Taking Down the Alpha

19 Stop Dreaming

When we got back to where we started, I was both tired and exhilarated. I'd never had so much fun in my life. Running through the forest with Al was like nothing I'd ever experienced before.

Once we were dressed, we got back on his bike and he drove me into town and dropped me off at my hotel. "Before you go," he began, stopping me as I took a reluctant step towards the door.

I paused, thinking he was going to kiss me.

"Give me your number."

"Oh, right." How in the world had I been so scatterbrained not to think about exchanging contact details? I mean, I knew where to find him, but such an oversight was unlike me.

He smirked like he'd won a fight once my number was in his phone. "I don't fight tomorrow, but want to come watch the rest of round two with me?"

"Yes." It wasn't really necessary anymore, but the idea of doing anything with him sounded like the best idea. And now that he had agreed to go along with my scheme, I could focus on other things.

"Breakfast tomorrow?"

I wanted to say yes more than anything, but I didn't want to abandon Liana just because I'd lucked out and found everything that I could possibly be looking for. "I'd like to, but I can't completely abandon my friends. We should still search for Liana's mate and keep our cover."

"Disappointing, but I understand. I should prep anyway, or Monroe'll have my head."

My mind instantly offered me a beautiful picture of him, shirtless and sweating, muscles flexing, while he slammed his fists into a punching bag. I didn't even know if that had any relationship to the reality of how he prepared for a fight, but I liked it anyway.

Quick enough to make my head spin, he stepped forward and pulled me towards him. He was like a furnace, his heat seeping into me, and I happily tilted my mouth up to meet his. Swept away on a river of excitement as his tongue explored my mouth, the world and all my goals and plans for dealing with it disappeared and it barely even bothered me.

If anything, I was more disappointed when he broke the kiss and reality rushed back in. He was the most tempting person I had ever encountered. It was fortunate that he was mine. My body thrummed with excitement at the thought of getting closer to him.

But not tonight.

He kissed me again, dreamy brown eyes looking into mine for a long moment like he could see right into me. "I'll pick you up at six. Your friends can come to the fight, too, but they'll need a ride."

I nodded. "I'll see if they want to." I took a reluctant step towards the door, giving him a little wave that felt entirely not like me at all. He'd definitely knocked me off-kilter.

His gaze burned into me until I reached the door and entered the hotel. He wasn't at all the sort of mate I had imagined being paired with, but I wasn't complaining. He had all the traits that mattered most to me.

I used my card and let myself into the room as quietly as I could. The adjoined door was still open and Liana was already asleep in her room, so I quietly changed into my pyjamas. Inspecting myself in the mirror, I looked at them critically. They were fuzzy and comfortable, but not at all sexy. I hadn't cared yesterday, but when I pictured Al seeing me in them I kind of cringed.

Why was I worrying about such silly things all of a sudden? Hopefully they wouldn't be on for very long, anyway.

With that happy, slightly embarrassing thought, I crawled into bed. After running through my itinerary for the next day in my head one final time, I fell asleep, feeling good that at least some of my plans were still on track.