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.

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

her fear is funny… and Alex, don’t touch her again.” Cole said nonchalantly, even though a tang of Alpha command wafted in the air. That left Alex standing with his mouth

asked quietly, catching back up to Cole. His

don’t have human mates. It’s just… not a thing, Cole. There’s no way. Alphas mate with Alphas to continue the line. Everybody knows that. You especially. No way does the

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

you want to train her?” Alex crossed his arms, closing the door

up after installing the handful of surveillance monitors on 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

wolf wants to be close to her,” Cole 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, though, when we can go for a run afterwards. I’ll

Cole. Maybe the worst idea I’ve

absently, drifting off into his own

“Then you’ll understand why I’m about to

you thought my judgement was clouded, Alex.” Cole’s words were

vibrant blue. “I think it is, though, Alpha. For one, you cursed like a fucking sailor throughout the bond when you saw her. Didn’t care if the others heard 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.”

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

as I do. You said we don’t get involved in human shit unless it’s an emergency. Which is fine, but that 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 solid. And I thought maybe she’d left