I'm The Alpha's Challenge

54

It wasn't that I was afraid to meet Tannar, it was figuring out what I was going to say to him. As soon as Josh had mentioned meeting Tannar, I was determined to speak to him. Now I just had to figure out what to say.

The front door of the house shot open as soon as my feet hit the pavement. The alpha stood in the doorway, his fists clenched by his sides. Josh stood a little straighter, pushing his shoulders back. I tried to take my hand from his, but he held it firmly. "Joshua," Peter growled. "You deliberately disobeyed me."

"If someone had told you to stay away from Mom, would you have listened?" Josh shot back, his eyes narrowing.

Peter's eyes glanced once at me as his lips pressed together in a firm line. "Joshua, there are perks ta bein' Alpha, but there're also disadvantages. Sacrifices that have ta be made fer the good a the pack. She is a liability that I cannot risk. You two are not mated. How do I know that she ain't gonna go scamperin' off, blabbin' our secret ta everybody who'll listen, huh?"

Josh's limp hand rolled into a fist. "Dad—"

I wrung my hand out of his and stepped forward, my hands dancing nervously. "Mr. Alpha, sir, um, I, uh…" the words came in a furious rush, and then they were gone, just like that.

I heard a slight triumphant chuckle behind me from Josh. Peter gazed at me, curiosity written in his eyes. "Uh…" I began, glimpsing back at Josh, who nodded in encouragement. "Please don't be mad at him…"

I glanced down, biting my lip. There was a moment of silence before laughter clouded my ears. I looked up in confusion to see Peter laughing, his hand clutching the door knob. Josh snickered behind me and I spun around, glaring at him. "What?" I asked. "What did I do? What did I say?"

"Mr. Alpha!" Peter laughed. "Ha! That's a new one!"

Josh shook his head, smiling. "Ya ain't never gonna live that one down, darlin'."

"I don't… what?" I pursed my lips, crossing my arms over my chest.

Josh chuckled as he took me by the waist. "Dad, I just wanted her ta meet Tannar."

"Josh," Peter suddenly turned serious. "You know the consequences if she talks?"

Josh's eyes flickered to mine momentarily and he frowned. "Yessir, I understand. I trust her."

Peter's lips tipped downward, decision swirling in his eyes. Finally, he turned, clearing the doorway. "Alright. Bring 'er in. I'm sure Tannar'd love ta meet 'er."

As Josh led me through the door, a slight pressure began in my head. I ignored it, blinking in hope to rid it. "They're in the basement, settin' up Tannar's temporary room." Peter informed us, closing the door.

"Oh?" Josh said, raising an eyebrow. "Tannar's actually stayin' 'ere?"

Peter's eyes narrowed the slightest. "Only on weekends."

"But I ain't allowed ta see my mate," Josh said, a hint of a growl in his voice.

Peter hardly glanced at me before snarling, "Your mate is a human, Joshua."

His hand tightened on mine, and I found the floor to be very interesting. It was plain white carpeting—"And Tannar is a wolf. Glad we straightened that out." Josh hissed, and I briefly imagined his eyes blazing before continuing to study the carpet.

If you looked closely enough, you could see a path from the door leading into the house. "Joshua," Peter's voice dipped lower. "You know what I meant."