Alpha Hero

by Terry Bolryder

  “It’s on!” Drake said excitedly, heading toward the caged practice arena in the center and getting inside.

  “What’s this all about?” Jordan said under his breath to Senna while Drake waited eagerly in the ring.

  “Oh, I thought we were just compatible in bed, so a little kiss from someone else shouldn’t be a problem, should it?” she whispered, arms folded.

  Jordan sure as hell wasn’t going to lose to someone like Drake Sibley. It was the principle that bugged him. The fact that Senna seemed so eager to write him off.

  “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be back for that kiss before you know it,” Jordan murmured, strutting toward the ring. As he walked, he threw off his shirt and put on a pair of MMA gloves that were in his pocket. Jordan was still wearing the shorts from his workout this morning, so that wasn’t a problem.

  He hopped in, closed the fence door that led into the cage, and turned to face Drake.

  “Whenever you’re ready,” Drake said, putting up his hands.

  A small group of fighters that had been training just a minute ago were now crowding around the ring to watch. Thankfully, it was raised, so Senna would have a clear view.

  Jordan walked straight toward Drake, his movements fast and intentional. Drake threw a roundhouse kick. Jordan ducked back, then leapt forward, driving his fist into Drake’s jaw. Drake flew against the side of the cage, rattling it, and then dropped to the floor, unconscious.

  There was no applause from the group of spectators, only a hushed gasp and then murmuring. Jordan left the cage and walked over to Senna, standing right in front of her. She looked up at him, agape at what he’d done to his teammate.

  In the background, Jordan could hear Ken’s voice swearing as he climbed into the ring to check on the downed fighter. Ken would be angry later, but it had been Drake’s idea after all, so he wasn’t worried there would be any long-term implications. From the feel of it, Jordan had only knocked him out, not even breaking his jaw. Though part of him wished he had just for hitting on Senna.

  “I want that kiss now,” Jordan said sternly, towering over the much shorter but still unmoving woman.

  “A word, Jordan. In private,” Senna replied. The crowd’s attention was gradually shifting to the two of them. He picked her up and carried her to the back of the dojo and down a short hall that ended with a back room away from the view of everyone else. Then he set her down.

  “Here, we’re in private. Are you happy now?” Jordan said, leaning toward Senna, determined to take the kiss he was still angry she’d offered to Drake.

  As he got closer, he realized she was furious too, but he had no idea why. He’d fought for her. He’d won, and now he’d take his prize.

  He reached for her, bringing her up on her toes to slant his lips over hers, feeling no resistance from her either way, and then he felt a sharp pain in his lower lip and pulled back, glaring at her angrily.

  She’d bitten him, and she looked damn proud of herself too.

  6

  “What the hell was that for?” Jordan stepped back angrily. “Dammit, you could have just said no!”

  “What is wrong with you, Jordan?” Senna asked forcefully. “First you knock out one of your teammates, and then you try to take me like some kind of prize?”

  She was so frustrated with his mixed signals. Sure, she was disappointed he wasn’t the type to commit, but she’d gotten used to it. And yes, she shouldn’t have agreed to the kiss as stakes for the fight, but she’d been frustrated.

  But Jordan was being so dense, and it infuriated her to no end that he’d try to act like she was his when he apparently wanted no such thing.

  “You agreed to it,” he said, frustrated.

  “It was impulsive. But I wouldn’t have done it if I knew it meant you were going to knock the living daylights out of your new team member,” she said. “I thought you’d learned a little restraint in our time together.”

  “Drake is a complete tool. Did you not see the way he was ogling you back there?” Jordan asked, shoving a hand through his hair in frustration.

  “That doesn’t mean you needed to come carry me off like some caveman. It’s not like you have any claim on me.”

  Senna let out a slow breath of frustration, and Jordan’s eyes narrowed slightly as he studied her thoughtfully.

  “Is this really about the fight or something else?” he asked.

  Senna plopped down onto a stack of old mats, her adrenaline fading and leaving her tired.

  No point in lying to him.

  “It’s just… Why are you being so protective of me when we’re not even in a relationship? You said it yourself,” she said, looking up at him.

  “Just because you and I aren’t dating doesn’t mean I want you kissing other men,” he replied, sounding puzzled.

  “Yeah, but that’s what I don’t get. Why do you have a right to be jealous over me?”

  “I don’t know. I guess we shifters, along with preferring women with luscious curves, also don’t take too kindly to other men making advances on the woman we’re interested in,” he said.

  “Interested in? What does that mean?” she asked, shaking her head. “Look, there are a lot of things I don’t know about shifters and all of that, obviously. But shifter or not, I need to know where you are in this whole thing. You’re sending seriously mixed messages.”

  Jordan paused for a long moment, thinking seriously. Silence permeated the small storage room. She could hear muffled voices from the dojo, but she kept her attention on Jordan.

  “I don’t know,” he said finally.

  “What do you mean you don’t know? What kind of an answer is that?”

  “It means I don’t know. I don’t want anyone else kissing you, touching you, or even looking at you. Just the thought of it makes me furious. But I’ve also been a lone wolf for such a long time. It’s hard to let someone in,” he said solemnly.

  Senna just watched him, his eyes showing tiny micro expressions of pain and confusion.

  “So what next?” Senna replied, standing up, her arms still crossed.

  “I say we finish our time together and see what happens.”

  “That’s not good enough for me, Jordan. I don’t want to sound clingy, but if you’re not sure if you’re interested or not, then we’re probably better off keeping our distance from each other. It will make things a whole lot easier and whole lot less complicated,” she said, exasperated.

  To be honest, Senna wasn’t sure what she wanted either. And if Jordan had come straight after her, she probably would have flat-out run away. Just the thought of being with a man again terrified her. Of being that vulnerable, that close to someone who could hurt you if they wanted to.

  “If that’s what you want, then I’ll respect it,” he said, walking toward her, her back turned to him. “But in the meantime, I think you should make good on that promise of yours.”

  Senna turned to see a pair of deep reddish-brown eyes peering at her intently, mere inches from her face. Just being this close to him, the air instantly heated around her, like someone had turned the thermostat up twenty degrees.

  “Surely you must be joking,” she choked out, her voice catching in her throat at the sight of the gorgeous man so very close to her. She could make out each defined muscle across his abs and chest and shoulders. His dark hair was still perfect, un-mussed from the two-second match with Drake.

  “I take promises very seriously I’ll have you know,” he said, his full lips teasing her with each movement.

  He inched ever so slightly closer to her, towering over her.

  “Well, make it a quick one, then,” she tried to retort but caught herself licking her own lips in conflicted anticipation. “I won’t have people saying I’m not a woman of my word.”

  “How honorable of you,” he said, putting his hands on the wall behind her, caging her in on all sides. She could see the tattoos on his arms, could see desire burning in his eyes.

  He brought his li
ps over hers in a powerful kiss that rocked her to the core. It reignited everything she’d felt for him since last night. His lips were warm against hers, and as he opened his mouth, hers instinctively followed suit. As his tongue slid inside her, her entire body heated with a burning passion for him all over again.

  Senna knew this was crazy. But it felt so good, so right, she couldn’t resist. What could one last kiss hurt?

  His tongue moved inside her mouth, slowly stroking her with agonizingly controlled motions over the most sensitive spots. Each small movement made her gasp as he held their lips together tightly with his, anchoring and surrounding her with his powerful arms.

  Senna had no clue how long the kiss lasted. It could have been two seconds or two minutes for all she knew. But when Jordan finally pulled back, she could see more than just desire in his eyes as they watched hers. His lips were red and slightly swollen from the kiss, and she wanted to pull him back to her and pick up where they left off.

  “I’ll wait for you in the main room of the dojo, to drive you home,” he said silently, then pushed off the wall and walked away, not looking back.

  Senna felt her lips, like the whole thing had just been a waking dream. Everything about this confused her. Did Jordan actually want her or not?

  Regardless, whatever it was, it was clear her body still responded to him. She took deep breath, straightened her blouse, and headed back inside to get her things.

  As Senna came back inside the dojo, she saw Jordan speaking with Ken. Ken was clearly furious with him, but between looking attentive and nodding disinterestedly, she could feel Jordan watching her as she crossed the dojo, his gaze possessive and intense.

  Senna went into the office where she, Jordan, and Ken had met earlier to grab her purse, but when she reached for it, she found a small note poking out of the center.

  She picked up the note and opened it. The handwriting was small and in bolded letters.

  I’m watching you closely. I’m coming for you soon.

  I’ll be there when you least expect it.

  Senna could feel her jaw tightening as she read it a second and third time, then looked on the back to see if there was anything else. No signature. No address. Nothing.

  Senna froze up, her hand locking around the small piece of paper. Her mind began to flood with fear and terrible memories.

  So she wasn’t crazy. It had to be her ex who’d been watching her this past week. He had even been here, in this very room, at some point. The thought unnerved her, and she looked around her frantically, wondering if he was still near. The possibility of it freaked her out.

  She scanned the dojo but saw no sign of him. Only unfamiliar faces of fighters and random news people loitering around or chatting with each other.

  How he had snuck into the dojo unnoticed and put the note in her purse while she was there, she had no clue. He’d done things like this before, but this was too far.

  Her thoughts were interrupted as Jordan walked into the room, looking exasperated at the berating he’d just received.

  “You ready to go, Senna?” he asked. His gaze turned from tired to confused as he saw Senna’s face and the note she clutched in a still hand. “What’s wrong? What’s this?” He took it and glanced at it before she realized what he was doing. “A note from a secret admirer?” He unfolded it as she stared in horror.

  She didn’t know when or if she was planning to tell him.

  It wasn’t like there was anything he could do.

  As he read it, his expression turned unbelievably dark. The paper crackled as he crushed the note in his hand, and he seemed to need a moment to compose himself.

  “What is this? Who gave this to you?” he said, voice tight with anger and concern.

  “I… It was just here in my purse. I’m not sure,” she tried to eke out, but her throat was tightening.

  “Has this happened before? Is someone following you?” he asked, sounding more angry. Clearly not at her, but at whoever had left the note.

  Senna had nobody else she could tell. Tiffany was on the road right now, and she’d already told her family and other friends in the past and received no help from them. No one could really do anything about someone who hid like a creeper but never showed their face.

  Still, Jordan had found the note, so she might as well tell him what she thought was going on.

  “Yes. I… I think it’s my ex-boyfriend from years ago. He stalked me before. It’s just… he hasn’t for a long time…” She trailed off, words escaping her.

  “Why didn’t you tell me about this earlier? I could have helped.” He watched her with concern, his eyes dark and his brows lowered.

  “I didn’t think he would come back.” Her own words scared her. The thought of it was too much to bear. She suddenly felt eyes all over her, watching her. Like she was standing in the middle of a crowded room and everyone was observing her every movement, judging and hating and wanting her all at the same time.

  She whirled around wildly, trying to find whoever it was that was looking, but found no one.

  “Hey, you okay?” Jordan asked, gripping her softly by the shoulders and holding her.

  “I… I don’t feel safe here,” she could hear herself murmur.

  “Let’s get out of here. I’ll take you back to the house,” he said, picking up her purse and bringing an arm around her to usher her out of the room discretely. “When we get back, you can tell me the rest, okay?” he said.

  His words, along with the touch of his hand on the small of her back, soothed her slightly, and she went with him out to the car. She could still sense someone was watching her, but as long as Jordan was with her, she felt safer.

  “Will you stay the night?” she asked as he opened the car door for her.

  “Of course. After that note, I’m not letting you out of my sight,” he said, his words sincere. He hopped in and started the engine.

  As they prepared to drive off, Senna felt like she could still sense the person who had written the note was nearby. And now that she knew she was part wolf, she was much more willing to trust her instincts.

  She closed her eyes and counted the seconds until they would be safe indoors again.

  * * *

  Jordan hadn’t seen this coming. He’d noticed a couple of times, especially when they were out and around crowds, Senna had acted strange or slightly spooked. But until now, she’d never given him a reason to believe it was anything more than something similar to his dislike of crowds or her just having an “off” day.

  As they drove up to the house, Jordan saw Senna was paler than a sheet. He came around to her side of the car and picked her up, closing the door with his leg and carrying her inside the house. He locked the door behind him and then carried her up to her bedroom, laying her down carefully on the soft bed and pulling the blankets around her.

  She was starting to look less frightened than she had in the dojo, but Senna was still clearly shaken by the note she’d found in her purse. Anyone would be. Jordan burned to know more about the situation that had her this frightened, but didn’t want to make her panic again by forcing it.

  “If it’s too hard to talk about right now, that’s okay,” Jordan said. He was still figuring out his own feelings for Senna. He knew he wanted her, knew his wolf wanted her, but didn’t know if they could really work out or not.

  But he would be damned if he let anything happen to her. He’d protect her with his last breath.

  “No, you need to know. You’re involved in this now, whether I like it or not,” she said, sitting up in the bed, looking tired but strong at the same time. Strong because she’d clearly been through tough things in her life and had come through them because of her inner strength. Jordan admired that.

  “It was one of the reasons I went into working PR for myself. I needed to travel, needed to be somewhere new every month, needed to have an irregular schedule so he couldn’t find me. But it looks like he did regardless,” she said, looking down at her trem
bling hands in her lap.

  “Who?” Jordan asked.

  “And it’s been years. I thought it was all over, that I could put it all behind me,” she said, continuing her own thought.

  “What happened?” he asked, wanting to be persistent, but not pushy. She was obviously going through a lot in her head right now.

  “He was my first real boyfriend. We met while we were in college. I was working on my marketing degree back then. Everything seemed so perfect at first. And I felt so lucky because before that, nobody seemed to notice me.”

  “That’s ridiculous. You’re the hottest woman I’ve ever met, Senna.” He wasn’t lying.

  She chuckled disbelievingly. “Be that as it may, until him, I didn’t exactly have boys lining up at my door.”

  There was a long pause. Jordan remained standing but kept his hands in his pockets so he wouldn’t fold his arms and start pacing. Whoever this man was, Jordan knew he hated him with everything he possessed for what he did to make Senna feel like this.

  He wanted to protect her, which meant right now, he just waited and listened.

  Senna took a deep breath and continued. “Everything felt so right at the start. We both graduated, and I got a great job at the marketing firm that worked with the MMA leagues. I moved in with him. We even talked once or twice about getting married.” She paused again, and Jordan could see tears starting to well up in her eyes.

  “You can stop if you need to,” he said, kneeling down next to her.

  She didn’t. “But then it changed. He changed. I don’t know what triggered it. Maybe because he had a hard time keeping a job. Maybe it was because I was doing great at my job. But whatever it was, he started to get angrier with me. Whenever we talked, we fought. He started tearing me down emotionally whenever he had the chance, like he was trying to break me.”

  Hatred welled in Jordan’s heart. Hatred for this man that, if he ever had the chance to meet, he would break like a toothpick without a second thought.

  “I tried to break it off before things got worse, but he got clingy. Told me he needed me more than ever, even on the same days he would torture me verbally. I finally moved out, with Tiffany’s help, but he wouldn’t let me go. He’d follow me around town. He’d wait outside for me after work, try to reason with me and get back together with me. It was too much. It started affecting my work. So when I was given the opportunity to work freelance with a low-tier fighter, I jumped on the chance to leave my job and my routine and find a new life.”