The Alpha’s Contract by Taylor West

I call for the bill and the waiter that had tried to convince Neah to get some wine hurries over. His cheeks are already the colour of beetroot. He could barely look us in the eye. Neah presses her lips into a thin line but I see her shoulders jigging up and down as she tries not to laugh.

As we walk to the car, Neah links her arm with mine, almost pestering me like a small child, asking me where we are going.

"You will see."

I drive for another hour or so down to the coast. It had been a long time since I had been here. I used to take Jenson and Raven all the time when they were little, but as they grew up, the trip became just for me. A place where I could clear my head. A place of peace as I listened to the sea crash along the sand before it dragged itself out again.

It had been almost four years since I had been here.

Nesh is silent as the car comes to a stop. She slowly unclips her seatbelt and leans forward on the dash, smiling at the waves.

"The beach." She whispers

while, but I thought you might appreciate it as

been." She starts pulling off the trainers. Excitement flooding

out of the car before I have a chance to say anything

sand as she stares up at

at me, she smiles and stretches out her hand in my direction.

feet away. Nervousness radiates from her. It was different, new and not something that was purposely trying to cause her

out a small giggle as

she turns around to face me, laughing as a wave crashes into the back of her legs, sending

She looks up and down the deserted beach. "The boys will

used to bring me here. Before the twins came along. To teach me about the power of the ocean. After he died, I tried to do the same with Jenson and Raven, but they missed

my arms around her, holding her flush to my

had to