Chapter 3 An Alpha’s Interest

Keith

The first time I had seen the woman was on the street yesterday. I had been on the phone at the time, slightly distracted as I made my way to a meeting. But I had still noticed her.

At the time, she had been looking elsewhere, seeming as if she was admiring the lush trees and adorable shops lining the road. Since she hadn’t been looking at me, I was able to take her in from a distance as we remained on opposite sides of the street. But, even despite her baggy clothing, she made something deep within me stir.

And now, here she is again. She’s sitting at the bar, an elegant baby blue dress beautifully outlining her chest and shoulders. The soft color makes her stand out against the blacks and grays that other people wear. But what makes her stick out the most is the fact that she’s sitting next to Ralph - my best friend since childhood.

She’s laughing, smiling at him with such delight that I can’t take my eyes off of her from across the room. I don’t know why, but watching her beside Ralph has me twitching with irritation.

When I saw her yesterday, she had been wearing thick, black-rimmed glasses. In fact, she’d had them on when I’d first watched her walk into the bar nearly an hour ago. However, she took them off at some point and now she’s even more radiant.

There’s no denying she’s beautiful with or without glasses. There’s something graceful about her features and her slim figure. However, I can also tell that there must be something beautiful about her eyes as I watch Ralph nearly unable to stop looking into them.

I’m curious about them…about her. Who the hell is she?

As another five minutes passes and I continue to watch Ralph and the woman share more laughs, I decide enough is enough. I down the rest of my drink and then rise from my chair, smoothly making my way across the bar as people step out of my way. And as I reach them, I slide an arm around Ralph’s shoulder.

My best friend says my name and asks me a question, but my attention is only half focused on him. The other half is on her. However, I don’t look over as I try to keep my cool. My frustration has only gotten worse as I want to scold Ralph for sitting here openly flirting with the woman - no matter how stunning she is.

Isn’t she beautiful? I mentally ask my wolf, Chaos, as if I need a second opinion.

However, Chaos shows little interest, not even able to open his eyes due to his apparent boredom.

I can’t tell whether a human is beautiful or not, he replies with a grunt. I only know my mate is the most beautiful.

I nearly roll my eyes. You’ve never even met her, I tell him with a scoff.

Yes, Chaos growls back. But I am a wolf. My sense of smell is never wrong.

Again, I’m tempted to give him an annoyed grunt of my own, but resist the urge as I ask Ralph a question, feeling torn inside as I want to look over at this mysterious woman. However, it’s only when she gets up and makes an excuse to leave that I allow myself the pleasure.

The moment she turns to walk away, my eyes never leave her. And neither does Chaos’ attention as I finally sense him fully lift his head, his boredom suddenly swept away. He’s alert, almost alarmed.

Something’s wrong! he claims and then he’s standing, walking around in my mind like a paranoid beast. His reaction has my brow quirking - I’ve never experienced Chaos react this way.

It’s strange…it’s weird. I’m not sure if something is wrong, but I can’t help but feel it’s not right.

~

“Who was that woman you were talking to?” I finally ask Ralph once she’s gone. Despite my deep curiosity, I manage to make the comment sound bored and offhanded.

“Just some chick,” Ralph says with a shrug, suddenly seeming so different from the man who was nearly falling over himself moments ago. “She’s pretty, isn’t she? She seemed to be into me too - even let me buy her a drink.”

He takes a sip from his cocktail then, looking disturbingly proud of himself. It makes me want to grind my teeth.

“Are you trying to show off or something?” I ask, lifting a brow as I contain most of my annoyance. “Prove that you can still attract females even if you’re a mated man?”

The look Ralph gives me is sheepish, helpless. “No,” he tries. “I was just having some fun. Besides, all the other single female werewolves usually flock to you. I just wanted to buy her a drink.”

Sure, I internally snort. Ralph’s claim may seem harmless, but I can still see the way he had been looking at her. There had been nothing innocent about it.

“Enough about me,” Ralph says then, earning back my attention as I note his sudden change. “What about you? Still on the hunt for your mate? Or are you still not willing to compromise?”

“Never,” I reply simply. “Not all of us are as lucky as you - meeting your mate at eighteen.”

It’s what I had always wanted, what I still wanted. However, I’m years past eighteen now and there’s still been no sign of my true mate.

“Really?” Ralph asks with a snort. “It’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Maybe you’ll get tired of looking in a few years.”

“Never,” I repeat the word, choking down another surge of anger. I’ve always hated how ungrateful Ralph has seemed at finding his mate, which has only gotten worse over the years. I would kill to be so fortunate.

“But enough about that,” I say, knowing the conversation will only annoy me further if we continue. “How’s Jean? The last time I saw you, you mentioned she was pregnant with your second child.”

“Oh…” is all Ralph says in reply and then I can see his feet shift on his barstool and color rising up from his collar. I expect him to say more, but he doesn’t. He just ends up taking another sip of his drink.

“Is the baby okay?” I push the subject forward despite his indifference. He’s my best friend - if something is wrong then I should know about it.

Again, Ralph shifts and then eventually clears his throat after he’s stopped fidgeting. “Not really…” he admits, taking another drink. This time it’s a larger swig than the last.

Struck by this news, I instantly slide into the seat next to him, giving him my full attention. After all, this is serious business. It’s no secret that a werewolf pup is an important and valuable asset to any pack. As Lock Heart’s Alpha, I’ll do anything to keep ours safe. Especially for Ralph.

“Do you need anything?” I ask, even as Ralph doesn’t look at me. “Food, money, medical resources? I can even find you a good nanny, if necessary.”

But Ralph only shakes his head, dismissing my efforts. “No, we’re fine. Trust me - I can handle it.”

At his words, I ease up a little, pursing my lips as I stare at the man. I wish I could tell what he’s thinking. There was a time where I felt I could read him effortlessly as our bond had been undeniably strong and unbreakable. We’d grown up together, been best friends for as long as I could remember.

However, over the years it seems that our bond isn’t as resilient as I thought. Once I became Alpha and he found his true mate, our friendship grew thinner and thinner, and now I feel like there are times when I can’t read him at all.

“Well,” I begin, giving him a pat on the shoulder. “Maybe it would help if you came to the bar less and didn’t flirt with young girls.” It’s meant to be a joke, but I can’t ignore the truth behind my words.

“Go home,” I continue. “Spend time with your mate and son. They need you.”

It’s hard to tell if they’re the right words to say as Ralph’s expression is still reserved, distant. Right now, it feels like we’re actually miles apart rather than sitting beside one another in a bar. It’s like I never knew him.

“Yeah,” he finally replies, and I watch as he stands from his chair. “You’re probably right. I’ll see you later.”

I give him a nod as he turns away from me, keeping my eyes on him before something else causes my gaze to flicker. Ralph’s phone is in his hands and I can see him open up some unfamiliar app, his fingers already typing to answer some sort of message.

What is that?

Before I can ask, Ralph begins to walk away, still lost in his phone as he goes toward the door. Then he disappears completely.

Only then do I realize my hand is balled up in a fist, my jaw painfully tight.

Who the hell was he talking to?