The Alpha House

Chapter Two

I waited up almost half the night for Jamie to return. As soon as he had gone, I'd felt that vaguely nauseous feeling return to the pit of my stomach. I hadn't been able to relax ever since, my mind racing as I came to terms with what had just happened. Strangely, I wasn't even freaking out that Jamie was indeed a werewolf.

I was worried about him. He had seemed really upset, distraught even, and he'd literally fled out of the room and over the balcony to get away from me.

While I waited, I wandered around the room, taking in the large bed, even larger closet, and in-suite bathroom. Everything was old stone, marble, or embossed in gold, giving it even more of a modern castle feel. The bathroom was bright, the white marble sink spotlessly clean, and I appreciated how neat Jamie appeared to be.

I considered leaving the room and going to wander around the rest of the house, but then I remembered what Jamie had said about "the five of them" being drawn together and decided I better not take any chances running into one of the other Alphas.

When it was nearly midnight and he was still not back, I was almost too tired to keep my heavy eyelids open, so I searched for a t-shirt in his closet to wear to bed. I knew it was crazy to spend the night in a stranger's bed, and yet...it didn't feel strange at all.

I took a shower, braided my long curly hair into two cornrows, and put on a red NC State t-shirt that I'd found in the back of his closet. I always slept in just a t-shirt and shorts, but since none of Jamie's shorts looked like they would fit me, I decided to go without. The shirt was long enough to cover me, anyway.

Then I realized I was starving, and I went hunting for something to eat in his room. All I could find in the mini-fridge was a yellow Gatorade and half of a leftover pizza, so I climbed into his bed and ate that while watching ESPN. There was something oddly comforting about falling asleep to the sound of college football reruns like I usually did, but even as I cuddled under his plush duvet, I couldn't seem to fall asleep. For one thing, I was freezing: the AC was still blasting in the house, and it might've been my mind playing tricks on me but without Jamie nearby I swear it felt even colder.

I wrapped myself in another blanket and lay in bed, eyes closed and half-listening to the late-night ESPN commentators, for what seemed like hours on end. I tossed and turned, exhausted in every fiber of my body, but unable to actually sleep.

Thus, when the bedroom door opened, I was immediately sitting upright, ready to fend off any attacker.

"Who's there?"

The room was pitch black, but I heard soft footsteps padding on the carpet as they approached the bed. Then the bedside lamp flickered on.

Jamie was standing there, completely naked. His bare skin was caked in a dark mix of blood and dirt, and his hair was tangled up with leaves and twigs. I tried my hardest not to look below his waist, but my eyes were drawn like magnets, and I began to feel a familiar warmth spreading throughout my body at the sight of him. I had never seen anyone that big before, and an embarrassingly long silence passed between us as I stared.

Jamie didn't say a word as I slid off the bed, purposefully letting the long t-shirt ride up my thighs a bit as I did so. Just like when we'd first met, there was an attraction buzzing between us that drew me to him. I wanted to feel that warmth again, to touch him and drown in the heat that had almost consumed me last time.

Silently, I took his hand and led him into the bathroom. The minute our palms touched the warmth began to ooze down my spine, rushing in tingling waves up from my ankles to my thighs. My legs shook a little as I walked over to the shower, opened the glass door, and turned on the water. It was ice cold, but I was practically sweating from the heat of our touch so I didn't notice.