Challenge the Alpha

Chapter three - A War Within Myself

Rollo;

Marcus has been driving my Audi at a ridiculously slow pace back towards the main road and away from the flaming log building we had left to rot in the woods.

‘I don’t want to damage your nice car, Alpha’, he linked with a smirk to me in the rearview. Such bullshit. I had opted to stay on the backseat with Indie, but the way she looked at me after her thanks and my apology for not getting there sooner, I had shifted her from my lap into her own seat, sure to strap in her seatbelt. I had been overcome with the need to claim her right then and I couldn’t live within myself if I hurt her more. Still, my Beta planned to drag out the drive home as long as possible. She hadn’t said a word since, she kept her arms around her body, still wanting that protection. I looked her over once more and my blood boiled. I clenched my fists and let out a slow steadying breath. I longed to bathe her, massage every part of her, wipe away the horror she’d endured while Matty had her. I could feel Clay pace back and forth, nervous she wasn’t speaking. He wanted so desperately to comfort her. I wanted to comfort her, to wash the blood from her hair. She continued to peer out the window, focused on nothing in particular it seemed but just enjoying the sight of the outside world. Clay caught me off guard and lifted a hand towards her, he yearned to reassure her, make her feel safe and whined as I stopped him.

‘We can’t touch her until she’s ready, we might do more damage.’ He knew I was right but he didn’t like it, turning his back to me and lowering his whole body to the floor in a huff.

I watched her for a few minutes more, I noticed the way she licked her lips.

“ Do you want some water ?” it dawned on me she might have not even eaten for days, she looked up at me through her eyelashes and nodded,

“Please - if you have any ?” Her small voice broke my heart, she seemed so unsure of herself at that moment. I caught the empathetic look Marcus was giving her in the mirror and Clay let out a quiet warning growl, his stare slowly returning to the road and that cocky smile plastered back on his face.

I scooted forwards and leant over the front passenger seat, picking up a fresh bottle of highland spring and catching Marcus’ face with my elbow as I sat back. Accidentally of course.

‘Soz brah, forget how big my arms are sometimes’ I linked. The brief anger I had felt radiate from him instantly dissipated and he snorted back a laugh.

I dropped back into my place and without even thinking, I removed the bottle cap for Indie before I passed it to her. She paused for a moment then reached for the water for one hand while the other wiped a stray tear that had not gone unnoticed to me.

Clay jumped to life again and pushed beneath my skin,

‘ I need to be with her.’

‘And you think I don’t?!’ I snapped back. I was at war with my wolf, we both wanted the best for her and neither of us even really knew what that was.

“Are you hungry at all ?” Marcus chimed in from the front, his gaze pointedly remaining on the road ahead of us and a serious thin line in place of his previous smug look.

“Urm,” she pondered her answer, “a little, but I actually feel a bit sick.” She looked down, her slender fingers toying with the neck of the bottle. Her hands were going to fit around my c**k so perfectly. We all jumped at a high pitched single *DING* from the front,

“ I think it’s yours, Alpha,” Marcus said as he tossed my phone over his shoulder in my general direction, “it’s probably Josie.”

That prick. My eyes closed and the tip of my tongue pushed against my front tooth while I tried to calm down. Clay was furious, he had been against me being involved with anyone who wasn’t my mate and this was why. ‘ A one time thing you never see again is the option, not someone your Luna has to play nice with later on’. The device dinged again. f**k. I opened my eyes to see Marcus had returned to his cheery demeanor. He didn’t like Josie much, referred to her as the spineless crow, said she thought she ran the pack just because I warmed my c**k in her sometimes.

I pressed my thumb to the fingerprint to find it was, indeed, Josie;

1.43am Josie : awr, I just got to the pack house and you aint here :((

1.45am Josie : Ill stay and be ready to take care of my big bad alpha when hes back ;p

Have I really been letting her talk to me like that? Does she think she sounds sexy? Man, Clay and Marcus were right, I should have avoided this. I ran my hand down my whole face, I could feel a curious gaze on me and I point-blank refused to look at Indie. What must she think of me. I’d held her so close, close enough to feel her perky f*****g n*****s through her top and now I’m getting booty-called sitting a foot away.

1.48am Rollo : Go home please Josie, I’ll schedule a meeting with you tomorrow to resolve affairs.

I thought who I had in the pack house I could really depend on.

‘Marcus, you think Kim will be up ? I need to make sure Josie gets out the house.’

‘Oh, for that she’d get up. Believe me, she’s been dreaming of the day to throw her to the front lawn,’ He shook his head, ‘wish I could see it.’

1.48am Josie : Resolve AFFAIRS???? WTF! Rollo??

Ding after ding began to ring out, I silenced the Samsung and brought up Kimberley's number. Kimberley was Marcus’ mate and a few years older than us, she treated me like her baby brother. She was strong and dependable. One of the greatest warriors I’d ever witnessed, not just female but ever. If Marcus hadn’t been my best friend all my life, she might have made beta.

1.50am Rollo : Kimberley, are you up ? I need a favor - sorry :/

1.53am Kimberley : does this have something to do with that skank smell downstairs ? I don’t want to get involved in your situation, really ..

1.53am Rollo : I want her out for good Kim, we found my mate, I want to bring her home.

And awkward minute of staring at my screen, still avoiding the judgmental stare of my girl,

1.55am Kimberley : I’ll handle it.

1.55am Rollo : YES, thank you.

1.55am Rollo : I owe you SO much.

A genuine smile overtook my features. For a moment I forgot the situation and lifted my head coming face to face with a confused and distrustful look Indie held. I spent a moment leering back, when out of nowhere she tilted her head in such a precious manner I was stunned;

“You didn’t tell me your name, they all call you Alpha, do I call you Alpha?”

“No, you shouldn’t ever call me Alpha.”

“Hm,” A far off gaze swept through her eyes, she stuck a tongue the tiniest length out of her mouth and ran it across her top lip, “what does Josie call you?”

Marcus and Clay erupted into laughter and howls. My jaw popped and I realized that distant look was her deciding if she was going to be that upfront to call me out on my bullshit like that. She continued to stare me down while I was so flustered.

“Josie calls him Alpha.” Marcus had stopped cackling long enough to actually try and help out now. She pondered some more and seemed to opt to keep her smart mouth shut on this occasion, returning her attention to the world zooming past the outside window as we turned on to a real road, finally ! Her jaw seemed tense, her body turned more away and I could feel the air around her drop slightly in temperature. She was annoyed at me. Jealous. I had felt her body react to my touch, my smell but I guess I hadn’t expected the bond to take hold of a human this quickly.

“Josie doesn’t mean anything to me.” I wanted to fix this,

“ Why would I care?” Ouch, okay, she’s quick and sassy. I said she wouldn’t call me Alpha but if she keeps up with the bratty attitude, I’ll drag her over my damn knee right here.

“ Because I want you to.”

The ice queen façade vanished as quickly as it appeared. She wasn’t the only one who could be upfront and by the adorable confusion on her face, I’d thrown her completely off.

She was thinking hard about a response, trying to work out if I was messing with her.

“ I can’t imagine what you’ve been through the last few days, I know now is not exactly a good time for you if I start professing feelings but I need you to know, Josie means nothing to me. Especially not when it comes to you.”

Clays ears were peeked, apprehensive to see her reaction or reply. Disappointment drowned us both when she just nodded and turned away again.

‘ She just needs time, she’s human, remember. I don’t even think she registered your shift with Matty, she doesn’t know she’s made for you.’ Marcus tried to console me, he was right of course. Humans were not taught about the mate bond in the same way, some believed in soul mates but even those probably weren’t attuned enough with the moon to know the pull when they get their blessing.

“My name's Rollo,” she turned her head slightly but kept her face away, “ I lead a community, I’d like to bring you home with us for now.”

“So I get rescued to be held captive by another man,” she scoffed and hid her face in her hands.

“You’ll have your own space and anything you ask for, I just want to make sure you're safe and healthy, get checked over by a Doctor then you can do as you please.”

‘WHAT?!’ Clay roared loud enough from within to make my ears buzz,

‘She’s right, we can’t do what he did, you hear how smart-mouthed she is? She’s too strong willed to be kept with us, it needs to be her choice or she won’t ever be happy.’

Clay paced and growled, he wanted to rip out of me and claim her himself, she was his by the moon goddess. If he claimed her she’d stay, she’d hate us but she’d be unable to be away from us. I gripped the door handle, he couldn’t win this. I focused on pushing him back and he fought me every inch. I understood his plight so well but I couldn’t deal with forcing her into being with us. I wanted her to fall in love with us and choose a life in the pack, not be mated into the decision.

“Okay,” her quiet voice brought an abrupt halt to our little war, I felt Clay drastically relax that she was going along with my plan, “but just for a shower and a check up.”

‘We make her want to stay.’ I nodded, a little to Indie but mostly to Clay. We’d make her stay.