Moon Bound

Alpha Syndrome And Pumpkin Spice Lattes

I didn't need to be a wolf to know what I was looking at. I had seen Alphas on rare occasions before. They're not the kind of shifter you easily forget.

"Hey," his husky whisper finally broke me out of my stupor, "Please tell me you're okay."

"I, well, um.." I stuttered. I had lost the ability to articulate and wanted to smack myself for it.

I cleared my throat and nodded, "I'm alri-" my words were cut off as I was crushed to a hard surface. It was his chest. My eyes practically rolled into the back of my head at his smell. It was woodsy and sort of like a pumpkin spice latte at the same time.

The thought of this very hot, very large man, sipping pumpkin spice lattes nearly made me giggle.

My body was squeezed again. The guy was going to hug me to death. I wiggled to put some distance between us and he quickly dropped his arms.

"s**t, I'm sorry. That was weird. I'm just so glad you are okay. I'm sorry I didn't make it to you sooner. He didn't… do more than that, did he?" he gestured to my arm.

I shook my head. “Really, I'm fine. I'm just glad you showed up when you did. I might have become dog food otherwise." I laughed nervously and ran my fingers through my red hair, suddenly aware that it was probably a disheveled mess. This man's looks made me hyper aware of my underwhelming and messy appearance. I tugged on my thrifted shirt, feeling a little self conscious.

I jumped when he growled.

Okay no joking. Noted.

"Sorry," He blurted, looking embarrassed. "I just don't know how you can laugh about that."

Another giggle bubbled up before I could stop it and I groaned inwardly.

"I.. make jokes when I'm uncomfortable," I admitted as my face caught on fire. He ran a thumb across my cheekbone and it took all my willpower to not melt against him in a pathetic puddle of female hormones.

"Do I make you uncomfortable Lyra?"

Reality hit me like a freight train and I flew back. Fight or flight mode was kicking in again. "How do you know my name?"

His face screwed up like he just ate a lemon and there was a quiet beat before he spoke, "I heard him say your name."

I nodded slowly. This guy didn't seem like he wanted to hurt me so I guessed it was okay to not be on the defensive. I hitched my thumb towards the diner.

"You want to come inside? I'll get you a drink or something." I gathered my purse and keys and stood without looking at him. With my head lowered I stepped aside for him once I had the door unlocked.

His black scuffed boots stopped in front of me and he grabbed my chin in a way that I assumed was supposed to be gentle, but there was still a bit of firmness to it. He lifted my chin and leaned in so I had to look him in the eye.

"Don't look down when you're around me. It doesn't suit you."

I nodded with a gulp. I caught the slight fidget of his lips but instead of saying anything else he just let me go.

I wasn’t used to talking to an Alpha. I had seen them before, but never interacted with them, other than my own of course. He was a d**k though, so I didn’t count him.

So much for those self help books on how to find your inner strength. Blondie waltzes in to save the day and suddenly I have forgotten how to make eye contact.

We stood there in uncomfortable silence for a moment. He reached out to brush a wild strand of hair from my face.

The pleasant warmth was back. My knees went weak and his hand shot down to steady me when I stumbled.

Amusement danced in his eyes and it was enough to force me to gather my composure. I slipped past him and busied myself with flicking the lights on and grabbing two glasses of water from the kitchen.

I placed one in front of him then took a sip out of mine to calm my nerves. It was a little comedic how big he looked sitting in the red laminate swivel chair. He rested his tattooed arms on the speckled countertop and stared at me quietly.

One of my least favorite things was being stared at. It made me want to crawl out of my skin.

I passed my cup back and forth between my hands in time with the ticking of the cat clock.

"So, are you new here?" He wasn't a Crescent Valley wolf. I had never seen him before.

He lifted his shoulders in a shrug while taking a drink of his water. "Just passing through."

My heart sank a little. It was kind of disappointing to hear that he wouldn't be sticking around.

Not that I had any reason to be disappointed. It's not like an Alpha would want anything to do with a human. I was just some charity case. The girl he saved from the creepy shifter.

That line of thought sobered me up.

"I don't mean to be rude but-"

"Why didn't you shift?" He cut me off. The question probably wasn't meant to be accusatory but I sensed some frustration in his tone.

I blinked in response. He continued, his fingers tapping against the side of his glass, "You ran. But you didn't shift. Why?"

My mouth went dry at the way his eyes darkened. An awkward pause filled the air as he waited for me to speak. I tucked a chunk of my hair behind my ear and looked away from his burning gaze.

"I guess I was too freaked out. It was a deer caught in the headlights situation y'know?"

"You have nothing to be afraid of now. That wolf will die if he attempts to touch you again."

Woah.

This dude was intense. Butterflies flapped furiously in the pit of my stomach.

I took the glass away from him and he only looked mildly offended, "Like I was saying, I'm sorry to cut this short but I've had a long day and I just want to go to bed. I seriously appreciate you helping me but it's going to take me a while to walk home so.."

I gestured to the door to let him know it was time to go. His presence was overbearing and although he was nice to look at, it was draining.

"Of course. I don't mean to keep you. Let me take you home."

"You really do-"

He cut me off with a wave of his hand. What was with this guy interrupting me? I frowned in annoyance.

Must be the Alpha syndrome.

"I insist. Come on, let's get you to bed. You look exhausted." He grabbed me by my upper arm and dragged me outside, not even giving me the chance to clean up after ourselves.

Pete, my boss, was going to be pissed. Everything needed to be spotless at closing and opening. The Alpha didn't appear to be willing to let me do what I needed to do though because he was locking the door for me.

When did he grab my keys?

I rolled my eyes and peered around for a car but only saw a sleek black motorcycle across the street.

He took my hand in his and pulled me along the road. When we got to the bike he picked me up like I weighed nothing and plopped me onto the seat.

"Safety first," He smiled sweetly before clicking a helmet closed around my head. Next thing I knew he was climbing in front of me and placing my arms around his waist.

Strange, but to hell with it. Why not?

I decided not to protest and pressed my cheek against his back as the bike roared to life. It's not like I got to hop on the back of a hot guy's motorcycle everyday. Might as well take advantage of the opportunity.

I inched closer, letting my eyes flutter closed as I squeezed my arms as tight as I could around him. I barely resisted the urge to let my hands wander his warm chest and back. A happy sigh escaped my lips. I could stay like this forever. My best friend Emma was going to freak out when I told her about this.

My Mondays were usually boring; consisting of jammies in bed, a bowl of popcorn, and a movie by eleven pm.

I wasn't used to this kind of excitement. It was tiring. I yawned and snuggled in closer to him, occasionally opening my eyes to peek at the dark silhouettes of the trees lining the road.

The bike came to a sharp stop and I lifted my head to see we were in front of my house. The lights were off, meaning my parents were in bed.

I pulled off the helmet to catch him eyeing the modest exterior and felt a brief flash of embarrassment.

Screw that. Let him be judgemental. He's just like the rest.

I hopped off the motorcycle and shoved the helmet at him. Confusion passed over his face but he immediately replaced it with a smile, "I like your house. It reminds me of mine."

Okay maybe not like the rest. Oops. But what kind of Alpha lived in a place like this?

Instead I asked, "What's your name?"

"Aiden Sullivan."

He definitely wasn't from around here. I had never heard of him. You hear a lot about the local Alphas through the grapevine. Like how much they liked women and partying and living their best Alpha life doing whatever they wanted.

"Well, thank you Aiden Sullivan for rescuing me and bringing me home."

His voice lowered in a way that made my thighs clench, "No need to thank me. I have every intention of keeping what is mine safe."

Mine. He said it again. Maybe I did hear him correctly earlier after all.

"Ohh-kay," I drew out, not exactly sure what to say to that. "Goodnight Aiden." I clutched my purse to my chest and took a step backwards towards my porch.

"Goodnight Lyra," He practically purred before kicking his bike back on and tearing out of the driveway.

I was halfway up the steps before a thought that sent a chill down my spine hit me.

I had never told him where I lived.