The Wanted Alpha

Chapter 18 - Goodnight

Ethan

Trying to figure out this woman was making my brain melt. Was she deliberately provocative under a pure and demure guise? 

Or was she genuinely playfully innocent and didn't realise how utterly tempting and seductive she was being?

Which ever it was, I was hooked.

Sleeping on the floor wasn't exactly what I envisioned when April asked me into the room last night. Not that I was expecting anything physical, we had barely spent any time around each other. I had hoped that maybe I could have slept beside her and possibly even held her but I really had gotten ahead of myself. She had thrown me a bone though and held my hand throughout the night, bringing both me and my wolf some semblance of peace. 

Even though I suspected she had been teasing me, she was right; just opening up a little to her and some fancy room and food were nowhere near enough to earn a shred of her forgiveness. But I would move moon and earth to earn it, she would be worth every effort.

Her voice broke me out of my thoughts, reminding me I was just staring at her.

"Come on Mr. Alpha, get eating. I thought you wanted to take me home today" she asked, raising her brow at me.

I looked down to the plate she had fixed for me and dove in greedily, both Ezra and I wanting to get her back home into the safety of our borders as soon as possible. I don't think I'd ever eaten so fast and I realised I had finished before she had barely started.

"You know I need to finish before we can leave, right?" she laughed, making me feel a slight heat in my face.

Goddess, her laugh was so melodic. How had I ever lived without it before? I really was a naïve idiot for ever believing a chosen mate bond could have ever matched this.

As she ate we talked a little, just about things she might like to do once we were home, like going shopping for clothes that actually fit her as she had virtually nothing. I planned on showing her round the territory personally, hopefully in our wolf form. I had yet to see her wolf and wondered whether she would be as vivid red as her human counterpart. I also couldn't wait to introduce her to the pack as my mate and their future Luna when she was ready to accept me and the title. Unfortunately, this had her a little nervous but she truly had nothing to worry about.

"They'll love you, trust me. The pack has been without a Luna for 25 years now, they're gonna welcome you with open arms. My warriors will probably be ecstatic thinking I'll go easier on them now" I laughed.

...My warriors had another thing coming. If they thought I was tough on them now, they were in for a rude awakening. I needed them better than their best to protect April fully. I was under no illusion it would only be a matter of time till I came face to face with this so-called 'Alpha' Nicholas and Hunter and I would meet them fist for fist. I was never a violent or vengeful man but I would make sure they paid for what they had done to my mate and her pack.

After April had eaten her fill, it was finally time to head out. I placed my woollen coat over her shoulders so she wouldn't be cold and so her sweet meadow scent would rub off onto it for when I wore it in the future. Maybe I could convince her to wear more of my clothes, she looked phenomenal in my red sweater and I'd have her floral sweetness with me all the time.

Grasping her hand and the bag, we left the room heading out into the corridor. I stopped at the end of the hall where a security camera was located, wanting to retrieve the small device I had set up upon arrival. There was only one point of entry to the hallway so this was the only device I had set up on this floor.

"Hang on sweet, I need to grab this."

"What is it?" she asked, her head tilted to the side and her brows slightly furrowed.

I was noticing this little, charming quirk of her's more and more. Did she know how enchanting she looked? Was she doing this on purpose to entice me? Not that she needed to do much, just her very presence had me wanting her. I swallowed hard, trying to focus on her question.

"It's my own security camera, it monitors body heat too. It's connected up to my cell" I took out my phone, currently pinging and vibrating, to show her the footage it was still receiving as I hadn't turned the device off yet "see?" 

It showed the two of us stood side by side looking at my cell.

"Oh! Cool" she laughed, while moving around playfully seeing herself on the screen.

Oh fuck, she was so adorable. I couldn't help but laugh at her antics. I wondered if she had always been like this, so whimsical almost, but just unable to really express it. Being on the run and a seemingly constant captive, when would she have ever been able to just be her true self?

"Why's your phone beeping like that?" she asked, once again bringing me out of my thoughts.

"That's because it's detecting our body heat. I have it set to go off if it detects 41°C. That way I'd know if any wolves were sniffing round" werewolves ran a higher body temperature than humans so my device could easily tell the difference. Though I was sure she'd be safe here, I wouldn't risk her life.

She looked up to meet my eyes, it was as though she was looking straight through to my soul. She brought her hand up to stroke my face with a gentle smile that faulted slightly.

"Do you think you could turn that off now? It's kinda annoying" she spoke with a small frown.

"You don't hold back, do you?" I smirked as I grabbed the camera, turning it off, silencing the phone.

"I've never been able to lie, my dad always said I was too honest. I've always just stayed silent so that I didn't give anything away" she said with a wistful sigh.

So that's why she had remained so quiet when she was in custody.

'I like honesty, even if it's brutal' I mind-linked, my wolf wagging in agreement. After being manipulated by Maria for the better part of a year, honesty meant everything to me.

I leant down to kiss her sweetly, before grasping her hand and setting off down the stairs. I grabbed the other camera I had set up on the stairway and continued down to the front desk to check out.

"Alpha, Luna, we hope you enjoyed your stay. It's not every day we get pack leaders staying with us" the hotel clerk enthused. I didn't miss how my mate's cheeks pinkened slightly at being addressed as 'Luna'.

'Get used to it April, you were born to lead' I linked her, squeezing her hand.

"We did, thanks" I leaned in close, slipping a few hundred dollar bills across the desk "I'd appreciate it, if anyone came asking about this woman beside me, that I be notified immediately and that you be as discreet as possible. I'd hate to have to come all the way back here to simply reiterate this point" I growled the last part, flashing my eyes black so the human would understand my meaning.

"Y...yes sir, of course" she stammered out. I didn't like to use intimidation and it wasn't like I would ever actually hurt these humans, but if it kept April safe then so be it.

The scent of a warm meadow flooded my senses, turning my eyes black for another reason entirely. Had that seriously turned her on? The scent was driving Ezra insane, wanting to come out and taste her himself...which in a hotel lobby filled with humans may be considered a little inappropriate.

'Careful, sweet' I warned her.

"I didn't do anything" she stared at me with large, innocent eyes.

I could almost feel my brain melting again trying to figure out whether she was playing with me or not...this woman was seriously going to be the death of me.

"Come on, I thought we were leaving" she said, pulling me towards the exit. All thought of the desk clerk had been forgotten as I willingly followed my mate out of the door.

The temperature had dropped outside from yesterday and a thin layer of snow now covered the ground completely, crunching underfoot. I was glad I'd put my coat on April now, not that the cold really affected us wolves much but I wanted her as comfortable as possible. I led us over to my dark blue RAM pickup and opened the door for her to get in, while placing the bag on the backseat. As I headed round to the driver's seat, I took out my cell to send a quick group message to Jude and Carrick. I hadn't confirmed yet that my mate was definitely still present and returning home with me.

Me | I don't know how I did it, but she's coming back with me. We're heading out now, be back in about 10 hrs maybe more if we stop for food and stuff.

Carrick | AWESOME! Knew you could do it, man.

Jude | Cool, I'll save my high pitch squeals of excitement for when you're back.

I rolled my eyes with a smile at Jude's good natured sarcasm. 

"What is it?" my mate asked with a soft grin.

"Just messaging my Beta and Gamma about you coming back home. They're excited to see you again" I said, stroking her cheek.

"I'm looking forward to it too. They were real nice to me" she said earnestly.

I was glad to know she would already have a good basis for a friendship with our pack leaders. They had taken good care of her when I had failed, but that wouldn't be the case this time. She would be treated like a queen from now on, not just by me but by the pack members also. This would be her home now too. 

Setting the navigation app up on my cell, I set us off on the long journey home. There was one question that had been hanging in the back of my mind, one that would be deeply personal to her and possibly ill-timed given we had only really known one another for less than a day. I hoped it was a question I wouldn't regret asking.

Chapter 19 - The Wanted Alpha