In the Alpha’s Arms

Dreaming of a Date…

The sound of waves crashing into the shore filled the night.

Lita always loved the nighttime view from the beach house as a kid, but they hadn’t been back in years. Her parents hardly had time to spare her a conversation that wasn’t centered on Brian anymore, let alone take her on a weekend getaway. It all worked out in the end, because now this was the only place Lita and her brother could come when he was in town. God, she missed James like air in her lungs. That goofy face, those ridiculous two in the morning rambling conversations. Eating junk while binging every rocky movie.

Something warm bloomed in Lita’s chest, fighting off the chilly night breeze. Their own parents wouldn’t let James set foot in the house after they excommunicated him. A nasty symptom of abandoning the life they’d dreamed up for him. Lita had laughed the first time he’d called to say he bought gym. Or rather, that he’d bought a derelict building he wanted to make into a gym. But he hadn’t laughed hack. He’d only given her his famous line, you think you have forever, Lit, but you don’t. Do what makes you happy and burn everything else.

Their parents being who they were, it hadn’t surprised Lita that his room was packed up almost overnight afterward. It hadn’t surprised her that his photos were scrubbed from the walls and they had tossed his competition plaques. It hadn’t surprised her they were all hell–bent on never saying his nome. But it still hurt and made her feel more alone that she ever had before.

Lita wasn’t close to her parents, outside of blood, they wouldn’t have been a family at all. But she loved James, felt bonded to him in her core. And the distance weakened her. Made her weak enough for Brian to swoop in.

She clutched her side gently, knowing she would never tell James that or risk being another person trying to keep him from his dreams. Her brother- would worry. He’d give up his Cali life for her in a heartbeat, Lita knew. So, she could never bring herself to ask. She couldn’t explain that tether tying him to her or how badly it ached when he moved away, but she managed.

Lita leaned against the balcony railing in nothing but a bikini top, knit sweater and a pair of ratty shorts. God, what she wouldn’t have given to rewind the last half hour,

She could hear the welcome–home party leaking out from the cracked balcony door, but she just needed a minute to herself before she could go back and face everyone. She only prayed no one had told James yet. One of her brother’s high school buddies had been trying to throw her over his shoulder into the pool when her sweater had lifted away. It revealed an ugly bruise over her ribs, and everyone had seen it. To their credit, they all acted as if they hadn’t. But the hat flush of embarrassment still stung.

She blew her tense air out into the breeze, lost in the quiet moment where she could almost forget what her life had become. Balmy night air swirled past her as the heard the balcony door slide open.

“No li

lies, what happened to your side, Lita?”

Janies. Of course, someone had already told her brother what they’d seen. It was a simple question, but it held all the undertones of a threat. He didn’t want to know what happened. He wanted to know who did it.

“Would you believe me if I said it was an accident?”

*Would you believe me if I said I already know who it was, and I just need to hear you say it and put the nail in his coffin?” His throat sounded strained, as if he were losing control of his notoriously terrible temper. How tembly stereotypical. Her brother was a professional fighter with a bad temper. In the ring, that temper was a strength. In the real world, it was scary and unsettling, “Dammit, just say it, Lita!” James barked, startling her enough that she dropped her party cup. She watched it splash into the sand below, feeling her heart go with it.

“If you already know, why the hell do you need to hear me say it?” She still hadn’t turned away from the sea. Too weak to face his opinion of her, her eyes already growing misty. This was a derailing train she couldn’t stop.

make

the ground, lata didn’t care. She couldn’t hear anything over the desperate thump of her heart. She

do thist Please don’t

No way I don’t break th and threw the car in reverse. She scrambled more fully

“It’s not… I don’t…”

hands.” The engine startled

Dieng of a Date

Why? All the times we talked on the phone, and you never said a thing.” James snapped, nearly screaming. “Of course, I knew the type of family he comes from,” James sneered, his distaste clear, “But you don’t care about shit like that Lita. You care about car

had no idea that her parents were in talks with his. That they were planning to use money and influence in their favor. She still didn’t know to what end,

were happy… And goddamn if I wasn’t happy as hell, you had somebody, you know? Even if it was that wannabe. That Alpha. As if he could lead his own pack. No one would follow him. And he’d die in a challenge with Asher every day of the week…” James trailed off, not making a lick of sense to Lita. She couldn’t stand to see him to so upset, so disappointed in her decisions. It had been her decision, right? She’d chosen this

“I was on

a line about how you thought you might marry that guy. An eighteen–year–old thinking about getting married should have been a big ass red flag for me. I gotta own that one.

answer him. She couldn’t think of what to say that wouldn’t send

to a stop at the red light. “You’re my family. My only blood family, sis. those other two. To hell with that den of vipers they call friends and colleagues. To hell with Asher and

Lita snapped, fury climbing up her throat. “I don’t let him do shit. He does it and I’m not strong enough to do anything about it, James! You think that makes me feel good? That my brother is looking at me like I’m scum?! He’s not always- Lita exhaled, tears springing into her eyes-“He used to be sweet, James, He took me on those long Sunday car rides. He

his voice taking on a roughness she’d never heard before. “Look at me.” She did, letting

You hear me? Lita felt the

James shook his head as if realizing he’d already blamed her once. “I’m sorry for saying you let him. That was the anger talking, the confusion. But

admitted, hanging her head. “I thought he liked me for me. I didn’t think he liked me for my family name of our

The moves they’re trying to make with Brian and his idiot of a father, go so much deeper than money and influence.” James eyes bunched, his face darkening, “I don’t know what the kind of shit mom is up to, but I’m getting you

thin tank to her skin. She swiped the hot tears, ignoring the damp spots on her pillows as she got up. On autopilot, she forced her body

But sleeping for nearly fifteen hours

and checked the rest of her messages. Mark had sent her a video of some sets he filmed himself doing. Lita rolled her eyes, pretending like she didn’t watch it twice more just to see if she’d

still couldn’t make sense of It was best to take a break from the gym and get through this mess with Brian unscathed. That would be

couple of hours later, Lita smoothed down the satin dress over her new stomach. It fell at

Dreaming of a Date

breasts and hiding her scars. Would Brian want her sexy? Would he want her dressed down? It