I Was Never Yours, Alpha

3|Haze

~Nixon~

"How did things go with Sienna?" Alrick quirked an eyebrow.

I responded with a growl, kicking Rocket's stand, the gravel grunting beneath my boots as I hopped off my bike.

"What do you think?" My tone was gruff, wrapped with annoyance.

Alrick nodded, knowing not to pry. I didn't bother hiding my displeasure in being here. My mind was still at the mansion, worrying about how I left things with Sienna, but duty calls. And as Alpha, the pack's welfare comes before my wife or myself.

"Vito's already inside." Alrick played with the keys of his Nordem 901.

"Let's get this fucking over with then." Alrick walked beside me as we crossed the clustered parking lot of Club Inferno.

Chris, the head of security, pulled open the metal door before we even reached it, murmuring a curt greeting. The dull rumble of the music inside the club spilled through the parking lot.

"Alpha," Riggs, Inferno's manager, jogged down the stairwell with direct access to the manager's office. The surveillance camera must've alerted him of my arrival. "I didn't know you were attending this meeting."

Riggs and Alrick were a few of the warriors with me when Lucien got killed, albeit ones of the lucky ones to see their Alpha break down. None of my warriors dared say a word in my face, but the evident change in their demeanor, the constant worried gazes every time they saw me was getting on my nerves. I hated those silent questioning glances, waiting for me to snap or break down any moment. As Alpha, I was strong, resilient, tough, but losing a close friend the way I lost Lucien does that.

"Why wouldn't I?" I grumbled.

Riggs' eyes darted at Alrick, probing. "Of course. Of course..." A nervous chuckle rumbled from his chest.

I answered with a grunt, stomping further inside when the air brought something that caught my attention. It was faint, I thought I was mistaken. But seeing Riggs had the same reaction, I knew I was right. There's a rogue in the vicinity.

'Did you scent that?' I asked Riggs though the mindlink, lifting a hand to Chris, commanding him to keep the door open.

The music in the club conceals our voices, but we had to be careful.

'There's a rogue,' Riggs confirmed. Riggs was a tracker and if he says this guy was a rogue, I put my one hundred percent trust in him. 'About fifty to sixty yards,' he tipped his nose as another gust of wind whiffed through the open metal door.

'What's going on?' Alrick, already on alert, inquired through the mindlink.

'There's a rogue,' I said.

'He's alone,' Riggs supplied. 'Southeast of the parking lot. I'll go after him.'

'No, I'll handle this,' I growled. Narrowing my eyes at Riggs.

'He's masking his scent like the ones that attacked us last week,'

'All the more reason I should go after him. Alone,' I hissed, my wolf pushing forward, agitated that we needed to explain our decision.

It was there again, Riggs and Alrick's silent questioning glances. 'Alpha...' Riggs took it upon himself to voice their concern. 'Nixon. I can handle this guy myself.'

My molars ground. 'Are you questioning my judgment, Riggs?' my alpha aura rolling off me in waves.

Chris' shoulder caved, Riggs and Alrick lowered their heads. 'Apologies. That's not what I meant, Alpha.'

I knew Riggs meant well, but I couldn't bear the thought of making the same mistake I did with Lucien.

'Can we at least come with you?' Alrick met my gaze. He was the only one brave enough to look me in the eyes when my wolf was clawing his way to the surface.