How to Meet your Alpha

by C. E. Black

  I would have been fine with mundane. I had no problem with dating humans and had done so in the past. But recently, I hadn’t felt that rush. My past three dates had ended with a chaste kiss and a quick goodbye. My last one had questioned me relentlessly about my vampiric life and asked me to turn her.

  Right. I couldn’t stand the half an hour I’d spent with her. Why the hell would I give her immortality?

  “It passed down from my grandmother,” Denise blathered.

  I cleared my throat and tried to focus on her words. Something about a Book of Shadows.

  Hang on. I’d heard that phrase somewhere before.

  “My grandmother bound our powers as children, so I didn’t actually learn I was witch until recently.”

  This sounded eerily familiar.

  “My two other sisters and I share the book, learning the spells passed down to us. It’s up to us to rid the world of demons.”

  Christ. I closed my eyes and drew in a long breath. That was the premise of the popular television show, Charmed. My date actually believed the show was based on her life? Astounded, I sat there and listened as she continued to babble. Eventually, her words all sounded like one long noise. Staking myself suddenly didn’t seem so extreme anymore.

  When she stopped for breath, I lifted my hand and signaled the waiter. He bustled over, his eyes darting between the two of us. I couldn’t blame him. Here I sat in my blazer and button-down shirt, holding a glass of wine, while she sat across from me in a tank top and low-riding jeans, twisting her frizzy hair around her pinky.

  “Sir?” he asked.

  “The check, please.”

  “Check?” Denise leaned forward, resting her ample breasts on the table. “Are we leaving?”

  “I am,” I said, matter-of-factly. “You…can do whatever you like, so long as it isn’t with me.”

  Harsh, I know. But I had little patience for imposters. Maybe she genuinely thought herself a witch. Maybe it was all a game. I didn’t know and didn’t care. All I wanted was to get the hell out of here and find a nice bar where I could drown out the stench of her rank perfume.

  “Rough night, huh?” a soft voice murmured next to me.

  The absolute worst. I nodded and glanced over, my brow rising at the sight of a tall brunette leaning against the bar next to me. This one seemed to possess a level of class Denise had utterly lacked. A shockingly red dress hugged her curves, accentuating the plump swell of her breasts. A man-killer dress, perfectly designed to turn someone’s head. Except, some people would argue I wasn’t a man. And right now, I was inclined to believe them. All that lovely pale skin wrapped up in a beautiful dress, and I wasn’t interested.

  She blinked her long lashes at me, drawing attention to her startling blue eyes. But a single glance told me they were fake. Hard to fool someone who could count the craters on the moon.

  “Buy me a drink, handsome?”

  From the smell of it, a few different men had already bought her drinks tonight, then taken her out for a test drive. Their sweat clung to her like a cloud.

  “No, thanks.” I grabbed a frosted beer bottle and lifted it to my lips. My tastes generally ran sweeter, but the moment I’d stepped foot inside this dingy hellhole, I knew sweet wouldn’t cut it. I had every intention of drowning my miseries.

  “Come on, sweetie. It’s one drink.”

  I lowered the bottle onto the counter and turned to her with a hard stare. “And I said no.”

  She blinked, honestly surprised I’d turned her down. I could practically hear the gears turning in her head as she tried to come up with a response. After a moment’s hesitation, she scoffed and flipped me the bird before stomping off in her six-inch heels.

  Shit. I hated dating and everything about it. Especially the looking part. And whenever I asked a friend to set me up, I ended up with someone like Denise. Some nights it felt like there weren’t any decent girls left in the world. All I wanted was someone reasonable and down to earth. Someone intelligent and witty. And beautiful, of course. Someone who excited me. Surely that couldn’t be too much to ask for?

  “Ugh.” A wisp of a woman slammed her purse down onto the bar next to me and released an exasperated sigh. “Stupid men. Stupid cheating men. Stupid, ridiculous, idiotic men!”

  Wow. Sounded like someone was having a worse night than me.

  She ran her hands through her hair and huffed, then glared at the bartender. “Tequila. Double. And a beer.”

  He nodded and reached under the counter for the bottle.

  “Jesus,” she muttered. She stuck her nose into her shoulder and grimaced. “I stink like shrimp. Just…great.”

  She did. But since she looked about ready to snap, I didn’t comment. Not that it stopped my light chuckle.

  The woman lifted her head and pinned me with a pair of piercing green eyes. They narrowed on me, a flash of gold swelling over her pupils. A shifter. Wow, hadn’t expected that.

  “Is this funny to you?” she asked. “I’m standing here reeking of shrimp and tacos, and you’re laughing?”

  “Sorry,” I offered. “You’re right. That was rude of me, and I shouldn’t laugh. I’m having a horrible night as well.”

  “Good,” she announced matter-of-factly. But a single breath later, her cheeks flushed and she ducked her head. “I don’t mean that. Look, can we just…” She shook her head and squared her shoulders. “My name’s Kate.”

  Kate. I liked that. Simple. “Bram.”

  “So, you’re having a rough one, too?”

  I took another pull from my beer and nodded. “Blind date.”

  She winced, her face softening as she peered up at me. “Ditto.”

  Aha. “Well, tell you what, Kate.” I pulled my wallet from my back pocket and withdrew a twenty. I handed it to the bartender. “Your drinks are on me.”

  “Really?” She stared down at the tequila, her mouth pursed. “Thank you.”

  “No problem. You look like you could use it. You, ah, also might want to visit the bathroom.”

  “What? Why?”

  I cleared my throat. “You have…shrimp in your hair.”

  Her hand flew to her crimson locks—a color I didn’t often see on women. So deep and lush. I wondered if she’d dyed it, but she lacked that tell-tale chemical scent.

  She rooted around near her scalp in search of the offending crustacean.

  “Other side,” I commented.

  “Where?”

  Biting back a smile, I reached over, plucked it from her hair, and offered it to her.

  “Oh, that’s just gross,” she sighed. She turned those beautiful green eyes up to me. “My date. Married with kids. His wife didn’t appreciate finding us together at the restaurant.”

  Damn. And I thought my evening had been terrible. “So, he threw shrimp at you?”

  Kate laughed into the palm of her hand, the sound loosening something in my chest. I actually liked it. Like little bells chiming my ears. Not overly loud or annoying. Just this cute chuckle that made me want to hear it again.

  “No, his wife. She decided to dump an entire plate on my head.”

  “Rude.”

  Kate nodded, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Right? I didn’t know he was married. That’s what I get for trusting my mother.”

  I shot her a stunned look. “Your mother set you up with a married guy?”

  “In her defense, she didn’t know.” Her thin brows knotted. “At least, I hope she didn’t know!”

  “I’m sure she didn’t.” Not that I had any clue. But it soothed Kate’s worries.

  Her shoulders rounded and she plopped down on the chair next to me, eying her drink. “What about your date?”

  “Oh, you know. The classic story of a woman who believes she’s a witch, but really, is just insane. She actually hissed at me.”

  “She…hissed at you?”

  “Yeah.” I shook my head, then pointed at my chest. “Vampire. Guess she thought it’d be amusing to growl at me.” />
  “She did not growl at you!” Kate laughed, her hand coming to rest over her heart.

  “Yeah, like…” I lifted my fingers to my mouth and bent them into fangs. “I mean, is that how the world still sees us?”

  “I don’t know,” she said, still chuckling. “Mine literally asked me if my hair color was real and if it, uh, matched everywhere.”

  Holy shit. “No way.”

  She nodded. “Humans, right?”

  “Definitely.”

  She eyed her drinks, her finger tapping against the counter.

  “You gonna drink those?”

  “Working up the courage.”

  I smiled behind the lip of my beer, then nodded toward her shot of tequila. “You actually like that stuff?”

  “That’s rich coming from a guy who drinks blood.”

  I choked on a laugh. “Fair enough.”

  She sucked in a breath, then steeled her nerves and tossed back the shot. I watched, amusement curving my mouth as her face screwed into a tight knot. The moment she swallowed, she slapped a hand down on the counter and coughed.

  I grabbed a lime from the closest tray and offered it to her.

  She popped it into her mouth and slumped back onto her stool. “Worth it,” she muttered around the slice of fruit.

  I definitely found watching her worthwhile. The alcohol rushed right to her head, her cheeks flushing with warmth and her eyes sparkling. I liked her. Which wasn’t something I often said these days. Liked her spunk without wearing two different colored shoes. In fact, her entire outfit seemed modest. I especially liked her long flowy skirt. It suited her denim jacket. Though, the blouse beneath did seemed stained. Likely from the shrimp incident.

  “I don’t suppose you’d want to get a table?” I asked, gesturing toward one of the booths across the bar.

  She lifted her chin and met my gaze with a soft smile. I liked that she didn’t seem afraid of me. Sometimes shifters and vampires didn’t get along. But she didn’t seem to care, and neither did I.

  “I would love that. Why don’t you get us a table, and I’ll pop into the washroom and clean up a little.”

  Pleased with her response, I grabbed our beers and headed toward the back corner.

  If we were lucky, maybe we could salvage the night.

  3

  Kate

  “Kate… Don’t screw this up!” I shook my finger at my reflection in the mirror, then gripped the counter and leaned forward to get a closer look. I’d gotten as much of my dinner out of my hair as I could. The top of my dress hadn’t fared as well. The stubborn orange stain just above my left breast had me groaning. I looked silly. Damp hair, stained dress… And my makeup was long gone. I would have to seduce the man with nothing but my personality.

  I laughed at myself. I had to. There I stood, looking like someone who’d been involved in a drive-by taco fight, and all I could think about was how to get a man to go home with me. Not just a man, I reminded myself. A vampire. I sighed. My family wasn’t the most open-minded when it came to the darker supernaturals. However, when had I ever cared what my family thought?

  When you went out with a married man because your mother asked you to?

  I rolled my eyes. “That’s different,” I murmured aloud. First of all, as much as I wanted to wring her neck, I was a hundred percent sure my mother did not know Harvey was married. Secondly, I hadn’t been seeking approval. Finding a man on my own hadn’t worked out, so I figured… A little help couldn’t hurt.

  So, no kowtowing to my family was happening here. And now that we had that settled, back to Bram.

  I sighed, the gaze staring back at me in the mirror softening. He was a vampire. No, that wasn’t right. One conversation, and I could tell he wasn’t just any vampire. He was a Vampire with a capital V. That’s right ladies… Tall, dark, and handsome. I’d shivered a little when he’d spoken to me at the bar. That deep, sensual voice of his could be used as a deadlier weapon than the fangs I hadn’t had a glimpse of yet. And the cherry on the lickable man-sundae? So far, he sounded… normal. More normal than anyone I’d run across in months. Heck, maybe even years! The man was a walking miracle!

  I narrowed my eyes at my reflection and said once again, but much more sternly, “Do not screw this up, Kate. And he’s waiting while you’re in here talking to yourself.” Gripping my purse, I squared my shoulders, gave my hair a shake, which did nothing to help, and nodded at my reflection. “Let’s do this.”

  Whipping around, I almost ran into the woman coming into the bathroom. “Excuse me.” I made to move around her, but she stopped me.

  “Hey, aren’t you with that gorgeous vampire in the corner booth?”

  With one hand on the door, I gave the woman a wary glance. “Unless there’s more than one vampire out there, then yeah, I am.”

  “Might want to hurry back to him, then.” She went to the sink and opened her handbag, pulling out a tube of lipstick. “The vultures are circling.”

  While she applied the deep burgundy color to her dusky lips, her meaning sank in, causing a surprising zap of jealousy. “Ah, thanks,” I told her.

  She shrugged her shoulders. “Hey, our kind have to stick together, right?” She smacked her lips before giving me a wink, her hazel eyes flashing gold. My nose twitched, the scent of her wolf suddenly noticeable. I hadn’t been paying attention.

  Grinning, I winked back, leaving her chuckling as I raced to save my date. As I rounded the corner, I witnessed a statuesque brunette making herself comfortable next to Bram. He, on the other hand, looked anything but. The brunette leaned into his shoulder, her head tilting at an odd angle as she apparently tried to bare her neck.

  “Do I smell desirable to you?” I heard her say. “Does my blood call to the deepest darkest parts of your soul? Maybe I’m your brand of heroin. Why don’t you give me a try?”

  Is this chick for real? I rolled my eyes so hard I swear I saw the inside of my skull.

  “No, thank you,” Bram said politely. “Please, I’m waiting on my companion for the evening. If you would just—”

  “Lady,” I interrupted as I slid into the opposite side of the booth, “You smell like cheap perfume and cat litter, and I doubt your blood will taste much better than that.”

  “Hi,” Bram said, catching my eye.

  “Hi,” I replied back, both of us smiling.

  Mesmerized by his blue eyes, it took me a minute to realize the woman was leaving. She slid out of the booth, her shoulders slumped and her eyes downcast. A pang of guilt hit me square in the chest… Apparently, my words had struck a nerve.

  “Look, I’m sorry,” I said to her softly. “I didn’t mean what I said.” Though she did kind of smell like cat litter. “It’s just that my date told you no politely and you weren’t taking the hint. Maybe lay off the theatrics a bit next time?” I offered.

  “Thanks,” she said, her frown lifting slightly. Her gaze flickered to Bram then away. “Sorry,” she murmured before quickly retreating.

  Poor girl. Hoped she developed some better social skills soon.

  “Why did you do that?” Bram asked.

  “Do what?” Picking up the fresh beer in front of me, I held it to my lips. “Thanks for the beer, by the way.”

  He dipped his head. “My pleasure. Why apologize? What you said was true.”

  “Yes,” I said slowly, licking my lips. “But I embarrassed her—”

  “She embarrassed herself,” he interrupted.

  “Also true. But I don’t particularly like hurting other people’s feelings. I could have gotten rid of her without resorting to that.”

  A slow smile spread across his face, and I had the oddest sensation that he approved of my answer. The idea that I’d pleased him in some way made me feel a little giddy and I took a big swig of my beer to chase back the feeling.

  “I don’t usually speak before I think,” I told him. “Except when I’ve had my fill of irritating people. And tonight, I’m sorely lacking in patience.”r />
  A deep, sensual chuckle spilled from his lips, turning the heads of every woman and even some men in the room. And I couldn’t blame a single one of the lustful gazes focused on my date. My thighs were pressed so closely together, a crowbar couldn’t get between them. Though, I had a suspicious feeling they’d open willingly for the vampire sitting in front of me. The hussies!

  “Kate?”

  I blinked twice. Bram had been talking while I’d been staring shamelessly. A warm flush spread across my cheeks. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

  Bram’s roguish grin told me my blushing hadn’t gone unnoticed, which only made it worse.

  A small chuckle left his lips and I tensed. My poor thighs.

  “That woman…” he said. “You told her I was your date. Is that what this is?”

  I tilted my head from side to side as if I were thinking about it. “Hmm. Do you want this to be a date?”

  He nodded his head yes, but said instead, “Maybe. Do you?”

  As I shook my head no, I was mildly pleased to see his expression fall. “Yes,” I replied, giving him a wink.

  Immediately his frown lifted. “Cheeky.” Leaning forward, he raised his beer. “Here’s to redeeming our evening.”

  I raised an eyebrow and tapped his bottle with mine. “Definitely.”

  After we both took sips, I sighed. “We’ve only known each other for what? Half an hour? And I’m already having more fun than I’ve had on a date in years.”

  “Agreed. I had just about thrown in the towel.”

  “That bad?” I asked.

  “Worse.” He sat back with a sigh, his eyes on the table as he twirled his beer. “You wouldn’t believe the number of women who think I sparkle in the sunlight.” He looked at me and chuckled. “It’s okay, you can laugh. It’s funny.”