In the Alpha’s Arms

All the Possibilities

“What was that about?” Alex came up behind his Alpha, both of them staring after the waif of a girl as she drove away.

“How’d she do today?” Cole asked, turning his eyes away from the front door.

“Terrible, as always. Maybe one inch better than the rest of the week,” Alex laughed, dabbing his forehead with a towel.

“She always comes in the evening?”

“Mmm, not always, but I think her classes start soon, so it’ll be evenings from now on… she’s as strong as a toddler, but she’s persistent. I thought she would’ve quit by now. I may or may not have given her the hardest cardio circuit I know today. And all week I’ve been kicking her ass.”

Alex huffed a laugh, “Her body has to be killing her but every time I think she’s going to throw in the towel, she keeps going. Keeps showing up in double layers and bad posture no matter what. Nearly collapsed on the treadmill to prove the point. I had to force-stop the damn thing so everybody can stop giving me shit for hurting the new girl before she can do a meet and greet.” Alex made air quotes as he rolled his eyes toward the other pack members.

Cole grunted, a deeply annoyed sound, and Alex cocked his head.

“I’ll train her in the evenings from now on…” Cole said, answering his Beta’s curiosity.

certainly wouldn’t take on a whelp of a girl barely out of high school. If cardio was killing her, she wouldn’t survive his version of

wafted in the air. That left Alex standing with his mouth

back up to Cole. His Alpha gave no response. And for him,

Alex tried again, “Alphas don’t have human mates. It’s just… not a thing, Cole. There’s no way. Alphas mate with Alphas to continue

answered icily, “I don’t need my Beta to tell me what Alphas do and don’t do, Alex.” He paused at the entrance to the office, glancing around the gym to see if any of the other pack members were listening before he ducked inside. “I’m not planning to claim her either way. Can you imagine Erica’s face? If she’s on my nerves now, imagine how she’ll get after

her?” Alex crossed his arms,

the back table. Andres had been harassing them for weeks about money to finish the setup. A year was too long to have put off security, especially with the number of human civilians coming and going these days. Lita’s extremely large contribution went directly to the six gleaming screens that cycled through the perimeter. Alex flicked his

growled in frustration, pursing his lips in distaste. “I just want to give the wolf what he wants, at least a little, because it’s distracting. Only in the evenings,

bad idea, Cole. Maybe the

absently,

sat atop the nearest desk. “Then you’ll understand why I’m

from his fingernails in a flash of anger. “We agreed veto would be used in emergency situations whenever you thought my judgement was clouded, Alex.” Cole’s words were thick, heavily accented with growls and rumbles of frustration.

assumed her mention of James just got you twisted up. Second, we’ve all seen you watching her. You’re about as discreet as a

Cole hissed, losing his patience with his Beta’s appraisal of his mate. It was

too. You saw ‘em as plain as I did that first day. But instead of sending her off to be someone else’s