Alpha

Chapter 7

I was mentally preparing myself to approach Konrad when a drink appeared next to my elbow. My eyes lifted to the barman. He smiled, tipping his head to the end of the bar.

"From the guy at the end."

Expecting to see Konrad looking at me, I was surprised to see someone else. He lifted his glass with a smile, giving a subtle gesture that he was the one that sent it. I smiled and raised the glass to say thanks.

"Oh, you poor idiot. You have no idea that you've just wasted a lot of money on a drink for an Alpha."

It was a cocktail in a tall glass. Pale orange at the bottom, rising to an almost white top layer. It was garnished with a curly piece of lemon rind.

It looked nice though I never got to taste it. Before I could lift it to my lips, someone bumped into me, and the drink splashed all over my chest. The glass fell from my hand, but thankfully, it only landed on the bar and didn't break.

I gasped, not just because I'd been doused in sticky liquid but because it was cold.

"Oh my goodness. I'm sorry, miss,"

Frowning, I looked at Konrad, who was hastily grabbing napkins. The barman pulled the glass away, wiping up the mess on the counter.

"What is wrong with you?" I hissed. "And why did you,"

"I didn't mean to bump into you," he interrupted. "Total accident. I can pay for a new one if you like."

I rolled my eyes. I knew that Konrad would have seen that someone else had bought me a drink and had done this on purpose. He was trying to ruin my chances so I'd be left with only one choice.

"Don't bother."

Stalking off, I went to the bathroom, only to have Konrad chase after me. There were a couple of women in the room when I entered. They looked at me and then at the door. With a whole lot of eye-rolling and scoffing, the women left.

"So this is us, is it? You sending women off so you can have a private conversation in a public restroom?"

"Megan," Konrad chided. "I don't intentionally pick the women's bathroom to have conversations with you. It just happens this way."

"Uh-huh. And why did you intentionally bump into me? Are you trying to kill my chances of finding someone?"

I looked at Konrad in the mirror as I patted the wet towel against my dress. He leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. Konrad didn't look overly happy. He wasn't the only one.

"Your drink was spiked."

"Of course it was. You know that I don't believe you, right?"

"I was next to the guy when he asked for a dizzy panty dropper to be sent to you. A panty dropper is a drink. The dizzy part is the additive."

I wasn't sure if I should believe Konrad. Was this the truth, or did he see another wolf encroaching on what he saw as his territory?

Konrad sighed as he lifted from the wall. His hands dropped to his side as he moved behind me.

"You're giving me mixed vibes, Megan. I can feel what you want. I can see it in your eyes and how you respond to me. I understand your issues, but I'm not the one that can fix them. Only you can do that. If you don't want me in your life, then tell me that but stop looking at me as if I'm the only man that can give you what you want. Refuse me, and I will back off. I will wait for your final decision."

Oh, that old chestnut. Konrad and his ultimatums. They always worked so well, and he clearly never learned that lesson.

Taking another step closer, Konrad was right behind me. He pulled the hair from one side of my neck, pushing it to the other. Leaning down, he kissed my shoulder, his eyes never leaving mine.

"Understand that no matter who we are to each other, if I hear that your drink is spiked, I will always knock it out of your hands. Every. Single. Time. Hate me, and I will still do it. I would do it for anyone. One of my associates has reported the incident to hotel management. Stay away from that guy. He's bad news."

Turning, Konrad left the room. I stared at the empty space, silent and unmoving. He'd blown me away, and I didn't know how to respond.

When the door clunked against the wood, I sighed. The dress was covered in an orange tinge, and I was sticky. There was no way that I was going to be able to spend the rest of the evening like this.

My intention was to return to the group to tell them that I was going back to the chalet, but some of them were waiting near the door. Joey gave me an eager wave to get my attention.

"We saw everything. What's Konrad's deal?"

"He says that the drink was spiked."

Joey tutted, rolling his eyes.

"That would not surprise me if it was true. Come on, we're going back for a private party. Just so that you know, some of Black Ridge will be there. A few of our pack have been chatting with some of theirs. Looks like you might be losing a few wolves to the pack after all."

I scoffed as I rolled my eyes. As much as it was common, and I accepted whatever happened, it didn't mean that I liked it.

"You know that he'll be there, right?"

"I figured that."

"Look at it as a way of patching the issues between the two clans. Midland Peak is neutral ground, and clan fights are not permitted, so they're going to be on their best behavior anyway."

"Megan Nolan?"

I turned and saw a man dressed in a suit approaching our group. He was hotel staff, and it worried me as to why he would be calling out to me like this.

"You guys go to the chalet. I'll catch up."

There were a lot of concerned faces as they walked away.

"How can I help?"

"I'm Randall Adams, the hotel manager. An incident report has been filed, and your name was mentioned in it. I'd like to discuss the matter with you, please."

"Of course."

With a lot of trepidation, I followed the manager into his office. I could only hope that this did not get out of hand.