Filed to story: Watch Me Win Alpha (Olivia & Ethan)
Alexander just proved everything I’d been thinking about earlier. Why did he always have to talk to me like that? I turned off the stove, ladled the soup into a bowl and grabbed a spoon.
I stomped back into the dining room and dumped the plate right in front of him.
He stared down at it for a long moment in complete silence. I’ could hear the antique clock ticking as he studied the soup.
I started bracing myself for another negative response from him, but then he said, “Well done. It smells really good.”
Yve wasn’t buying it though. “Thank you,” I replied, forcing a fake smile on my lips.
“You want some?”
No way. “I’m not hungry.” I still wasn’t over how he’d spoken to me earlier. I watched as he brought the spoon to his lips.
Everything about Alexander’s behavior tonight had gotten on my nerves intensely. My jaw clenched involuntarily as I replayed how he’d been so sarcastic while I changed his dressing. Or how he just mocked the soup I made for him.
Yes, it wasn’t anything grand, but I made it. That’s what mattered.
He swallowed the soup and looked up at me instantly. His eyes widened. “I’m sorry, Olivia.”
My frown deepened. “You don’t have to eat it if you can’t stand it.”
He shook his head frantically. “No, that’s not what I meant.” He looked up at me with a genuine expression. “I’m talking about the way I acted earlier. I was out of line.” Alexander turned his attention back to the spoon, lifting the spoon to his lips, again and again and again, until the bowl was empty.
“This is actually really good. Really. The flavor is perfect”
I tilted my head. Alexander was saying things I didn’t understand and I didn’t want to try. I shook the thought away and started to move to head back downstairs.
“Olivia, wait.”
I turned to face him slowly. He was looking directly at me now.
“From now on, you don’t have to deliberately avoid me. Wherever I am, whoever I’m with… if you want to come in, just come in.”
This wasn’t what I’d expected him to say.
“Even if there’s something between them and me,” he continued. “I won’t let it become gossip. You have my word on that!’
I was frozen in place. So that’s what he was really apologizing for. It caught me by surprise. I thought he was referring to the things he’d said when I first entered his bedroom to change his dressings. But now that he’d explained I started to understand him, and the rage slowly began to slip away.
His earlier anger now seemed somewhat justified to me. He’d thought I was backing down from my duties as a secretary. In his mind, I’d allowed personal discomfort to get the best of me and didn’t come in in time. And now he was making it clear to me that it was going to be okay.
I wouldn’t have to be subjected to any form of rumors. And as the anger finally slipped away, guilt quickly took its place. “I understand. Goodnight, boss.”
“Goodnight, Olivia.”
We exchanged a look, and then I made my way downstairs.
Alexander wasn’t exactly easy to be around, but at least he was willing to communicate and address misunderstandings. It was more than many Alpha’s would do, and that put me in a much better mood.
I was back in my apartment, cuddled between my sheets, in and out of sleep. But sometime in the hours before dawn, my phone buzzed. My eyes snapped open immediately.
*Olivia*
I was half asleep when I reached for my phone. It took a long moment for my eyes to focus enough so I could recognize the jumbled up letters displayed on my screen.
Alexander: Need you to come in for tomorrow’s shift. Can you make it?
I squinted at the words, my brain working overtime to understand. I slept off twice in that state. And after what I believed to be only a second, I woke up again and grabbed my phone without opening my eyes fully.
Of course, I began typing with muscle memory. I’ll be there, b-o-
S-S.
But my exhausted brain and fingers betrayed me and I hit the wrong keys. I typed ‘a’ instead of ‘o, the double ‘s’ became ‘b’ and ‘y’
Me: Of course, baby.
I pressed send without reading what I typed. The phone slipped from my fingers and my eyes began to droop again, luring me into a deep, deep sleep.
*Author*
Back at Alexander’s estate, Mike moved through the kitchen preparing the Alpha’s usual breakfast of steak, oats and orange juice.
Mike’s ears twitched at the sound of the grandfather clock ticking. His eyes drifted to the antique furniture as he took in the time. 7:00 am. By now, he should have heard the sound of
Alexander’s morning run. After that he would usually have breakfast and get started on work.
Instead, the Alpha was nowhere to be found.
At seven-thirty, Gai arrived as scheduled. “Where is he?” he asked, looking around with as much confusion as Mike.
Mike shrugged. “Haven’t heard a peep from upstairs. Usually, he’s already finished his workout by now!’
They exchanged glances. Alexander wasn’t one to break his routine, and now they couldn’t help but wonder what had happened.
Eight o’clock came and went. Then eight-fifteen. The breakfast grew cold on the warming tray as they waited.
“What do you think is going on?” Gai asked.
“Hell if I know. Perhaps it’s the injury. The doctor did say he needed more rest!””
Gai’s lips quirked up in a mischievous grin. “Or maybe our
Alpha decided to paint the town red last night. Hit up some of the clubs.”
“Not with that wound on his lower-back.”
Finally at eight-thirty, Alexander descended from the staircase.
Both Mike and Gai turned, taking in his tired face and the dark circles in his eyes. It seemed the Alpha had barely slept. Gai briefly wondered if his theory was the most accurate.
“Good morning,” Alexander greeted with a surprising cheerfulness in his voice.
Mike and Gai exchanged looks, and mumbled a quick, “Morning,
Alpha.”
Alexander wasted no time and settled down at the head of the dining table to have his breakfast. He dived into the food immediately, moaning in satisfaction.
“This orange juice, it’s exceptional this morning, Mike. Did you change brands?”
Mike blinked. “No, sir. Same as always!”
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?