm, solid, and close his body was.

“What the hell are you doing?” I stammered, trying to free myself from him, but he didn’t let go.

Instead, he leaned down, and his lips brushed close to my ear while he smiled.

“In exchange for my silence,” he said in a voice that was low, dark, and terrifyingly calm, “you’re going to do everything I ask from now on. No resistance and no questions asked.”

I sucked in a breath, and he pulled back just enough to look into my eyes. “And I mean everything, Alex.”

My chest rose and fell too fast. “You, what does that even mean?”

“It means,” he said, “that if you want to stay in this academy, and if you want to keep your secret, then you belong to me. In every way I want, and in every sense of the word.”