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.

for personal and professional lines to be crossed. And he certainly wouldn’t take on a whelp of a girl barely out of high school. If cardio was killing her, she wouldn’t

Alpha command wafted in the air. That left Alex standing with his mouth wide, as if the faint glimmers of understanding were taking shape. Cole didn’t even realize he’d slipped into his wolf

you care whose scent is on her?” Alex asked quietly, catching back up to Cole. His Alpha

just… not a thing, Cole. There’s no way. Alphas mate with Alphas to continue the line. Everybody knows that. You

gym to see if any of the other pack members were

why would you want to train her?” Alex crossed his

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

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,

Cole. Maybe the worst

he nodded absently, drifting

nearest desk. “Then you’ll understand

in emergency situations whenever you thought my judgement was clouded, Alex.” Cole’s words were thick, heavily accented with growls and rumbles of frustration. “This is not an

it or not, which was sloppy. But I overlooked it because I 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 mountain.” Alex gave him a pointed look. “The only one who hasn’t seen it is the girl herself, and that should say enough about her smarts. But whatever,

patience with his Beta’s appraisal of his mate. It

goes for her too. You saw ‘em as plain as I did that first day. But instead of sending her off to be someone else’s problem, you made her ours. You let her in. I let it go, again, because I just figured you were doing her a