Alpha: Devil's Rose MC #3

Chapter 7: Persephone Estrada

"How did you end up here, Persephone?"

"Mother, I asked you to do one thing."

"Oh my, I completely forgot. I apologize for my words."

"No, it's okay. Honestly, it's really okay."

"No one should make you feel uncomfortable, doll. I don't fucking put up with that shit."

I lay a reassuring hand on his bicep, forcing his head to turn in my direction and his eyes to land on mine.

"Deep breaths for me."

He concentrates on his breathing for a moment before feeling relaxed enough to speak to both his parents and me in a gentle tone as he begins to eat once again. I catch Breach's eye, who gives me a small smile. Huh, I think he's slowly warming up to me or the situation at least.

"To answer your question, Ms. Julianna, I was held prisoner for a couple of years before I was rescued by Alpha. I haven't decided what I want to do next, so while I heal, your son has generously offered me to stay here with him."

"It's good to know I raised him right."

"You raised him, Anna?"

"You know that's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean, woman?"

Alpha grins at the bickering between his parents, which I have a feeling will continue for the rest of the evening. He leans down to my ear to whisper how proud he is of me with opening up to his family, and an unknown feeling for myself fills my chest. 

I wonder if this is what pride feels like. He laces our fingers together, kissing the back of my hand, turning his full attention to me while I talk about the new Marvel movie I'm excited about. The movie, Ant-Man and the Wasp, isn't exactly new according to the date of release, but since I'm watching the movies in timeline order, it's new for me. 

I'm not watching them alone either. My roommate can't help but join in with a bowl of buttered popcorn to watch another Marvel movie that he's probably watched ten times over. He can be devastatingly distracting. 

One of his hands clenches around my thigh, his fingers squeezing at the skin on the inside of my leg. My toes curl in anticipation, and I curse the sexually ranging thoughts in my head. I've got to cool my jets.

I scoot my chair closer to him, paying close attention to his words. With the movements of his lips as he speaks, the darkening of his eyes as he watches me, the cloud of his cologne pulling me further into his sphere of warmth and dominance...I can barely concentrate. 

The pressure of someone else's eyes on the side of my head causes me to glance and find Julianna staring at the both of us. I gulp, slowly backing away from her son who is crinkling his eyebrows in confusion. 

To disperse the tension, I stand and ask them if they are finished so I may place their dishes in the sink. I leave the three of them at the table, embarrassed tears fill my eyes, my cheeks flushing a hot red. 

I brush the gathering water away from my face, not wanting anyone to notice. What I did was inappropriate and wrong, I know that now. I shouldn't have come so close to Alpha. I shouldn't have had him touching me under the table. I shouldn't have even come here.

"None of that."

I scream in fright, clutching my chest while whirling around. Breach stands there, his eyes wide.

"Damn, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"I should have realized you were there, I'm sorry."