The Silent Alpha (Natalia)

Chapter 8: First Sight

***Natalia***

Fk! F**k!

“KE V scream internally as I clock out and race out of the clinic.I’m going to be late!”

“Talia, wait!” Travis calls out as I rush past him in the parking lot.

Travis is a tall man with rippling muscles trying to break through his scrubs, with tan skin and the sexiest tattoos on his arms and chest.

He is the cute radiology tech every girl was pinning over.

But like every sexy man, he’s trouble; a known playboy who had all the girls in the clinic wrapped around his finger and for good reason too.

The man knew how to bend you over a desk and make you his slut.

“Sorry, Travis, but I’m late for picking up Dakota!” I call out breathlessly as I scramble to the bike racks.

“Doesn’t Sarah usually pick him up?” he chuckles as he trots over and watches me put on my helmet.

“Yes, but she’s out of town visiting family for a few days which means I have to pick him up,” I smile impatiently, unlocking the bike.

She was actually on business with some werewolves but I was not about to tell Travis that was running from her ex, a dragon King hellbent on dragging her back to his kingdom.

Being on the run, she and I both changed our names.

She was Sarah Davis while I was Talia Ramos.

“Well how about I give you a ride to the daycare center,” he says, giving me his mischievous grin.

“And then maybe we can talk about you going to dinner with me tomorrow night? Say 7 o’clock?”

I have to physically restrain myself from reaching over and smacking him over the head with my bike lock.

Travis and I had fooled around a few times before but I had always made it clear that this was just a business transaction.

No feelings, just a good f**k.That was the deal.

“Travis,” I sigh, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.

“We have a good thing.Don’t ruin it, please.I’m not looking for anything else,” I shrug unapologetically.

“I’m not interested ina relationship.”

“Oh come on Talia,” he smirks.

“You know I’m crazy about you…Look I know I have a reputation but I’m not lying.You’re amazing …different from every other girl in this God forsaken town I frown at him.Does he take me for an i***t? He is literally a walking red flag! “

“Travis, stop it.I’m not interested.”

“I could take care of you and Dakota,”

He murmurs, his finger grazing my arms and I shiver in annoyance.

“If you let me.Don’t you want Dakota to have a dad?” anyone to take care of me.

Dakota and I were just fine on our own.

Kota didn’t need a father.He had me…

“I’m sorry, Travis but I really have to go,” I shrug, pushing past him and climbing on the bike.

“will you at least think about it?” He shouts as I pedal away and I fail to respond.

Oh Talia….

I mutter to myself.

What the f**k did you get yourself into? I push aside my thoughts about Travis and try to figure out what to do with Dakota while I’m working my shift at The Masque.

The only other people I know are Micah and Niki…

.Does Niki work tonight? f**k i can’t remember.

I arrive at the daycare center, the parking lot completely empty by now.

I curse Mrs.Freedman, my last patient, for talking her head off during her visit, and hurry into the building.

Through the large glass window, I peer into the classroom and see my little boy hard at work on a coloring book, his little red backpack already on his shoulders.

My heart skips a beat as I watch him color, his eyes furrowed in concentration and his little brown curls hanging low over his forehead.

Sensing my stare, Kota looks up at me and smiles with excitement, closing his book and jumping out of his seat.

I rush into the classroom and get down on my knees, spreading my arms out wide to receive him.

He collides right into me, nearly “Mommy, what are you doing here?”He giggles excitedly.

“Where’s aunty Gwen?”

I push back his curls from his face and stare into his beautiful big eyes.

They were unlike the eyes of any other, one eye being a gorgeous shade of cerulean and the other being the envy of chocolate with swirls of brown and amber.

Heterchromia wasn’t all that common and my Kota’s eyes were the talk of the town when he was first born.He was the little blue and brown eyed boy everyone loved.

I hear footsteps behind me and smile apologetically at the frowning teacher.

patient today whom I could just

Mrs.Henry sighs heavily.

are very lucky

her

she says,

delight to have around and knows how to keep a lady

Mrs.Henry, for looking after him,” I

smiles back as I turn towards the

She

towards

“Yes?”

“Don’t forget that.”

my eyes to keep my tears in.It was my biggest fear to fail Kota.He deserved the world and

pushing the

Dakota down to the bike racks, forcing back my

didn’t need to

is aunty Gwen?” Kota asks as I set him down on the child

my love, is on a trip,” I reply, strapping

it’s just you and me for a couple of

gives me a cheeky

nuggets for dinner?” I smile at him as I

“Maybe,” I grin.

Niki’s voice

I sigh, praying to whatever Gods

tonight? Sarah is out of town and I need

a baby!” Dakota

a little man sitter,” I

could love that

I hop on the bike, Kota stretching out his arms to feel the

pedal to the outskirts of Poulsbo,

and change out of my scrubs and into an all black

in hell I was riding my bike

the living, his helmet

all by myself,”

unbuckle his helmet and put it

helping him back into his

to Niki and Micah’s tonight, okay? So

gives me a quick nod and I hand

pedal down to the town center where Niki and Micah

two coworkers

like me and Micah a bartender.I pull up

while I tie up the bike.How’s my

his chubby cheeks with kisses.She waves me inside and closes the

incredible smell fills the entire house and I look over into the small kitchen to see a tiny woman hard at work over the stove.She is no

admiring her beauty, blushing furiously

rude, I wave back and introduce

I’m Talia, Niki and Micah’s friend.” The

my bad,

our friend Agnes. She’s deaf

dead?!” Kota asks curiously, looking

doesn’t look like

I can’t help but burst out laughing at his

she’s DEAF and mute.It means she can’t hear you or speak,” I explain to him, ruffling up his

walk over to the

watches as I hook my two thumbs together and pull them apart, using my fingers to sign my name.I slide my palms across each other, then bring

brighten up as I finish and

to sign? Since when?

‘’I am Talia.Nice

I shrug.

work with a couple deaf patients and learned some basic signs to make them feel

to teach

us until they can get their own place

ask, looking around for

just missed him,”

me tell you, HE’S HOT! LIKE HOT, HOT! Oh Talia, you should see him with Agnes.It’s the most adorable thing

like a

Tal.Don’t be using your Latina charm on him!”

and shake my head at

” I sigh, grabbing my

for watching Kota for

calls out after me as I

of town, storing the bike in the racks directly behind the

where some of the town’s more prominent members liked

Why? Simple

The Dress Code.

building had to wear a mask to

flamboyant your local Halloween

No mask, no entrance.

The purpose was simple.

as they pleased without fear of being judged by the public and the staff, specifically the dancers, could work without being labeled as

was a win-win for everyone and it

who

drinks that were ordered, I knew some of the city council members were regulars and I could

put on a plain black masquerade mask and grab my uniform, going straight to the changing room

ranging from full body leather suits

bralette, a lacy black and white choker, a piece of black fabric I barely considered

completed the look and I

moments like these that I

and mentally preparing myself to fight off drunkards all night, I walk out to the club hall, the