TWO

    The low lights could only cast a light gold shine through the thin veil of smoke. Alecia took a deep breath and the scent of cigarettes filled her.

    She waved a hand in front of her face as the smoke traveled through her. A cough pushed from between her lips. Her hands flew to cover it.

   

     Helen shook her head, chuckling. “Come duckling. You’ll get used to it.”

     Helen  led her through the crowd gathered for the party, introducing her to one person after another. The living room was packed with people, holding beers, drinking and swaying to the loud rap music on the screen. So many people here were some important person’s child. The long list of senators’ and CEOs’ children amazed her although she knew Carli uni was populated with such people. The street and yard surrounding the house was packed with Bentleys, Lamborghinis, Tesla's, cars she could only look at from a distance. She had known rich people attended her school, but she had never imagined how rich they were. Between rushing off to class, doing community service, and sleeping, she had not had the chance to really see the stuff her fellow students were made of

    Helen grabbed a beer and a bottle of water. She passed the water to Alecia and popped open the beer, taking a long sip. In the distance, a young man held the hand of a girl dressed in a skin-tight red dress as he led her up the stairs. They laughed and swayed, lost in their own world. This was not her definition of tame, but so far no one had tried pressuring her into anything; she was clearly fine and would be able to maintain a friendship with Helen without breaking her vow to her parents. Her mother was obviously wrong, but all she had done in school was study to be a teacher, and Helen needed more than academic stimulation.

    She glanced at the girl next to her with the inviting smile. No, she needed companionship and this girl provided her a chance for that. 

    Helen chuckled again and took Alecia’s hand, leading her to a leather couch. So many young men’s eyes followed her. Did they find her beautiful, with that fragile innocence Helen had said she had? She sat next to Helen on the couch and took a small sip of her water. The cool liquid did nothing to moisten her dry throat.

    “She’s easy,” Helen said, pointing to a girl off in the distance, who laughed and swayed against a dark haired boy’s chest. “She’ll find someone else tomorrow.”

     Alecia nodded as a drum beat plummeted through the air, introducing a new song. She flinched - one hand squeezed the edge of the couch.

    “You are out of your world, Puritan.” Helen shook her head. “I’ve got a lot of teaching to do.”

    "Yea, I guess.” Alecia tapped the top of her bottle.

     There was a commotion, as most of the young men around started a two line chant.  She followed their gazes. A young man with dark brown hair that fell just over his forehead and was parted to the sides walked to the group holding a beer. Alecia's mouth dropped open as something swelled in her. How handsome. Like an like a Greek Adonis. He had a perfectly formed face with high cheekbones, a strong jaw line and pale gray eyes. Tall and slender, with broad shoulders that displayed nothing but strength.

    Alecia lowered her gaze and peeked at him from under lashes. 

The rest of the men whispered around him, and for some reason she could not understand, Alecia felt a blush heat her cheeks. All around her, everyone seemed to be gravitating towards the man who had stepped in 

      He shouted out a line from the song with the rest of the crowd chanted, his untucked blue dress shirt flopped with his movements. His lips moved in a smooth, elegant rhythm. 

     “Who’s that?” she asked Helen.

     "That’s the Alpha himself, Ryder Hendrix. future senator of California,” she said, rolling her eyes.

    Alecia laughed.

    Helen bent to her ear and whispered, “ Apart from being an alpha, father is the most powerful lawyer in the country and probably the world. But, he’s a dog. I recommend staying away from him.”

    "Oh.” Katie’s stomach dropped. Her mother always warned her about boys like him, and even a werewolf at that, nevermind an alpha. Best to push any future thoughts out of her mind. 

     "He and his friend Lucas….” Helen pointed to another boy in the group with cropped short black hair. “Once got a whole pledge class drunk and talked them into stripping in front of the house.”

    Alecia raised her eyebrows, one more reason not to join the protected. “He’s going to have some youthful indiscretions to explain away.”

    "His father will just make it all disappear.” Helen snapped her fingers, and Alecia wondered how many crimes that had been made to disapear simply because he was a powerful alpha. She looked at the handsome man and shook her head. What a pity. She would have loved to get to know him. He looked like the type of man she’d always dreamed of. One similar to the heroes in the romance novels she had read so often, but those men had been human . . . . or at least, that was what the books said.

     The Alpha looked at her and their eyes locked, making her heart leap. Alecia blinked. He smiled as if he was sending her a private message. Maybe he was.

     Ryder left the group and walked towards them. Was he coming to speak to her? She reached for the couch and squeezed the cushion. 

He  was! What would she say to him? How could she refute his attention? Her mother’s words echoed in her mind: a pretty face didn’t mean a pretty soul. Yes, ignore him like Helen had  said. She looked to the side as he stopped in front of her. If he said something she would speak in a few words as possible. 

“Hey Helen,” he said, his voice smooth and inviting.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ryder reach for Helen’s hand. “Come dance with me, darling.”

     Helen’s eyes lit up. She placed her hand in his and let him lead her back to the dance floor. Ryder placed one hand on her hip, and stood as close to her as he could, holding the beer behind her shoulder and moving her hips in time with his as he continued to shout out the words.

Apparently, Helen didn’t follow her own advice to avoid the Alpha, but instead looked at Ryder as if he was her groom. Alecia shook her head, and glanced at the front door. Would Helen notice if she left? But that would be rude. Very rude. And one didn’t leave a friend without at least saying goodbye. She’d just leave as soon as she was given the opportunity. 

     When the song ended, Ryder turned back to the group of young men. Helen walked up to his side and placed her hand on his back, but he didn’t even acknowledge her as he talked. He even stepped from her so her hand would drop. Alecia chewed on her bottom lip, pulling it over her top teeth - the flavor of her bubble gum lip gloss filled her mouth. What kind of game was he playing with Helen? But Helen did say he was a player and he was playing her now. Would she be offended if Alecia pulled her away from him before he hurt her? If she only knew the girl well enough to gauge how she’d react.

    The Alpha chuckled at something and then glanced back at Alecia, their eyes connecting again. Her stomach turned and her pulse quickened, as he once more gave her a sensuous smile that reached across his face. He took one long sip of his beer, and left the group, heading directly for her. He was coming to her! This time for sure. 

    Alecia closed her eyes tight, and hoped to heaven that she would have the strength to resist him. She opened her eyes just as Helen fled the room, swiping a hand across her face. He had hurt her badly. Now she had another reason to dismiss him. One didn’t entertain men who hurt their friends.

     She pushed on the couch to stand, but Ryder sat beside her; his hand touched her shoulder, pushing her down and sending something sharp through her. His arm slipped on to the top of the couch just above her shoulders. He was so close the clean, fresh smell of his cologne floated around her. She took a deep breath and turned to face the Alpha and his sensuous smile. Oh heavens! he looked better up close. Not a blemish covered his face. Small beads of sweat dripped from his forehead, and collected on his brow drawing out his dark blue eyes. Of all the girls here, he had noticed her, but his intentions couldn’t be pure. Surely, a young man like him, a werewolf would already have a mate picked out for him by the moon goddess.

    "I’m Ryder.” He held out his hand. Alecia looked away towards the closed front door. She needed to follow her friend, but a pull she didn’t understand kept her in her seat. Something smooth and cold ran against her cheek. His finger ran to her chin and stopped on the cleft, turning her gaze back to him. His eyes roamed her as if he studied every inch of her. 

     "What’s your name, human?”

     " I was having a better time alone.”

     Ryder laughed and looked up at the ceiling, shaking his head.

“What does your father do?” He touched a strand of her hair with his free hand and curled it around his finger.

Katie’s cheeks warmed. “My father works at a car wash, and my mother is a teacher,” she mumbled out. 

     "So you're here on a scholarship?"

     Alecia nodded.

     Ryder placed his hand on her shoulder and pulled her towards him, leaning into her. His embrace was strong, warm, and all too capturing. “I like intelligent women.”

    What did that mean? Her stomach churned. She could throw up at this moment. 

    He leaned in closer to her face

She pressed her hands on his firm chest and pushed back. He leaned in towards her lips. 

“Come on, girls always let me steal a kiss.”

    But not her. She reached back and smacked him on the cheek. The sting permeated her hand. Pushing from his arms, she rushed out the front door.

    Helen was nowhere around. Had she left her at the party? But why would she do that? Weren’t they friends? But she had been crying and probably needed to get away quickly, thinking Alecia was safe. She rushed towards the street that would lead her to her dorm. 

    " babe, wait a second.” She glanced back. Ryder jogged towards her. She walked 

faster, focusing on the pavement.

     "Hey, where you going?” he said, taking her arm.

    She tugged her arm from him. “My room.”

    He arched his eyebrows. “You’re going to walk?”

“Yeah.”

He took a step closer to her, and stared straight into her eyes. “Pretty things like you shouldn’t walk alone at night.”

    “I don’t care.” She crossed the street with him at her heels. She stopped and faced him when she got to the other side. “Ryder, if you think I’m going to sleep with you; give up.”

    He bent his head to the side and dug his hands deep into his pockets. “I just want to walk you home.”

She shook her head as she took off towards her  room with him following her every step. He tried to talk to her, but she ignored everything he said. She wanted him to leave, to get the hint, but then again there was something exciting, and satisfying about having a young man, an Alpha like him chasing after her like she was a precious princess he wanted to capture. She needed to stop reading those clean romance novels. He wanted one thing and would be gone tomorrow. 

When she got to her dorm, she unlocked the front door as he leaned on the side of the building. She opened the door and turned to face him. “Bye, Ryder.”

     “No thanks?”

     She walked through the door, slamming it behind her. There was his thanks.

 

   Through the window, Ryder watched her walk up the stairs. She wasn’t worth it. He turned to leave and made his way back across the  campus. So the pretty little brunette went here. She didn’t seem like Carli state material. He dug his hands into his pockets. The girl had such pretty blue eyes. He loved the innocence in them. An experienced girl’s eyes wouldn’t have widened when he’d sat next to her. No, there was something special about that girl. He should try again and take a different approach. Every girl had a way he could reach them.

Once at the house, Ryder got into his car. Lucas could find his own way home. He didn’t feel like waiting around, so his friend could pick up some trash. He drove back to his apartment, clenching the steering wheel. His hands were starting to get jittery. He needed something and he needed it fast. That girl had unnerved him. If things had gone right, she would be next to him right now and tonight sleeping beside him. But he shouldn’t have thought that. A girl with that much innocence in her eyes wouldn’t have come home with him. She’d probably had sex once, and only with a steady boyfriend.

    He drove up to the gated apartment. His hand shook as he punched in the number, tapping the steering wheel. The gate slid open and Ryder sped through. He parked his car and raced up the steps to his apartment. If Lucas had used all the drugs up, he’d kill him. 

When he got to his apartment, he went to his bathroom, grabbed a black bag and sat on his bed. He took out a needle and a small bottle. He filled the needle halfway before tying the rubber around his arm. He should have been a doctor. The needle slid easily through his skin. Minutes passed and the jitters slipped from him. There, he should be fine.

    The next day, he would find out who this girl was. He pushed himself from the bed and snatched the baseball bat from the side of the wall. A couple rounds at the batting cage would help.

    He drove off to the cage, placed his base ball hat firmly on his head, letting it push his bangs down over his eyes. He heard the chant of the crowd, shouting his name, the roar when the runners came running in. He grimaced. It was for the best even if it wasn’t his idea. His father knew what was right. He was the Alpha after all.

     Everything must be controlled – order must be maintained. People must live the lives they were born for and he was not born to be a ball player. But still just one second. Just one second more. He stood at the plate, hitting the pentagon on the ground before raising the bat over his shoulder. One, two, the ball flew at him and he smacked it into the net. It would have gone over the fence like they usually did. He had a deep drive to keep hitting, letting the passion play out. Maybe someday he’d bring that brunette out here and let her see how talented he was.