Annie Nicholas: The Alpha

There were two sides to this man, the hungry beast who peeked from his eyes like when she popped her button, and the sweet gentleman who saved his virginity for someone special.

She’d be that person, no matter what it took.

The fireworks ended over the Chicago River. Spice and Eric watched them from the Signature Room on top of the John Hancock Center. The city sparkled below them. A busboy removed their empty dinner plates from the table, then refilled the wine glasses.

Spice’s smile lit up his evening. “How did you ever get such a great table on such short notice?”

“I know the cook.” Being an Alpha had some perks. Loyalty to pack members still ran deep, even in his large antisocial pack. It was something he tried to nurture. The head cook, being a member, offered him an open reservation as an incentive to find a mate.

“A man with connections.” She reached across the table and took his hand. Live piano music drifted through the room while she gazed at him across the candle-lit table.

This night couldn’t get more perfect. She wore a small, slinky black dress that left just enough flesh exposed to spark a man’s imagination. It clung to every rounded curve with spaghetti straps baring the white creamy skin of her shoulders and back. When they entered the room earlier, he couldn’t help but notice the stares she drew. His heart swelled with pride.

“You’ve changed so much.” She squeezed his hand. The statement hit a sensitive chord within him. He had changed a lot; he wasn’t even human anymore. How the heck would he tell her without her running away?

He’d always wanted her but never imagined he would get a chance to have and keep her. The fear of losing her grew each day. He swallowed around the lump in his throat and squeezed her hand back. “I’m not the only one. Two years ago you wouldn’t have given me the time of day.”

A wounded look came to her eyes. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, but you’re right. I learned some hard lessons while away.” She brought the wine glass to her lips and drank the dark red liquid until she emptied the vessel, then lifted the bottle to fill it once more.

“Where did you go?”

“I’m a firm believer that the past is behind me, and I don’t care to dwell on it.” She raised her glass again, but he placed a finger on the rim and stopped it before it reached her lips.

“I’ll let you keep your secrets if you let me keep mine.” He quirked an eyebrow at her and waited. They needed honesty for a relationship to work. If she couldn’t confide in him, then he wasn’t ready to take any more steps, no matter how much he wanted to fuck her.

“You have a secret?” She set her glass down.

“Yup.”

“Let’s hear it.”

He laughed and leaned back in his chair. “Ladies first.”

“Nobody’s ever accused me of being a lady.” She tapped a long, manicured, red painted nail on the glass’s rim. “Fine, I’ll go first but your secret better be worth it.” The wine made her cheeks rosy and her smile a little lopsided.

He grinned. Maybe he should let her finish the bottle. It could prove to be interesting.

She took a sip. “I went to Las Vegas and tried to make it as a dancer.”

He remembered Sugar mentioning something about Spice taking dance classes and getting a scholarship to a school.

“I bombed. The competition was too much. I ran out of money and met this guy…” She ran her finger around the rim of her glass and stared at the contents as if lost in the memory. “He made me feel special.” She smiled with a touch of sorrow. “I was a fool. He talked me into doing things I’m not proud of to make money.” She glanced at Eric as if waiting for him to prompt her for details. He didn’t need them. “Six months ago he introduced me to a vampire and I started to ah—work for him.”

Now he understood where her hostility toward Daedalus came from. The shame in her voice made him regret pushing her to confess. “Spice, I’m sorry. You don’t have to continue if you don’t want to.”

She sighed, then drained the glass of wine. “I need to finish now that I’ve started. I was his pet, something pretty to keep around and show off and use. Once I came to my senses, I realized there were two possible outcomes to living with a vampire, eventually getting killed by him or becoming one. I didn’t like my life and hated my future, so I ran.” She reached for the bottle with a shaky hand.

He took it and kissed her fingers. “Here’s to new beginnings.”

The trembles stopped and she met his gaze. Light from the candle reflected off the unshed tears in her eyes.

“I bet you’re a beautiful dancer.” He stood and came around to her chair, then offered his hand. “Show me.” They had the rest of their lifetime to get to know each other. He didn’t need to press for more info. Now, she would confide in him without worrying about judgment.

Her face transformed as she beamed up at him and took his hand. He led her onto the dance floor and hoped he wouldn’t make a huge fool of himself.

She twirled around him to the slow blues song and faced him with her hands on his chest. Her stiletto heels gave her more height and brought her rosebud mouth closer to his. He only had to bend at the neck and—

With a playful glint in her eyes, she stepped back and placed his hands on her waist, then rested her hands on his shoulders.

The waltz was the only dance he knew. It may have seemed odd with the music, but she never complained. She moved with grace in his hands, light as a feather and smooth as silk. She made a few adjustments to their steps and made it look easy and fresh.

He could have danced with her all night, but the song ended and she stepped into his arms and whispered, “I have a present for you at home. Let’s make it an early night.”

The instant cock salute those words produced made him a little dizzy, and he closed his eyes for a moment. He used her body as a shield as he shifted it to the side.

Her gaze followed his hand. She grinned at him and slid past him as she brushed her fingers over the bulge in his pants.

Mortified, he glanced at the tables but caught only a few stares. Most were envious ones. He rushed their waiter and paid the bill while she strolled by the windows, waiting for him. His beast wanted to scoop her up and have her as dessert right on the table. He needed to take a few deep, cleansing breaths and concentrate on making his beast sleep. If she meant what he hoped for, to consummate their relationship, then he didn’t want the creature to be part of tonight. The loss of his virginity was for him and Spice alone.

Spice squirmed the whole way home. Sharing her past with Eric was like a weight lifted from her shoulders. Suddenly she didn’t feel so alone. The meal, the talk, and the dance were perfect. Now the best part of the date could begin. Just the thought made her wet with anticipation.

Eric fumbled the keys as he tried to unlock the front door. A feral growl escaped him and made her jump. He glanced at her with alarm. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“No problem.” She stepped closer to him and took the keys from his hands. “Just promise to save it for bed, I liked it.”

She turned her back on him to unlock the door. The light poured out as she went inside the house. She looked over her shoulder and caught the glimpse of amber in his eyes. Weren’t they a chocolate brown?

He blinked and stared at her. The color she remembered returned.

The house sat quiet for once. No board game shouts from the living room or sports from Daedalus’s man-cave. Somehow everyone knew what she planned for tonight and apparently approved since they had given them some privacy.