Loved By The Alpha Leader

by Anastasia Chase

  “Sure, why not?” London shrugged, “I’d love to. I’m London, London Sawyer. How soon did you have in mind?”

  “You should know that I’m an exacting,” he paused as if to find the right word, “Being. When I see something I want I like to go for it … immediately. I’ll meet you here, tonight, eight o’clock.”

  “Yes, Sir,” London said with a hint of sarcasm. There was something inherently sexy about a man who can take charge.

  “Be careful or I’ll have you calling me that for the rest of our lives,” he winked and just as quickly as he came into the shop, he was gone.

  London felt her heart in her throat wondering about the handsome stranger, Maddox Grey. Those haunted brown eyes were seared into her thoughts. So much so, she hadn’t noticed when Tina walked into the shop.

  “Are you okay?” Tina asked, “You look flustered, and I don’t see Paxton’s truck, so what happened?”

  “Since last night? Everything,” London huffed. “I’m starting to think you may have been right about Paxton.”

  Tina’s eyes grew wide, shaking her head in disbelief, she grabbed her shoulder once again. It seemed like an awkward tick for whenever she was worried, or even scared.

  “I’m sorry,” she was near tears. With her eyes watering, she tried to speak, but it came out fairly broken, “What happened? What did he do to you?”

  London wasn’t sure how Tina could survive her days being able to cry at the drop of a dime, but she told her, “He didn’t do anything. There was something big, toothy, waiting for me in the alley last night and he saved me, again. But there are just too many questions. I did, however, meet this incredibly hot guy named Maddox. He’s coming back later to take me out. Asked me on an official date to discuss antiques and I said yes.”

  “Maddox?”

  “Yeah Maddox, Grey I think was his last name,” London nodded as if to reassure herself.

  Tina cocked her head to the side, “There’s no Maddox Grey that lives in Myre Falls, London.”

  “Oh please,” she scoffed, “How would you even know that? You can’t possibly know every single family that lives in town.”

  “I don’t personally, but working in the library, I manage a lot of the town records. There hasn’t been a Grey family in Myre Falls, since…” her voice drifted off as she rubbed her shoulder nervously again. “Just be careful, London.”

  Chapter 8

  London couldn’t help but frown as she glared at her slender frame through the antique mirror. Its bronze frame was chipped and there were plenty of scratches and patches in the mirror itself, but it was the only place London could get a full-length glance at what she was wearing. Simple jeans and a black t-shirt. She felt so heavily underdressed, but when she packed for Myre Falls, she had no intentions of meeting anyone, let alone going out on a date. With the time of Maddox’s arrival getting closer and closer, she didn’t want to waste time wandering around town looking for the perfect dress in a bunch of shops she was unfamiliar with.

  A deep sigh escaped her lips as she continued turning side to side, checking every inch of her silhouette, hoping it was sexy enough.

  “You look great,” Paxton practically whispered from the back door.

  Clutching her chest, London whipped around to see him standing there with his hair effortlessly cascading around his shoulders.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” she shook her head backing away from him, “Listen, I don’t know what your deal is, but you can’t keep doing this… this… this pop up and pop out. I’m not Lois Lane and you’re not Superman! You can’t just swoop in and save the day time and time again, leaving me with all of these questions! And where’s your bandage?! That cut will get infected!”

  “Relax London,” Paxton grinned as he took steps closer to her. She wondered if he knew she was going out with someone else. Perhaps he was there to save her again. But what kind of mistake was Maddox Grey to be saved from?

  “I just came by to apologize,” Paxton told her, “There are things about me, about my life that I’m not quite sure I can explain to you right now, but I wanted you to know that what happened last night, between you and I…”

  “What? You’ve never done anything like that before?” she cut him off sarcastically. “Listen, I get it. I’m the new girl in town. You’re the resident bad boy, no one wants me to be around you or even like you, but I’ve been defending you and outside of you saving me I don’t have any idea who you are Paxton. You don’t owe me any apologies. You don’t owe me any explanations. You don’t belong to me. How about we slow down on the mind blowing make out sessions and just work on being friends and getting to know each other?”

  Paxton moved so close to her that if she took in a deep breath her nipples would press against him. His hands took her face, shifting her gaze up directly into his eyes, “Is that what you really want? For us to be, just friends?”

  Her heart began pounding against her chest. Her pussy twitched with lust and desire. Of course she didn’t want to be just friends!

  “Until we know each other better,” she told him with her breath faint, her pulse racing, and her eyes desperately trying to avoid his.

  He fixed her face to stare at him again, “You don’t want that.”

  London swallowed hard as Paxton bent down to kiss her again. She melted under his touch. The passion was raw and like nothing else she’d ever felt before. He scooped her up onto the counter while his hands roamed all over her body. Removing her top came far easier than London realized as the roughness of his hands grazed her soft skin. Her breasts weren’t huge but they were the perfect fit into his palms. Rubbing them, squeezing them, tugging tightly at her nipples, Paxton played with her body as if he knew every spot that would bring her to climax.

  His lips moved down from her mouth to her neck. London finally got to run her fingers through his luxurious hair and it was even softer than she imagined. It almost felt like fur as she gripped his locks between her fingers. He growled and lashed her body harder with his tongue. She could only imagine what it would feel like everywhere else, but this is precisely what she didn’t want.

  “Paxton,” she moaned, panting, trying to catch her breath from the smoldering passion between them, “Paxton we can’t.”

  He stopped immediately, pulling away from her as if they weren’t a pair of jeans and panties away from fucking on the counter … again.

  “Wow, you stopped,” she brought her arm across her exposed breasts wondering how Paxton was able to get her topless so quickly.

  “Of course I did,” he eyed her crazily, “You said we can’t. I will never force you, London. I want you to be mine, but there are things we must discuss first. I’m glad you stopped us. It’s the only way I can. I lose all control around you.”

  “I’m going out with someone tonight,” she blurted out. She wasn’t sure if the look in his eyes was that of disappointment, hurt, or worse; anger. London found her bra and shirt

  “You’re free to do as you wish,” he swallowed back his anger. “Just know that in due time, you will have all of the answers to everything. I just can’t tell you right now. I know I’m putting you in danger by coming around so often, but I can’t be without you and soon, I promise, I’ll be able to tell you everything.”

  “I don’t do secrets, Paxton. And what the hell are you into that I’m in danger around you when I’ve never felt safer? Paxton please, just tell me what’s going on.”

  “Soon,” he promised her with his eyes intense. He kissed her again, lightly this time, “Enjoy yourself tonight, but remember, whether you realize or not… you do belong to me.”

  Before London could say anything else, he left through the back door.

  “WHAT THE HELL!!” she cried out in frustration. Her fists pounded the wooden counter in a flying fury. There was never anyone she’d ever encountered to rile her up like Paxton Christian. Just when she was ready to give up on him and let it go, he’d come and leave his mark.

 
It took her several minutes to calm down. Checking her reflection in the mirror, he’d left his mark alright. There was a spot on her shoulder turning redder by the minute. She fixed her bra and shirt over it so that it wouldn’t be noticeable, but it was pointless.

  “Enjoy yourself, HA!” she mocked him as she attempted to hide the hickey. “Maybe he did it on purpose!”

  London remembered several occasions where Terry had left hickeys in unmentionable places when she was just going out with her friends. He’d tell her they were love bites, but deep down she knew he was marking his territory. But somehow, this redness seemed different. Paxton wasn’t just marking his territory, it felt deeper than that.

  However, just as London gazed at her reflection once again, the mark disappeared. That hit her harder than she expected. It felt like she’d lost a piece of Paxton. His words rang loudly in her mind as sorrow ripped through her body, You do belong to me.

  The bell chimed over the door when Maddox Grey stepped into the shop some time later. Paxton was long gone but the feeling he’d left London with lingered far beyond his departure. It felt wrong. Everything about this was wrong, but against her better judgment, London forced a smile.

  “You look beautiful,” he smiled. There was something sinister behind his glare but London kept waving away her angst and hesitations.

  “Thank you.”

  “Are you ready to go? I have something marvelous that you really should see,” he held his hand out to her.

  London wanted to choke back tears. Maddox Grey was handsome and hadn’t done anything to deceive her but somehow she wished Paxton were there. Her heart pounded, her pulse raced, but she was determined not to let Paxton ruin a potentially wonderful evening. So she took a deep breath and let Maddox lead her out of the shop.

  Chapter 9

  “If you mark her, she’ll die,” Fang whispered to Paxton. They were perched on the top of a rooftop near the edge of town, watching the handsome stranger and London walk away from the antique shop.

  Paxton wanted to ignore him but he couldn’t, “I don’t think she will. How did you know?”

  “You’re increased rounds near the shop. Not to mention her musk is practically dripping off of you. You’ll ruin her life,” he insisted. Fang replaced Cameron as the two still couldn’t see eye to eye on protecting the humans, but Paxton knew if they didn’t there would be a much bigger problem on their hands. Fang huffed as he continued to watch and listen, “She’ll bleed to death before you even finish.”

  “There’s a way around that,” Paxton told him. He wasn’t sure how, but there were stories of it being done. He just hadn’t seen it up close and personal.

  “Perhaps,” he sighed, “But certainly baiting her will not go over well either. Those human females are emotional about things like that. They don’t like being used for anything they don’t know about.”

  “I know, but it’s the only way to get him out of his wolf and into the open so we can hear his plans,” Paxton told him.

  Paxton was absolutely certain that the rogue wolf was the one who attacked London the night before. His scent was undeniable. He tracked it back to the shop when he couldn’t help but go inside. She was standing there. Jeans and a t-shirt were simplistic, but still aroused him far more than he wished to admit. Taking her out of them was even more breathtaking.

  Fang moved slowly, inching his way toward the edge of the rooftop sniffing the air with his eyes darting around in every direction, “We should move soon. He’s leading her toward the falls. How do you know he’s going to tell her his plans? Doesn’t that seem a bit odd?”

  “It’s odd, yes, but I don’t think he’ll tell her, I think he’s going to use her to get me out there alone. Then we’ll see what he truly wants.”

  “If that’s the case, then I’m pretty sure what he wants is your territory. But when was the last time an alpha was challenged for power? Not since…” Fang’s voice trailed off.

  Paxton nodded his head, “Yeah, not since Marcus. Most of the territories have been passed down willingly, like this one here. I don’t think he’d take it even if it was given to him. But we’ll see.”

  “You’d better hope she doesn’t get hurt in the process. It will be your fault if she does. You put her in the middle of this,” Fang said nonchalantly.

  Paxton’s growl let him know that he’d spoken out of turn. He whimpered and stepped behind him, letting Paxton take the lead as they began to follow London and her date through the park and into the woods.

  *****

  London was awestruck by the beauty of the mountains in Myre Falls. The Park was a magnificent display of nature at its finest. Maddox had been talking to her about various points of the town as they walked by. She wondered how he knew so much if Tina was absolutely certain he wasn’t from around there.

  “So how did you land in Myre Falls?” she asked him finally.

  “My mother grew ill, and passed away,” he told her solemnly.

  “Oh I’m sorry,” she instantly regretted opening her mouth.

  “It’s okay, it happened a little over a year ago, but I’ve been here settling her estate. That’s why I wanted you to come see a few things she’d left for me.”

  “You’re an only child? What about your father?” she questioned. All she could hear was Tina’s voice in her head, reminding her that there hadn’t been a Grey family in Myre Falls for a while.

  Maddox shifted uncomfortably. It was easy to see he wasn’t used to being questioned, but he appeased London anyway, “Yes, I’m an only child and my father died before I was born.”

  “So you’re all alone?” London instantly felt sorry for him.

  “I wouldn’t say that, but I like to think of myself as a lone wolf anyhow. It just fits me you know?” his sinister grin was more than London could take. Looking around she couldn’t see any parts of the town anymore. There was nothing but trees and the sounds of the forest around them. Her instinct was telling, screaming, for her to get away from him. However, there was still a piece of her that didn’t want to believe the stories Grandpa Sawyer and Tina stood so firmly on.

  “So how are you liking Myre Falls?” he asked her. Maddox simply walked beside her with his hand clasping his wrist behind his back, as if he were trying to restrain himself.

  London forced herself to calm down, “It’s growing on me. Met some nice people. But honestly, I’m just looking forward to getting back home. Speaking of home, you know what? I think it might be better if you just bring in whatever items you have to the shop.”

  “Oh come now, you’ve come all this way. My mother’s house isn’t too far from here. She didn’t exactly mesh well with the people in town so it’s a bit off the beaten path here.”

  London was still uneasy, unsure of whether to believe him or not. Fortunately for Maddox, a cottage came into the clearing a few hundred feet ahead. He smiled, pointing out to it which made London relax. However the closer they got to the small wooden shack, the more Maddox’s attitude tensed and changed.

  “So how many nice people have you met?” he sneered.

  “Um, not many. I haven’t been in town long, just a few days,” she shrugged.

  Maddox stopped walking and turned to her. The expression on his face was no longer friendly. It was leering and agitated, “Come now, come now, be more specific.”

  “Um,” London’s eyes began darting around in all directions. Trying to figure out which way to run and talk to him, while keeping a straight face was far more difficult than she imagined.

  “Stop it!” he grabbed her by the shoulders, “You’re here with me and I know who you’re waiting for. Now let’s skip the melodramatics and just have him join this party.”

  “I don’t know what or who you’re talking about. Please just let me go. I think there’s been some sort of misunderstanding here,” London rattled frantically.

  “A misunderstanding fifteen years in the making. Now call him!” he demanded, his voice more ferocious, and his prese
nce more threatening than she ever knew was possible. Brown fur began to pierce through his face, fangs lengthened and he then just as soon as he began to shift he stopped and shifted back.

  London’s brown eyes grew wide with fear as she stood there stunned in silence. Her lips moved but no words came out. Maddox scared her speechless.

  “For crying out loud! You’re fucking useless!” he tossed her like a rag doll onto the ground.

  It was only the sound of her own body hitting the forest floor with a thud that finally gave room for her voice. She screamed with terror dripping off of every syllable, “PAXTON! HELP ME!”

  “Atta girl,” Maddox winked back to her.

  London could only use one arm and her legs to pull and push herself away from Maddox. The sound and sight of his bones breaking and reforming was something she wished she’d never witnessed. But the color of the fur erupting all over him was undeniable. The sight of the wolf from when she drove into town, to the one waiting for her behind the shop … it was him the entire time. Tina and Grandpa Sawyer were right about the existence of these creatures. She’d put herself in danger, but they were wrong about Paxton. It wasn’t him she had to worry about … it was Maddox Grey.

  Chapter 10

  The sound of London’s cries, riddled with fear, tore through Paxton like a tidal wave demolishing a small village. His heart nearly stopped, but listening to the cold cowardly voice of the man with her, sent him running to her aid. Fang could barely keep up as they both ripped into their wolves. Full speed toward the cottage by the falls.

  Paxton galloped leaps and bounds ahead of his pack member trying to get to London in time. Fang let out a howl to signal the rest of the pack where they were headed. By the time Paxton reached Maddox, he was standing in front of London, claws scratching at the dirt, teeth glaring in the rising moonlight, and eyes trained on the alpha he was obsessed with taking down.