Protected by the Alpha - Volume 1

by Jocelyn Thomas

Chapter 3

  Noah stood on the porch in open air of the full moon sipping apple juice. Normally on a night like this, he would allow himself a stiff one to take the edge off. He just couldn’t afford to drink on the job, especially with such high stakes at hand. This was just the type of night that he would unleash and run free through the woods until all else faded away. He was anxious and feeling caged, but he couldn’t leave Amaris alone just yet. From their limited time together, Noah suspected it would take a few days before she was actually okay with being on her own. She’d been through so much with Jinx on her heels, and Noah knew the effects of running for your life. He took another gulp of his apple juice and let the cool liquid slowly flow down his throat, Jinx was worth being afraid of, but still not a match for him. Now Noah only had to convince Amaris.

  He’d heard all the whispers from his colleagues even though he didn’t normally work this closely with those in protection. He’d heard all about her green eyes, curvy frame, and long legs, but nothing prepared him to walk into that room and have Amaris Scott be his Amaris Scott. The last time he’d seen her, she’d still been a kid. A rather sexy and intoxicating kid, but the two years between them had been enough of a reason for him to keep his distance then. Now that they were both adults, he was having a harder time, so was his wolf. From the first inhale of her scent his wolf was ready to mate with her. Noah was logical enough to know that it was something that couldn’t happen. It was his job to protect her only and he couldn’t risk changing his priorities by taking her to bed. These things worked out better when he kept it all business. With their history together, it was even more important that he hold back.

  She’d recognized him the moment he’d walked into that room. He could tell by the sudden spike in her pheromones and the way her breathing shifted. He was certain that he was the only one who detected the subtle change, but that only made matters worse. When he inhaled her scent of readiness, his wolf clawed at his insides. It had taken his best efforts to remain neutral in the room full of his peers and superiors. Amaris had always had that effect on him. Ever since they were teens just being in her presence made him want to forget his responsibilities to his pack and now to his career. The first time his kid sister Amber brought Amaris home he’d cringed. He knew then she would be trouble for him, and the fact remained true. Noah couldn’t give in, she was so distracting for him that if he allowed himself to slip for even a moment he would be lost in her forever.

  He didn’t get to make those types of mistakes with this job. Affections, clouded your judgement and Noah had gotten to where he was by ignoring all signals in himself that it was time to settle down. His wolf was ready for a partner, but Noah felt like he needed more time. Not because there were a slew of women he wanted to pursue, but because the danger of his career wasn’t something he wanted to expose a mate too. When he was ready to leave it behind, he would find a woman that sent his wolf in a frenzy and happily spend the rest of his days with her… a woman like Amaris.

  Noah stared up at the full moon. His wolf pouted in effort to get him to go for a run, but Noah ignored his beast. He knew he needed it, but that wasn’t enough of a reason to take a chance just yet. After his last job, he’d been out on vacation when he’d gotten the call that he was needed. The days off would have been just the reboot he needed, but after hearing the circumstances, he didn’t trust anyone else with her protection. It made his blood boil to think that anyone could be after her. He’d been caught up on the situation in his briefing and knew that she’d simply seen something that she wasn’t supposed to. He also knew enough about Jinx to know that it wouldn’t have mattered. The fact that she knew anything made her dangerous to him.

  Noah had seen Jinx’s work before and he would never let any of the tragic endings that usually found Jinx’s victims come to Amaris. He growled at the thought. His wolf bared its teeth, ready to attack at the slightest display of danger. Noah knew he was more invested in this job than he’d been in any of the others. He rationalized it was because this was his little sister’s best friend. It was all he would allow himself to define it by. Although his wolf had clearly decided Amaris should be his, Noah was determined to keep his personal and professional lives separate. He wouldn’t let his thoughts of her drive his behaviors. Once she was out of harm’s way, Noah would release her back to her life and he would disappear into the wind. Normally, the thought of going rogue until the next job appealed to his wolf. This time, his wolf was strangely quiet when the thought crossed his mind. Noah didn’t want to read into the possible meanings for his wolf’s silence. He had to control his beast and remind the animal in him that somethings were best handled with a more human touch. His wolf didn’t like that thought, and neither did Noah. It was still true.

  Noah finished his apple juice and deposited the bottle in the bin next to the door. He went back inside to stir the beef stew he had cooking. It was a heavier meal than he’d intended to prepare tonight, but he needing something with a rich aroma. The stew had been perfect to drown out the dangerously seductive fragrance of Amaris’ body. When she’d joke about him believing she must stink it broke the ice for him. The real thing, was that her arousal was driving his wolf crazy and if she didn’t wash herself when she did he would have crossed the line. The time in the bath, coupled with the herbs and spices of the beef stew had given him sufficient time to calm down. That was until he heard the soft whimpers of her pleasuring herself in his tub.

  He bit back a growl as the sounds of her pleasing herself slipped through the walls and out to him. He’d gone to the porch for a reprieve. He couldn’t stand there listening to her doing the things to herself that he wanted to do. Noah could almost imagine the way her supple skin would feel beneath his fingers and how her tight sheath would feel wrapped around his cock. His impressive member pushed against his pants from his private thoughts. Noah had to divert his attention elsewhere. He couldn’t think of her soft body as something he could enjoy. He had to ignore the way her mouth, with its full, pouty lips, was made for kissing. Or, how plush she felt squeezed to him as he carried her inside his home. He hadn’t wanted to release her, even after he’d asked if she was ready to walk on her own. Amaris had no idea how hard he was fighting himself as he tried to maintain his professional demeanor. It was taking all that he had to remember she was a job and not the young woman he’d left standing on her parent’s doorstep so many years ago.

  It was a calculated decision to bring her to his home. The bureau didn’t have a suitable place for such a long stay under the conditions Amaris required. Every witness against Jinx had been hidden away in their long term residency only to be sniffed out almost immediately. Noah didn’t have that concern here. He knew every ledge and hillside of his land and wouldn’t miss even the slightest change. He would keep her safe. Noah got a flash of the look on her face when she’d notice him, it was relief and Noah was more determined than ever to keep his resolution.

  He pulled out two bowls and some fresh bread to serve with the meal. He was adding the finishing touches when the soft padding of her footsteps came down the hall. He heard Amaris before she said anything, but Noah didn’t look up. He was still collecting his thoughts and didn’t need to see her beautiful almond milk skin in any of the pajamas he’d painstakingly picked out for her. Even the most modest of them would be titillating on her curvaceous body and Noah was having a hard enough time thinking of her being in his bed. He’d given up his master suite and tried to soften up the look of the room for her so that she would be comfortable. When he’d walked in on her standing under the moonlight, he could tell he made the right choice.

  Amaris slipped onto a barstool behind him and he instantly inhaled the fresh scent of the lotion and perfume she’d applied. He welcomed the fragrance. Thankfully the bath had washed the majority of her teasing scent away, what remained beneath the fragrance was bearable. It was still enough to make his wolf pace inside of him, but not enough to make him claw for freedom. Noah would take w
hat he could get right now. He ladled soup into both of their bowls and sat them on the peninsula where Amaris was sitting quietly.

  “Smells good,” she said before bringing her spoon to her mouth to cool off.

  He liked her compliment of her food, but it was mostly lost to him. The purse of her lips sparked interest from his wolf. The animal perked up inside of him, ready to see what she would do next. Noah did what he could to quiet his wolf, but soon had to busy himself with collecting beverages.

  “It’ll do the trick. I take it you found everything okay?” he said as he tried to put his mind on other things. He didn’t want to think about the way her lips pressed against the spoon as she sucked the hot stew down her throat.

  “Yeah, and everything fits perfectly. Thank you,” said Amaris.

  “Good. We’re going to be here for a while so I wanted to make sure you had everything you could need,” said Noah.

  “You thought of everything and I appreciate it. I don’t think I could have spent another night in that motel, even if Jinx hadn’t called,” said Amaris with a half chuckle.

  “Well, don’t worry. Even if he gets the number, he won’t call you here,” said Noah with certainty. It came out harsher than Noah intended, but there wasn’t any way he could soften it. In truth, he didn’t want too. If Jinx crossed him, Noah would shred him where he stood.

  Her laughter had been a clear sign that she was still uneasy about the killer. Noah understood her concerns. He wanted to assure her that she was nearly untouchable here. He’d bet his life on it.

  “Sooo…. Agent Constance…. When did that happen?” asked Amaris.

  There was a spark in her eyes and Noah knew the deeper question. She was fishing to see if he remembered her. Since meeting her in the office he’d debated on whether or not to let on that he did. It hadn’t been the time there in front of his colleagues, but now he wasn’t so sure. He felt his smirk growing and decided now was as good a time as any to get it out in the open.

  “A couple of years after I left. They recruited me right after college. Turns out, I’m really good at my job,” said Noah as he spooned another bite into his mouth.

  “So what kind of work do you do? Are you like an enforcer? When the other guys can’t get the job done, you swoop in and save the day?” asked Amaris with a glimmer of humor in her voice.

  Noah laughed openly. He’d forgotten how funny she could be when she was being a smart ass.

  “I do what needs to be done. Let’s just leave it at that,” he said between bites.

  Amaris’ eyes widened, but she didn’t push further. She blinked several times before looking down at her soup and taking another bite. Noah knew she was trying to decipher what exactly doing what needs to be done entails. He didn’t plan to give her more information about his job than that. He did dangerous things when his job called and he didn’t want to have to explain that to her. He didn’t want her to think of him as some type of monster for parts of the work he’d done. He would never hurt her, not under any circumstances. They sat in silence for a few minutes as they finished their food.

  He liked the look in her eyes as she ate his food and the sensual way she took each bite. He’d cook her a thousand meals if she promised to eat them like that every time. Her open enjoyment was present with every bit. Noah only knew how to cook what he considered bachelor foods. The easily combined, one-pot meals were generally heavy on meat and substance, but not the typical chick food. He’d assumed a woman like Amaris would want something more delicate than a heavy stew before bed. He’d been happy to find himself wrong.

  “What about you? I heard you left too, but no one knew where you were,” he asked. For years he’d wondered where she’d gone. He found himself searching the faces of blondes in every city he’d gone to hoping to find hers in the crowd. The disappointment in not knowing was something he hadn’t gotten over, until walking into that conference room.

  “That’s because I landed a few places, before finally going to school. I probably should have picked another city for that,” said Amaris with a little chuckle.

  Her smile was weak and Noah wanted to reach across the table to reassure her that he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Noah couldn’t touch here yet. If he remembered her skin, it was buttery soft. Shaking her hand in front of his colleagues had been hard enough. Now that they were alone, he wouldn’t dare.

  “Amaris, Jinx can’t reach you here. Trust me. Not even my family knows about this place,” he said.

  “I want to believe that so bad. I just don’t know that I can. Jinx doesn’t stop. Unless the charges stick this time, I’ll spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder,” said Amaris. The sadness in her voice made Noah think irrational thoughts. There were a few ways he knew he could sneak into prison and get rid of Jinx, but he didn’t want Amaris to wake in his house and find him gone. He’d have to work with her and wait for the opportunity to extract the perfect punishment on Jinx.

  “Men like Jinx only have power if you give it to them. They feed off of fear and use it as a weapon to control. You’ve already defied him by showing you won’t let your fear talk you out of doing what is right. Don’t give in and let him ruin your life in other ways,” he said.

  Noah didn’t doubt his ability to protect her, but he also knew fear was more powerful than logic. He could stand by her side and defend her with his life, but he couldn’t convince her that Jinx didn’t have power over her life. Amaris would have to do that herself.

  “Tomorrow, if you’re up to it, I’ll take you out on the land. Maybe after you get a feel for the place you will know how safe you are here with me,” Noah declared.

  “I’d like that. It seems really secluded here,” said Amaris.

  She seemed to perk up a bit after he mentioned the tour of the place. Noah enjoyed her excitement. He wanted her to like his space and feel comfortable here. He wanted her to know his place was at her disposal.

  “I prefer it that way. No one shows up at my door uninvited,’ said Noah.

  “It doesn’t look like anyone shows up here at all,” responded Amaris.

  “No,” Noah said.

  He took a spoon of his stew and shoved it into his mouth. They were teetering on the edge of a conversation he wasn’t sure he wanted to have, but he sensed Amaris needed the comfort of knowing. Against his better judgement, Noah decided he would answer any questions she might have.

  The stew was starting to cool, but it was still rich in flavor. As he thought of Amaris’ remark that no one ever came here, Noah was alerted to how empty the words felt to digest. It was important for a man like him to maintain a healthy distance from family. The dangerous men he’d taken out had loyal friends and he didn’t want them to go after his family in some twisted version of revenge. There was also the other reason they didn’t know how to find him, it was one he was less proud to acknowledge. Still, wolves were pack animals and one day he would come face to face with that fact and have to make a decision on his life.

  “Amaris, its better that men like me have a place that no one can connect to me. It’s a necessary evil of the job,” he said hoping to squash any further questions.

  “Then why did you bring me here?” Amaris asked.

  Her voice was light as cotton candy. Noah paused in his eating to look at her.

  “I knew if you were here there would be no unpredictable circumstances. No one would come for you here.”

  Amaris nodded and seemed to accept his answer. She went back to her food and so did he. Noah sat down opposite Amaris and turned his attention back to his bowl. He wasn’t comfortable with the personal nature of their conversation, but he knew she needed to talk for her own sake. He just had to get through this meal and put a little space between him and Amaris. Once he finished his stew, he would go to bed and tomorrow he would wake up with a clear head. His responsibilities to keep Amaris safe came before his needs to have her in his arms. She needed him and not just because of Jinx. Noah could see
the loneliness in her eyes and he knew the feeling well. The air was thick with temptation, and he knew he would have to strengthen his resolve or he would join her tonight and have no regrets. When her tongue flickered out of her mouth to retrieve a stray drop of stew, Noah couldn’t convince himself that having her in his bed would be a bad idea. There were quite a few things he could do with that tongue, and even more that he could do with his own. As sweet as Amaris smelled, she had to taste like honey. Noah wondered what it would take to make her nectar run in rivers across his chin. Would she try to hold back as he plunged his tongue deep inside of her hive and teased the sweetness out?

  Noah’s jaw clenched. His tongue thickened in his mouth wanting to test his theory. As blood filled his cock, causing it to stiffen harder than it ever had before Noah had to get out of there. He dropped his spoon in his empty bowl and the bowl into the sink.

  “Get some rest tonight,” he said to Amaris as he lifted from his seat.

  Noah rinsed his bowl in the sink and walked passed Amaris, still at the bar on his way out of the kitchen/living space.

  “Noah? Did you know it was me? When you came into that room, did you know who I was?” Amaris finally asked.

  Noah stood still. His eyes met hers and he saw all the things she didn’t ask as well.

  “Yes,” he said and promptly left the room with her still sitting there.

  A moment longer and he would have done something he couldn’t take back. Noah entered the second bedroom, and closed the door behind him. Noah went to the bathroom and leaned against his fist on the counter. He stared at himself in the mirror. The golden of his eyes was lit like a ring of fire, a sign his wolf was dangerously close to the surface.

  “This is just another job, get yourself together,” Noah said to himself.

  His wolf whimpered, but retreated within him. Noah was still in control, but he’d have to fight like hell to stay that way.