Alpha Hole

Ch. 26

I wavered on my feet as I stood on a stage next to Jaxson, who was speaking very adamantly to one of the elders in the crowd.

I didn't know what I'd expected, but it hadn't been this. We had been up here for the better part of an hour.

The pack had lots of questions. Jaxson had taken the lead on nearly all of them. From time to time, he looked at me, hoping I might elaborate.

Jonah Delphi and his wife had taken a seat atop the stage, letting Jaxson handle the barrage of questions.

"And has she marked you?" A middle-aged man with a slightly graying beard asked.

Jaxson looked as though he might explode before he schooled his features. "Layla needs time to adjust to her wolf first." His answer was simple, and I found myself surprisingly okay with it.

Just as my wolf began to turn over the idea of marking him back—or returning the favor, as he had so playfully said last night—a well-manicured hand shot up.

The voice I recognized immediately. Bianca, the horrible female who had come on to Aidan that day at school. "Alpha, if she has a problem marking and mating you, I volunteer as tribute."

My mouth hung open, and several people around my age snickered.

A deep growl resonated in my chest, and I was on my feet in an instant. My wolf saw red, and I was moments away from attacking the busty blonde.

Jaxson's hands were on me—stopping me from leaving the stage. He pulled me to him. I was taking deep lungfuls of air, and something about the way he smelled of pine and earth seemed to soothe my anger.

Jonah Delphi's voice cut through the crowd. "Thank you, Bianca, for your generous offer, but I do not believe that will be necessary."

She leaned back in her seat, a smug expression on her pouty lips—she'd done that just to get a rise out of me. To make me look bad in front of the pack. She disgusted me.

I was growling again. Jaxson rubbed my back where the dress dipped low, making contact with my bare skin. Tingles spread everywhere from the contact.

Jaxson looked to his father, and Jonah Delphi nodded at him.

He turned me around, my hand in his. "We do thank you for coming tonight. If you have any other concerns, please direct them to the Alpha Jonah."

With that, Jaxson was practically sprinting out of the great hall with me in tow.

He didn't turn at the staircase as I'd expected. He led me down a hallway I'd yet to explore.

"Where are we going?" I asked, my voice strained as I attempted to keep up with him.

"Out," he said. "I think we deserve it."

We didn't stop until we were in a parking garage. Lines of black SUVs lined the space.

"Well, this is a bit excessive, don't you think?"
I said about the ridiculous number of vehicles on display. 

He laughed and shook his head. "Come on." He moved to the passenger side door of one of the SUVs, opening it and waiting for me to get in.

He didn't waste any time getting into the driver's seat and cranking the Navigator.

We were out on the road moments later. My face glued to my window as I watched the open fields pass by. 

Ten minutes of silence later, he parked in front of a building that read Pizza Parlor.

As we stepped inside, the warm, greasy aroma of pizza instantly enveloping us, it was a stark contrast to the rigid formality of the pack's gathering. Jaxson led me to a booth in the back, away from prying eyes.

"I am starving." I said, sliding into the booth.

A hint of a smile played at his lips. "I figured you might be.

The waitress came by, taking our order with a cheerful demeanor that felt out of place after the tension of the evening. As soon as she left, Jaxson leaned back, studying me with an intensity that made me shift in my seat.

"Well, that was intense," I said, breaking the silence. "Will all the pack gatherings be like that?"

Jaxson smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement. "I think once things between us are really settled, it will die down some. They're just hesitant about the situation."

I nodded, trying to process his words. "I hope so. It felt like they were all scrutinizing every little thing I did."

"They were," he admitted. "But that's just how it is. They need to see that you're strong, that you belong."

"Well, how did I do?" I asked, leaning forward. "Did I pass the test?"

He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by my question. "You already know you belong. You're mine, and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks."

I felt a blush creep over my cheeks. Feeling the need to change the subject I asked. "So what does an alpha do in his spare time? What's the one thing that you couldn't live without?"

He seemed to think for a long moment as he studied me. 
"I guess— if I had to pick one thing— it would be my bike." Something in his eyes softened. "It's the one time I feel completely at peace."

"What else?" I pressed, wanting to know more about the man across from me. "Any hobbies?"

He chuckled. "I like to read, believe it or not. History mostly, especially about our kind. There's a lot to learn from the past."

I looked at him in surprise. "I wouldn't have pegged you for a bookworm."

"There's a lot you don't know about me," he said, his tone playful.

"Then tell me," I challenged. "What's something most people don't know about you?"

He thought for a moment, his gaze distant. "I used to play the guitar. Before all of this responsibility fell on me."

I blinked, imagining him strumming a guitar, his face relaxed and lost in the music. "You should play for me sometime."

A slow smile spread across his face. "Maybe I will."

The waitress returned with our pizza, breaking the tension momentarily. As we ate, I couldn't help but study the man in front of me. He was devastatingly handsome. Long lashes covered dark endless eyes and his hair was smooth and long- nearly covering his eyes at times.  And his skin looked buttery and soft. That pesky part of me itched at the surface— begging me to find someway to touch him.

"Okay, your turn," he said, leaning back with a satisfied grin. "What's something most people don't know about you?"

I thought for a moment, twirling a piece of crust between my fingers. "I used to dance. Hiphop and Latin, mostly. It was my escape, my way of expressing everything I couldn't say."

Surprise sparked in his eyes. "Do you still dance?"

"Not as much as I'd like," I admitted. "Life got in the way."

"You should," he said, his tone earnest. "I want you to do what makes you happy."

I looked at him, seeing the sincerity in his eyes, and felt a flicker of something I hadn't expected—hope. Maybe, despite everything, there was a chance we could make this work.
"I can do that?" The surprise on my face must have been evident because he nearly laughed.

"Of course you can, you aren't a prisoner. There is a dance studio in town where Lani and her friend used to go." He said.