Alpha Alexander

Chapter Two

I swallowed hard and pointedly avoided eye contact. Pulling my arms up, I hugged myself, praying that I just fell asleep in Señor's class and that this was all a bad dream. Gazing at the suddenly-fascinating floor, I heard the wheels of Alpha Alexander's office chair roll against the hardwood floor. I stood frozen in place for a heartbeat before I felt his intimidating presence near me.

His shoes suddenly came into my line of sight and I stiffened in fear. This werewolf was one of the most notorious wolves in the United States, possibly the world, and he was standing directly in front of me, claiming I was his mate. Surely, his mate would be a she-wolf if he was such a big deal, right?

I think to myself, 'Yes, right. I'm a human—a weak link, according to their species. I can't be the mate to a werewolf, let alone an Alpha. Fate got it wrong, and once Alpha Alexander realizes I'm not who he thinks I am, I'll be let go, right?'

Right! my mind praises.

His hand lifted from his side to reach toward me. Instinctively, I stepped back, dropping my arms because he was aiming for my hand. Skin-to-skin contact is one of the ways you can find your mate. The other is eye contact. If a wolf is strong enough, he or she can smell their mate from a mile away-at least, that's the rumor.

Alpha Alexander's hand didn't drop in defeat. Instead, it moved forward with his body, reaching out to me.

I retreated backwards until the doors stopped me. I gasped in fear as he continued his advance. In a moment of pure horror, I whispered, "Please don't touch me."

That made him pause. His hand stilled, midair. His aroma suffocated me—a sweet blend of sugar and honey mixed with sharp body soap. My body trembled as his hand reached up to cup my chin. I turned away before he could touch me.

"Look at me, Phoebe."

His voice. It rumbled and stirred something deep in my stomach, but I refused to acknowledge he affected me in any way besides fear. I prayed for the door to swallow me whole, but nothing happened and he only got closer to me, suffocating me once again with his scent and his presence. I felt an electric jolt when his finger brushed the pulse at my neck. I jumped and swiveled my head to glare at him. I asked him not to touch me and he disregarded my request.

My eyes locked with his and almost immediately, my knees started to shake and a new feeling pooled in my stomach. I refused to give a name to the new emotion; I already didn't like the feel of it. His dark chocolate gaze pierced my soul, shattering it to pieces around me.

As I steadily stared back at him, his hand cupped my chin, causing another shock to rack through my body. I gasped as he leaned forward, his nostrils flaring as he took in my scent. The new emotion—and fear—stirred in my belly, making me feel uneasy.

I knew what this meant, but I still cringed when I heard him say it aloud.

"Mate," he murmured.

His thumb caressed my lip, and the sudden urge to bite his finger became overwhelming. Without properly thinking it through, I nipped the tip of his thumb in warning. His eyes widened a fraction in surprise, and I think I saw his lips twitch, but I couldn't be sure. His eyes grew darker, if that was even possible. He leaned forward slightly, but I knew his intention. I slowly shook my head, flattening my body against the door and jerking my chin out of his grasp. "I want to go home."

Gruffly, he said, "This is your home."

I shook my head again, my body still trembling. "I want to see my parents."

He eyed me carefully, as though committing my face to memory. "They'll be here this weekend for dinner. You'll see them then."

"But I want to see them now." My voice came out a lot stronger than I intended, but it made me feel a little better—braver, almost.