Filed to story: The Alpha’s Pen Pal Book
It’s also because I project my own desires onto every interaction we have, hoping to get a glimmer of returned affection. It doesn’t matter though. Even if he finds me as attractive as I find him, that’s all it is. Lust.
When I cannot return to sleep, I groan again and toss the heavy duvet off, dragging my body into my bathroom to get ready. It’s another day of training for me at Silver Ridge, training with my usual group since I’m banned from warrior training.
“Stupid Alpha Dickhead,” I mutter to myself as I pull my hair into a bun on top of my head.
We still haven’t spoken. I’ve been to Crescent Lake two more times since Saturday—on Sunday and Monday—and done all my scheduled trainings here at Silver Ridge since the day I invoked my challenge, and Dominic has not said one word to me.
Not that I mind. We both needed time to cool off after our confrontation. I
did poke my head into his office while passing by it on Sunday and noticed he’d gotten a new desk, so that must have been what he destroyed when I left his office last Tuesday.
I finish lacing up my shoes and leave my apartment, heading into the kitchen for a quick breakfast. Kevin, the packhouse cook, is there, whipping up fruit and kale smoothies for a few other trainees from my class.
“Want one?” he asks, and I nod, sitting on the far left barstool at the counter.
“Haven’t seen you around much lately,” Blake says, plopping down on my right, sweaty and pink-cheeked from her training. “Have you been getting your kicks with Cookie Monster Beta?”
“No,” I say, huffing out a laugh and shaking my head. “Just training with him. Getting ready for my challenge in a week.”
“You don’t need the extra training. You’re going to kick ass, and Alpha Dominic is going to eat his words.”
Kevin slides my smoothie to me. “Thanks,” I tell him, taking a sip. “I know I don’t need the extra training,” I say to Blake. “But it also doesn’t hurt, you know?”
“Just don’t overexert yourself. The last thing you need is to get injured before the challenge.”
“Don’t worry, I’m being careful and taking care of my body. And Reid knows what he’s doing.”
Her lips twitch, and she winks at me. “Oh, I am sure he does.”
I drop my head into my hands and groan. “I can’t with you.”
“You love me,” she teases. “Oh, Double D sighting.”
I glance up and sure enough, Dominic and Dawson stroll in through the kitchen door, bringing a sweep of frigid air with them. Dawson scans the entire kitchen, semi-glaring at the warrior trainees who are milling about before our class. But Dominic locks his eyes on me.
Great. Guess we’re not avoiding each other anymore.
“Morning, Alpha. Morning, Beta!” Blake says from my side, waving at them like she didn’t spend the last two hours in training with them.
Dominic doesn’t acknowledge her, but Dawson’s lips twitch, and his eyes light up for a moment as he nods at her before going back to his angry beta face. “Outside!” he says. “Time to train!”
I stand from my stool and move with the others, but Dominic steps in front of me. “Can we talk? Please?”
“I have training to go to,” I remind him, gesturing at the door.
“I already told Dawson and Conor that you’ll be late.”
“Even before you asked me if I wanted to talk?” I say, crossing my arms. “I guess that shouldn’t surprise me.”
He sighs and rubs his face, his shoulders dropping and his spine curving. “Taryn, please. I’m trying to apologize,” he mutters.
I swallow and look over his shoulder where Dawson stands in the doorway, his eyes on Dominic and me. His brow raises. I nod at him, and he leaves, the door slamming shut behind him.
I stare at Dominic again, my arms still crossed, waiting. Blake’s fingers drum on the countertop behind me, her plastic water bottle crackling as she plays with the lid and the label.
Dominic’s eyes flick to her and his mouth opens, but she cuts him off. “Well, I have somewhere to be so I can do something important, so I will talk to both of you some other time. You know, when I’m back from wherever I’m going and done with whatever it is I’m doing while I’m there.”
The kitchen door opens and shuts, and her footsteps fade. Dominic’s eyes move back to me as he takes a breath. “I am sorry. I’ve been an ass to you. I shouldn’t have banned you from warrior training, and I shouldn’t have commanded the pack to not help you prepare for your challenge.” He strokes his jaw, his hand on his hip, and I wait, brows raised. “Hell, I shouldn’t have made you start from the bottom of the ranks when you first moved here. I don’t know why I did. I can’t even remember why, and it’s bugging the shit out of me.”
“You were just doing what you thought best for your pack.”
“That’s a terrible excuse. Other alphas have done far worse for that same reason,” he says, and I press my lips together. “I lifted the alpha command on the pack. And you’re welcome in the warrior sessions whenever you want. Even more than twice a week.”
“Thank you.” I blow out a breath and my head tilts to the side, eyebrow raising. “You’re not just saying this to keep me from going to Crescent Lake anymore, are you?”
He crosses his arms, mirroring me, and shakes his head, a small laugh leaving him. “No, Taryn. I’m doing it because it’s the right thing to do.”
I nod and reach to touch his arm. “Seriously, thank you.”
“I really am sorry, Taryn. For everything.”
He holds my gaze, and I swallow, staring back at him. We stay like that, my hand on his arm, our eyes on each other, and for a moment, like a break in a violent storm, he’s the male I fell for, the male I spent most of my days with and almost every night with. He’s the male who occupied all my thoughts and fantasies, the male I thought I’d spend the rest of my life with.
But the space in my mind and my heart he left behind is filled again. Piece by piece, Reid has taken over, leaving no room for anyone else. Even though he’s off limits, even though he doesn’t want a mate, he’s all I can think about. He lives rent-free in my head and my heart, and I’m unsure how to cleanse him from my system.
What happens when the challenge is over? When I’m a warrior here, and he’s the beta there, and we have no reason to see each other anymore? Will I forget about him? Do I even want to?
Dominic uncrosses his arms and puts his hand on my shoulder as he walks away, giving it a squeeze like he used to do when we were a thing. “I’ll see you later, Taryn,” he says as he exits the kitchen.
I stare after him as he leaves. The door swinging on its two-way hinge mimics the tug of war in my heart with every day that passes, with every moment that pushes me closer to saying goodbye to Reid.
TARYNMy mind is in turmoil when I show up at Crescent Lake in the afternoon to train with Reid. He dominates my every thought, and it’s difficult to focus on anything else.
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?