WITH THE ALPHA

Part 2 ; Dare Devil

My eyes fluttered open, greeted by the soft, golden light of a new day. It was sunrise—an ungodly hour, yet my body always possessed a natural, annoying tendency to wake the moment the dawn broke.
I almost never woke up in the same bed as Derick, but there he was, sitting on the edge of the mattress with his back to me. I watched the thick muscles of his back ripple as he pulled a grey shirt over his head, the fabric clinging snugly to his broad frame.
"Good morning," he offered casually, reaching for a water bottle on the dresser.
"Where are you going?" I asked, pushing myself up and leaning against the headboard.
"Taking a run," he answered vaguely, offering nothing more. He glanced at his wristwatch. "You can use my shower. Just don't let anyone see you when you head downstairs."
I kept silent as he readied himself, dropping my gaze to my knees. A sudden swirl of dark thoughts flowed through my mind.
"What's wrong?" he asked, turning around.
"Nothing. I just thought..." I let out a soft, hollow laugh under my breath. I wasn't genuinely hurt, but I was undeniably curious. "...I thought we had a thing going on."
"Oh." Derick sighed.
The bed dipped beneath his weight as he sat back down, reaching out to pull me against his chest. A warm mass hugged me from the side, drawing me close.
"You know, I may be twenty-six, but I still dream of meeting my mate," he murmured into my hair.
Foolish, I thought.
"What if she's dead?" I whispered softly.
He stilled instantly. The silence stretched between us, far longer than I would have liked.
"Then that would be really sad," he said finally. A smile touched his lips, but it provided zero comfort. I had the distinct feeling that smile wasn't meant to comfort me anyway—it was a desperate attempt to comfort himself.
"Look, here's how we can do this," he said, pulling back so his deep green eyes met mine. "We can date. But remember—when my mate comes, I will leave you for her."
He was dead serious. There was no room for a joke, no lighthearted twist. The sheer weight of his seriousness hit me, accompanied by a crushing wave of his natural aura. He was a Beta, yes, but he carried the undeniable weight of Alpha blood in his veins.
Even so, I was Deviana. I knew how to survive, and I knew how to thrive. I would make the absolute most of whatever hand I was dealt.
"Deal," I agreed.
When he finally walked out that door, he left as my official boyfriend. Not a bad start to the morning.
I slid out of bed and stepped over to the full-length mirror, a triumphant smirk reflecting back at me. "Deviana, the female Beta," I praised myself softly. "Don't worry. It's just a stepping stone toward the title of Luna."
A beat passed. I stared at my reflection, the smirk fading slightly. "How long will I continue to ridicule myself?"
Shaking off the moment of self-doubt, I took a quick shower, pulled one of Derick's oversized shirts over my head, and opened the bedroom door. I crept silently down the hall, making sure my bare feet didn't make a sound. Derick had told me not to get caught, and I had my own very personal reasons for remaining invisible.
This entire floor was reserved strictly for high-ranking pack officials and visiting dignitaries. It was also where Damian's master suite was located. For an unranked wolf like me to be caught wandering here was a massive scandal—if a foreign delegate saw me, it wouldn't just humiliate me; it would publicly embarrass the pack and the Alpha himself.
Oh, the Alpha.
I scanned the empty hallway behind me before bolting down the corridor toward his private quarters. Stopping outside his massive double doors, a wave of dark excitement crawled up my spine. Pressing my ear against the polished wood, I listened intent for any sign of movement inside. The faint, rhythmic hiss of a running shower echoed through the door.
Perfect. He was distracted.
I seized the opportunity, twisting the handle and slipping inside. I clicked the door shut behind me, taking a deep breath of the room's rich, intoxicating scent—the familiar, commanding fragrance of the Alpha that used to cling to my own skin.
Stripping off Derick's shirt, I shoved it discreetly under the edge of the bed frame before sliding onto Damian's massive king-sized mattress. The sheets were impossibly soft—or maybe they just felt better because they belonged to him.
I struck a pose, arching my back in a provocative display designed to shatter his composure the moment he walked out.
It worked like a charm.
Glee washed over me as Damian froze in the bathroom doorway, completely rooted to the spot, his eyes widening as he took me in. He was entirely bare, save for a white towel slung dangerously low on his hips and a second towel pressed against his damp hair.
"Deviana." His voice was a dangerous rumble, his eyes bleeding into a fiery, darker hue that signaled the immediate rise of his inner wolf.
I looked up at him through my lashes, the picture of innocent temptation. "Alpha," I cooed softly.
"Grrr." A low, territorial growl tore from his chest, and as if on cue, the towel slung around his waist slipped entirely to the floor.
I smiled, taking that as my cue to slide forward across the plush sheets. "So, Alpha... morning treat?"
Damian was stubborn, obsessed with control and dominance, but like any unbonded Alpha male, he was driven by intense, raw desire.
"Little devil," he muttered beneath his breath, utterly succumbing to the trap.
Scored. Another point for Deviana.
As I pushed up onto my knees, his large, calloused hand surged forward, gripping my bare throat before sliding a burning trail down toward my chest. He bit his lower lip, leaning down to engulf me in his overpowering heat and musk. The air between us turned electric as his breath mingled with mine. Then, he crashed his lips onto mine, and the world melted into absolute chaos.
Two hours later, I lay flat on my back, gasping for air, completely spent and thoroughly satisfied. Say what you will about Damian, but he delivered unimaginable pleasure. He had a way of making you feel consumed, desperately needy, and entirely fulfilled all at once. The man was an unstoppable force—you could run completely out of energy, and he would still be standing, fully capable of going another round.
Impressive, to say the least.
"I smelled my brother all over you," Damian commented coldly, his back turned as he buckled his leather belt.
"Had a little fun before I made my way over here," I confessed lazily, using the edge of the sheet to wipe away a stray trace of warmth from my skin.
"I have a meeting to attend," he said, turning to glare down at me with hard eyes. "Don't let me find you here when I return. And don't you dare pull a stunt like this again."
His commanding, authoritative tone bored me to tears, but I was willing to play along for now. I had far bigger plans for Damian, and I needed way too much from him to walk away over a sharp tongue.
Rising onto my knees, I crept up behind him, sliding my hands around his waist and tracing a path across his broad chest. I pressed a soft, lingering kiss against the muscle of his back, but Damian remained rigid, stiff as a board beneath my touch.
Not wanting to send me away entirely empty-handed, he finally turned around. His fingers caught my chin softly—almost tenderly—and he pressed a fleeting kiss against my lips.
"Be a good slut and leave."