by Leann Ryans
He didn’t want her to choose him just because he didn’t want another Alpha around her, he wanted her to choose him because he really was the best. He had years of experience as a guard and could beat any of the others at The Haven in a fight. No one would be able to keep her as safe as he could.
It seemed to take forever before the weight of her gaze left him and she finally spoke up.
“Sounds perfect. Do you have the contract for me?”
Ethan carefully released the breath he had been holding, surprised at the relief coursing through him.
“Of course. Ethan, go ahead and pack your things. When is the court date?” Ms. Haranne asked.
“I don’t have one yet.”
Ethan could hear the regret in Penelope’s voice, and he tried to keep a lid on the anger building in him at whoever had hurt her and scared her so bad that she didn’t want to be in her own home alone.
“Assume she will need you for a month. Meet back here when you are ready,” Ms. Haranne said, dismissing him.
Nodding, he turned and left the office, almost jogging to his room to throw everything he had into his bag.
6. Penelope
Penny had been stunned when the Alpha first walked into the room. At least six and a half feet tall, the man almost had to duck to enter the door, and his shoulders were close to brushing the sides of the frame. His short dark hair and darker stubble framed a face that was intimidating even without his massive size, yet he was still handsome enough to draw attention from any hot-blooded woman.
Sneaking peeks at him from the corner of her eye as they discussed who would be the best Alpha to guard her, she couldn’t help but secretly wish it would be him. He had a presence that made her feel safe as soon as she laid eyes on him. There was no way Adrian would be stupid enough to mess with an Alpha like him.
Focusing on Ethan and Ms. Haranne, it seemed her wish was going to come true when he offered to be her guard. Taking a good look at him before agreeing, Penny almost said no simply because of the temptation he posed. She had decided a long time ago that she was going to use suppressants and never use the services of an Alpha, but just looking at him had her core clenching at the thought of what he could do to her.
Snorting quietly at herself, she pulled her thoughts together and finally responded. Temptation be damned, hopefully she wouldn’t need him around for long. Once Adrian got a good look at her new guard, hopefully he would back off and leave her alone.
When the Alpha left to gather his things, Ms. Haranne passed her a tablet, indicating where to sign the contract once she read it over. It was the usual legal jargon stating The Haven would not be held responsible for anything that happened during the course of the contract since the Alpha would legally be in her employ from the time he walked out of the front door, until he returned or the end of the term. Penny would have to handle any issues or costs incurred until she returned him and ended the contract.
Gagging a little at how much this was going to cost her, she signed and passed the tablet back.
“I know the court system can be slow, so if you need to extend the contract, just return before this one expires, and we can get a new one set up. You can also end the contract early if you feel you no longer need a guard.”
Nodding, Penny hoped there wouldn’t be any need for an extension. She wouldn’t be able to afford much more than a month of his services before her savings would be completely drained.
She was finishing up with the formalities when there was another knock on the office door. Ms. Haranne called out to enter, and Ethan stepped back into the room. Penny could have sworn that the temperature in the office went up a few degrees with his return.
Thanking Ms. Haranne, Penny began to stand but Ethan stepped forward, placing his hand on her shoulder. He was so much larger than her that his hand covered from her collar bone to halfway down her bicep.
“Don’t stand, I’ll push you out,” he rumbled, his voice deep and rough.
Goosebumps flowing across her skin, Penny simply nodded and relaxed back into the wheelchair. The scent of sandalwood surrounded her as he spun the chair, pushing her through the door that Ms. Haranne moved to hold open for them.
In moments they were walking out of the front door, Ethan pushing her wheelchair to the curb and helping her into the waiting AutoCab before tossing the black bag he carried into the trunk and climbing in next to her.
Penny had always thought AutoCabs were roomy, but with the Alpha crammed onto the backseat with her, there was a distinct lack of space. Trying to take shallow breaths through her mouth so that she wasn’t drowning in his scent, they sat in an awkward silence until she finally decided to break the ice.
“So, uh, have you always been a guard?”
Ethan’s head turned to face her, one eyebrow raising.
“No. Just for the past ten years.”
“What did you do before that?”
Still looking at her with a skeptical expression, he responded with, “Nothing in particular.”
Humming, her lips pressed into a thin line.
“Not a big talker?” she asked, raising her own brow.
A smirk pulled at the corner of his lips as he continued to watch her. In the office his eyes had appeared to be a light brown like hers, but now that they were flooded with natural light, she could see that they were actually a beautiful hazel.
“You didn’t hire me to talk. Most people prefer to pretend we aren’t there unless we are needed.”
“If I’m going to be trapped with you night and day for the foreseeable future, that’s not going to work. You’re a little big to be my shadow, and I already have one person skulking along behind me.”
A surprised chuckle rolled from him, filling the cab and sending chills down her spine.
“Okay, if you want to talk, tell me about your schedule. The more I know the better prepared I can be.”
Penelope grimaced before responding.
“Well, since I have been at the Force station all night, the plan is to go home and sleep for a while. If I wake up in time, I may do a few errands this afternoon. I usually like to get to the stores early, before they get crowded, and then make deliveries in the afternoon, but I don’t really have a set schedule. I do tend to go to certain shops frequently, but I can end up anywhere if I’m searching down a particular item.”
“So, your regular shops are where you will be more vulnerable.” Crossing his arms over his chest, Ethan said, “Now tell me about your stalker.”
Looking at Ethan now, Penny wished Adrian could see his face. That grim expression alone would have him tucking tail and running in the other direction.
“He’s a beta named Adrian. We dated for a little over a year before I got tired of the attitude and told him to leave. That was almost six months ago. He didn’t take it well. Made a few threats I thought were empty, but I was still uncomfortable staying somewhere I knew he had the access code, so I moved. Didn’t see him for a little while, but he knows the stores I frequent, and I guess that’s how he found me again.”
“And what happened yesterday?”
“I was walking between two of my usual stores, they put out their new arrivals on Tuesdays and I always go check them out first thing. When I passed a silver car parked on the side of the road, I didn’t think anything about it until the door opened just as I was about to pass by, and Adrian stepped out. He grabbed my arm and tried to pull me into the backseat, but I slipped free. When he reached for me again, I ran, but I ended up in a dead-end alley. Apparently running in heels isn’t the smartest idea,” she said waving to the large black boot on her foot.
“Anyway, an Alpha that worked in the building we were behind scared him away. Then, last night, I was watching a movie before going to bed, and when I passed my front door on the way to my room, I found a note laying in the floor. I assume he slid it underneath at some point after I got home. I know it wasn’t there when I came in. Basically, it said he had watched me the whole day and
proved he knows where I lived now. Said he would ‘see me soon’ to finish our conversation. I immediately went to the station, and once I was done there I got cleaned up and came to The Haven.”
Nodding, Ethan’s expression grew grimmer.
7. Ethan
He knew she was leaving out part of what had happened, but he figured if it was important, she would have told him about it. He didn’t expect her to open up to him about everything. Ethan couldn’t help but hope to run into her ex. Preferably without her, or anyone else, around. Due to legal constraints, he was limited in what he could do without repercussions, but he would make sure the beta never thought about Penelope again without pissing himself in fear.
Trying to keep his anger under control so he didn’t flood the car with aggression, Ethan clenched his fists and forced himself to take deep breaths. He had been taught from the time he presented as an Alpha to control himself, but that didn’t mean it was easy.
“Is there anything else I should know?” he managed to ask.
“I’ve been told I snore loud enough to shake the house and eat more than an Alpha.”
A surprised laugh escaped him. Shoulder’s relaxing as he stared into Penelope’s caramel colored eyes, it took a moment for him to free himself from their depths and respond.
“I highly doubt that’s even possible.”
An impish grin crossed her face as she ducked her head and peeked back up at him from beneath her lashes.
“I know! I’m far too adorable to ever snore! It’s completely un-lady-like.”
Chuckle rumbling his chest, Ethan studied his temporary employer. He was a bit surprised at how well she was taking what had happened to her. Considering the purple marks he had noticed marring the smooth skin of her throat, he would have expected an omega to be far more subdued, and certainly not cracking jokes.
“Speaking of food, I’m actually starving. I say we stop and grab breakfast before going to my apartment, if that’s okay? I’m not in the mood for the healthy crap at my house.”
“If that’s what you want to do, you’re the boss,” he said with a shrug.
“What do you like?” she asked, looking up at him as she leaned forward to type in a new stop.
“Don’t worry about me.”
Eyes narrowing, she typed something into the console before sitting back again with her arms crossed.
“Look, I know the stigma against Alphas and everything, but you could be stuck with me for a while, and I can’t handle the whole boss-client act. Or the stoic Alpha crap. You have thoughts and feelings, likes and dislikes, just like the rest of us humans. You can tell me you don’t like Chinese or cheese.”
Snorting, he couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips at her little tantrum. She was adorable though he doubted she was trying to be.
“What human doesn’t like cheese?”
“I know, right? That’s exactly what I said! They can’t possibly be human if they don’t like cheese.”
Penelope beamed up at him, seemingly over her tantrum just as fast as it started. Head spinning a little at the mood swings, Ethan wondered if it was just an effect of the lack of sleep, or if she was usually like this.
“I don’t like fish,” he offered.
Nodding, her smile continued, and he couldn’t get enough of it. It wasn’t something he was used to.
“Now that is perfectly normal. I don’t like most fish either. I like salmon and crab legs, but I can live without any other kind of seafood.”
“It’s supposed to be good for you.”
The dirty look she gave him had him laughing again. He couldn’t remember the last time he had laughed this much and was shocked at how easy it was with her.
“Kale is supposed to be good for you too, but you won’t see me eating that crap either.”
The AutoCab pulling to a stop outside of a small diner distracted him from what he was about to say. Telling Penelope to wait, he climbed from the car and came around to her side, opening her door as he scanned the sidewalk and what he could see of the inside of the building.
“The cab is set to wait,” she told him as she took his hand and swung her boot out of the car before carefully standing.
Her hand was smooth and warm, and he couldn’t help the image that popped in his mind of her holding a different part of him that was considerably larger in her small palm.
When she released him to limp towards the door, Ethan offered his arm to help her, shaking his head to clear the image. She smiled at him as she placed her arm through his even though he could see a blush rising up her cheeks too.
“Do you come here a lot? Would he think to check here for you?” he asked as he reached out and pulled open the door for her.
Penelope thought for a moment before she shook her head.
“I don’t think so. I’ve come here a few times, but not regularly enough for someone to look for me here. It’s too far from where I usually am at this time of day.”
With a silent nod, he walked her up to the counter and waited to be noticed by the staff. It didn’t take long, and soon he was listening to Penelope place her order, eyebrows raising at each additional thing she added on. By the time she was done she had ordered about five meals worth of food, and when her eyes moved up to his and noticed his expression, her cheeks flushed scarlet.
“I’m hungry, and I figured you would want something before I wake up again, even if you say you don’t now. This should get us through lunch,” she mumbled as she ducked her head back down to stare at the counter.
Shaking his head as he chuckled, Ethan turned back to watching the people in the restaurant and those passing by outside. No one seemed to linger or pay any special attention to Penelope, but it was still better to be alert than to let his guard down on a maybe.
It didn’t take long for the person who had taken her order to come back to the counter with three large bags straining around the containers of food crammed inside. Taking them in one hand before Penelope could even reach for the bags, he offered his arm to her again and they made their way back to the AutoCab.
The ride the rest of the way to her building went by silently with the scent of bacon and something sweet filling the car. He could hear her stomach growling as she shot glances at the bags of food in between her head nodding like she was falling asleep.
When the cab stopped outside of a small apartment building, small meaning it only had ten floors and took up a single block, Ethan jumped from his seat, snagging his bag from the trunk as he rushed around to help Penelope out.
8. Penelope
“It’s okay, you’re already carrying all those bags,” Penny said as Ethan held out his arm to her again.
“This is nothing. I could carry all this, you, and still run all the way to the top of the building. Probably wouldn’t even break a sweat,” he said with a wink and a grin that showed off his even, white teeth.
Chuckling, her eyes skimmed over the broad muscles of his chest and shoulders that she could see through the suit he wore. He probably was perfectly capable of what he claimed, and she couldn’t help the tingles in her core that followed the thoughts of what it would take to get him drenched in sweat.
Taking his arm, Penny hobbled into the building beside him, pressing the button for the rattling metal box to come pick them up. Stepping in, she turned and pushed the four, holding her breath as the elevator rose.
Looking at her with a raised eyebrow, Ethan asked, “Claustrophobic?”
“No, I just hate the, ugh, bounce there at the end when my stomach catches up with me,” Penny replied, placing a hand on her stomach as the feeling of nausea surged up her throat just before the doors slid open.
“Ah,” was his only response, turning his head to look down the hallway before them.
Directing him to her door, Penny dug out her card, sliding it through before typing in her code.
“Since you’ll be here for a while and may need to get in and out, I’ll have a card made for you tom
orrow.”
“There’s no need, I’ll never be going anywhere without you.”
Looking up at him as they stepped into her apartment, Penny felt a wave of peace flow through her. She didn’t have to worry anymore because he wasn’t going to leave her alone. He would be there to protect her.
Clearing her throat and looking away, she sat her bag on the side table.
“Well, this is it,” she said, moving down the hall to the kitchen.
“I’m sure you can tell what this is. I generally eat at the island or on the couch in the living room. You don’t happen to cook, do you?” she asked, looking up at Ethan with what she knew was a hopeful expression.
“Only minute noodles, microwave dinners, and other items that need nothing more than reheated.”
Smirking at her obvious pout, Ethan shrugged.
“Alpha-camps always have a cafeteria. Easier for them than providing every unit with a kitchen.”
Narrowing her eyes at him, she turned and used the wall for support to limp into the living room.
“This is the main area, feel free to make yourself at home. The guest bedroom and bathroom are down that hall to the left, my room is the door there on the right,” Penny said, pointing to each. “Now, let’s eat!”
With a grunt, she plopped down on the couch, sinking in a bit as she leaned back and swung her leg up to rest the boot on the coffee table. Eyeing her, Ethan sat the bags of food on the table before straightening back up.
“I’m going to go put my bag in the room,” he said with a gesture behind him towards the hall.
Penny nodded, already leaning forward to dig through the bags for what she had ordered for breakfast. It only took a few sniffs to follow the scent of butter and sugar to the container of French toast piled with powdered sugar, strawberries, and bananas. She figured if she was going to ruin her diet, she was going to go all out.
Not willing to get up to get a real fork, she grumbled under her breath about the crappy plastic one as she tried to cut off a bite of the toast. Moaning as the buttery flavor melted over her tongue, Penny scarfed down all four pieces and moved on to the bacon and eggs she had ordered before Ethan returned.
