One Night With My Mysterious Alpha

Chapter 2-You're Beautiful

RONON

I smelled her the moment I walked through the door of the bar.

Leon said something to me. I didn't hear him.

My eyes were already searching for her. There she was at a table, serving drinks to a group of people. Our eyes met. I remembered every single detail of last night. I wondered if she did too.

Something in her eyes told me she did, but I wasn't sure. She had been really drunk and wasted. The pull to her was strong. It took every strength I had to stand still.

A few more seconds and she looked away. She moved to the back of the counter, taking a few empty bottles with her.

"Let's get a seat," Leon said, looking around.

I took in a deep, calming breath.

"You and the others can start without me," I said. "I'll be with you soon."

Leon and the others, chatting and laughing, moved away to take the biggest table. I caught the eye of the bartender, and beckoned to him. He came over quickly.

"Alpha," he said, bowing more than a couple of times. "Is there anything I can help you with? A drink or-"

"No. Not that. I want some information. Who is the Omega that left that table just now?" The waiter looked blank. Perhaps he was asking himself why I was interested in an Omega. "Short brown hair, big brown eyes..."

"Oh. You mean Freya?" he said, blinking.

"Freya..." I rolled the name around on my tongue. If I had to guess her name, I probably would have guessed it was Freya.

He pointed to a spot on his cheek. "She has a birthmark right here?"

"Yes. That's the one. Tell her that I want to see her now."

"Of course, Alpha. Of course."

He hurried away as fast as his legs could carry him. He went to the room off the counter, a room reserved for staff. I suspected Freya had gone in there to avoid me. After all, there were quite a lot of customers waiting to be served.

It didn't take a minute before the bartender returned with Freya. I slipped him some money, led Freya to the only table where we were less likely to be disturbed or overheard.

She looked at the ceiling, at her blouse, at the table. Anywhere but at me. She knew who I was. I was sure of that now.

"Why?" I asked her.

Her eyes snapped back at me before drifting away again.

"Jared said you wanted-"

I waved a hand, cutting her off. "Never mind Jared. Why are you trying so hard to deny our connection? You felt it just now, didn't you? Or were you so wasted that you still can't remember the wild s*x we had last night?"

Her pretty eyes grew wide.

She lowered her voice. "Please, Alpha, keep your voice down. If people hear you, they'll think- they'll think I slept with you for your money."

"Then sit," I ordered.

She dropped into a chair at once. "Besides, what's the use of me saying anything? I'm just one of the many Omega girls you could have."

"That is quite a surprising take," I said slowly.

"I um- I didn't mean any disrespect, Alpha, but it's the truth. There's no way an Alpha could ever want anything to do with a girl like me. What's the use of dreaming things could be different?" She laughed a little. The sound was somehow sadder than a cry. "I may be naive, but I'm not that naive."

She looked longingly in the direction of the bar. She already wanted to leave. I felt a spark of irritation.

How could she just completely decide to ignore the mate bond? She gave up without even trying?

I stood up.

"Come with me," I said.

"W-what?" she stuttered. "Alpha, I can't. I still have a lot of work to do. I could get fired."

The bartender was looking curiously at us from across the room. I signaled to him.

"Tell your manager to relieve Freya of the rest of her duties tonight. She's leaving with me."

The bartender had questions. I could see that, but he wisely kept his mouth shut. Soon he was talking to an important-looking man who was nodding.

"A minute," I told Freya, and headed for Leon's table.

"I thought you were never coming, Alpha" Leon said cheerfully, pushing a glass over to me. "Here. I have already ordered your favorite."

"I can't stay," I told him, looking around at the others.

Leon frowned. "But why? We just got here. Besides, it was your idea to get drinks."

I shoved a hand into my back pocket, took out my black card and tossed it at Leon. He caught it deftly.

"Use that to buy as many drinks as you want," I said. "Got to run. I've got something to take care of."

I tapped Freya's shoulder on my way out. I got into my car, opened the door for her. It took her a while to get in. The doors were hardly shut before I pulled out of the parking lot.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked after I had been driving for a while.

I threw her a glance. She was nervously twisting the hem of her sweater. She looked confused, like she was expecting a trick or something.

"Relax," I said, deliberately tuning down the Alpha aura. "I'm not going to kidnap you."

She caught her breath sharply. "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to infer that you were going to-"

"It's okay. I'm not offended. I'm taking you to my favourite spot in the city. It's a beautiful, quiet cave. Before I went to study abroad, I used to go there a lot."

I had hoped the magic of the cave would work on her like it had always worked on me.

It did. Mostly.

When we had picked our way among the rocks, and had sat down on a large one, I felt her relax a little. The cool night air blowing her hair around her face, the faint flush on her cheeks showed me again how pretty she was.

I didn't know I had said it out loud until she looked at me in surprise.

"Me?" she said.

I let my lips tilt into a teasing smile. "Do you see anyone else here?"

She turned away but not before I saw a sparkle of tears in her eyes.

"No one has ever really told me that before," she murmured.

"You are beautiful, Freya. It's more than a compliment. It's a fact."

She was quiet for a bit. "Thanks, but I don't know why you're even interested in me. I'm not rich or special or anything. I'm just an orphan who works at the bar. That's basically my life. If you don't mind, I'll like to go back to work now. I don't want to get my hopes up."

She still wouldn't look at me. Gently, I pushed a finger under her chin until she faced me. I thumbed away a tear. Then two.

Her lips were soft and full and bitten in many places. And in that instant all I wanted was to put my mouth on hers.

So I did it. It was a heady feeling, her lips moving against mine hesitantly, my tongue scraping her teeth.

I forced myself to pull away. I wanted to spend the whole night kissing her but there was something I had to say first.

"Listen to me," I said. "I can't stop myself, Freya. I'm drawn to you and I think I'm in love with you." She gasped, tried to pull away. I cupped her cheek. "Yes, it's the truth. Freya... will you be my Luna?"