Rise of the Alphas

by Alexis Davie

  I have to give him his dues. That was pretty well handled and I find myself ordering two beers. I slide one across to him, and he thanks me. He lifts it and clinks it against mine.

  “To us,” he says with a wink.

  Us? There is no us. And there’s not going to be.

  “To friendship,” I say, hoping he’ll get the hint.

  Naturally, he doesn’t.

  “I think we’re going to be a lot more than just friends,” he smiles.

  “Don’t bank on it,” I tell him.

  He frowns and then laughs.

  “Oh come on. You don’t have to play hard to get with me. We both know this is going to happen.”

  He puts his hand on my knee and I freeze momentarily. I come back to my senses as his hand moves upwards. I grab his wrist.

  “Take your hand off me,” I say.

  I try to pull his hand away, but he’s way stronger than I am and he keeps moving his hand further up my leg, moving it to my inner thigh. I am thankful I’m wearing jeans rather than a dress, but I still don’t want this pervert touching me.

  “Get off me,” I repeat.

  I can hear the fear in my voice, and I hate myself for sounding weak, but I have a feeling this is going to end badly, especially when Leighton laughs, a cold laugh that makes my heart skip a beat.

  “Get your fucking hand off her right now,” a commanding voice says from behind me.

  My heart skips a beat again at the sound of that voice, but this time, it’s for a very different reason. Leighton pulls his hand away from me like he’s been burned. I turn on my stool and come face to face with Koy, Cole’s best friend and the guy I have been crushing on since I was sixteen.

  I feel my breath catch in my throat as I drink in the sight of Koy. His dark eyes, so dark they’re almost black, shine with fire, his mouth set in a firm line. His body is sensational, even through his t-shirt I can make out every one of his abs. And his arms. Oh my God, his arms. So muscular, they make me want to reach out and run my hands over them. I want to run my hands over every part of Koy.

  I can feel myself getting wet just looking at him standing there, full of brooding anger as he glares at Leighton. His gaze flickers to me and I see the anger shift to a raw lust that he makes no attempt to hide. I feel the blood rushing to my face, turning my cheeks pink as he holds my gaze. My core throbs as his eyes seem to read my very soul.

  He looks back to Leighton and the moment is gone, but still, I can’t take my eyes off him. It’s like I’m drawn to him, like I would give anything for just one night with him.

  Six years I’ve been away. Six goddamned years, and one look at Koy Parker and it’s like I’ve never been away. All of the old feelings that I’ve tried to ignore while I’ve been gone come flooding back to the surface.

  Koy looks like he hasn’t aged a day, but clearly, he can see I have. The way he looked at me tells me now he sees me as all woman, rather than his best friend’s annoying little sister.

  2

  Koy

  The second I walk into the bar, I see her. How can I not see her? Even with her back to me, I know it’s her. Lacey Silvers. Cole’s little sister. Except now, she’s not so little. She’s a woman. Twenty-four years old and mine for the taking.

  No, I tell myself. Don’t even go there, Koy. My inner beast roars, telling me to take her, to make her mine. I try to ignore the primal instinct, but even as I push the urge aside, I can feel my cock responding to the way Lacey’s shoulders shake as laughs, the way her long brown hair shines. Even in the dimly lit bar, I can see the flecks of gold in it.

  She turns sideway and I see her enchanting green eyes, eyes I could lose myself in. I see her red, sensuous lips, lips that were made for kissing and more. Instantly I see her naked on my bed, writhing, those lips parted as she screams my name. I imagine her pert breasts, the pink nipples hard as rocks. I will claim her as mine.

  I can’t do that though. As the alpha of my dragon pack, I can’t afford to become distracted from keeping the pack safe from dragon hunters, and there’s always another hunter just around the corner. For our kind, danger is never far away. I won’t take someone pure like Lacey and pull her into my world.

  Plus, she might be all grown up now but she’s still Cole’s little sister. Cole is my best friend, loyal to a fault, and I can’t fuck his sister. It wouldn’t be right. Especially considering he’s more like a father to her than a brother. When Cole was nineteen and Lacey only ten, their parents were killed in a car accident and Cole and Lacey only had each other. That was six years before we met, but I can imagine the heartbreak they felt. I’ve felt it myself many times. Immortality comes with a price; the price of seeing everyone you love die around you.

  That’s another reason I can’t let myself get attached to Lacey. Dragons stick to their own kind, the kind that can lead to truly eternal love. Of course there’s ways around that, ways to make a human mate immortal, but do I really want to put Lacey through that? Do I want her to be immortal and have to endure the pain like I do?

  My inner beast growls again, reminding me that I take what I want, and I want Lacey. I ignore the voice. I have to let my human side take the lead on this one, and my human side is screaming at me to not go there, to keep my distance and keep well away from Lacey.

  I shouldn’t have come here tonight. Cole mentioned that Lacey was coming back to town and that he was meeting her here tonight. I should have stayed well away, but I had to know if she still had the mesmerizing effect on me that she had before she left the village. I expected it to be gone, it’s been six years. But if anything, it’s only intensified.

  My attention has been so focused on Lacey that I realize I’m still standing in the doorway and I’m starting to draw attention to myself. Most of the clientele here are regulars, people from the village who know me, and I don’t want them to start thinking I’m a little strange, or give them any reasons to want to watch me. I pull my cell phone out of my pocket, and pretend to be fiddling with it, moving out of the doorway and leaning back against a wall.

  I also realize, with a start, that Lacey is talking to Leighton, a member of my pack. That gets my back up. He knows exactly who she is, and he knows for a fact she is completely off limits. I made that clear to him and the rest of the pack when Cole and I became friends. They didn’t object, they stayed out of her way and she never even knew they existed. The fact that Leighton has crossed this line tells me one thing; he’s getting ready to challenge me for leadership of the pack. And that’s a challenge he will regret. Leighton is no leader. He doesn’t have the discipline to lead the pack or the foresight to keep them safe.

  I tune into their conversation, my supernatural hearing picking up every word. I don’t listen for long. All I hear is Lacey telling Leighton to take his hand off her, and him laughing at her, and I see red. My inner beast is well and truly in charge as I move quietly but quickly towards them.

  I might be willing to let Lacey go, but I can’t help but feel protective towards her, and I won’t let anyone hurt her. Not ever.

  It’s the dragon in me that’s speaking when I tell Leighton in no uncertain terms to take his hands off Lacey. He pulls it away, following my command without question, and I wonder if I’ve misjudged the situation. What if he’s not challenging me? What if he was just chatting?

  No, I tell myself. He was touching her. And she wasn’t encouraging that touch at all.

  My eyes move from Leighton, running over Lacey as she shifts on her stool to face me. My eyes move to hers and the beast in me fights to come out, sending waves of lust through me. Waves of lust that I can barely keep down. My cock is hard as lead and I know Lacey can see the lust in my eyes. It’s clear from her flushed skin, her slightly parted lips.

  How did this happen?

  I force my eyes back to Leighton, but my attention is still very much on her. I can hear her heart beat, the way it’s pumping fast as she looks at me. I can smell the pheromones she’s putting out spilling in
my direction.

  I clench my jaw tightly, hoping that she can’t see my erection through my jeans.

  3

  Lacey

  “Get the hell out of here right now. We’ll talk about this later,” Koy says to Leighton.

  Leighton stands up, anger in his eyes, his hands balled into fists at his sides. He gets close to Koy, too close, a clear challenge. Koy stands his ground, not backing down. He glares at Leighton.

  “I’m not joking Leighton. Get out of my face before I end you,” Koy says.

  Leighton’s whole demeanor changes. His shoulders slump, his fists relax and he bows his head. I’m not entirely sure what’s going on, or why Koy has such a profound effect on him, but Koy stands a head taller than him, and maybe Leighton has realized he’s picking a fight with the wrong guy. Maybe he just thinks I’m not worth it.

  Whatever it is, I find myself watching Koy, the way his jaw is clenched as he fights to remain in control, his voice coming out low and dangerous, but not angry. Something about the way he dominates Leighton, the way he gets him to back down with just an order, is sexy as hell.

  Leighton goes to step past Koy and Koy puts his hand on Leighton’s shoulder, stopping him. I see a flicker of fear in Leighton’s eyes, but it’s gone so quickly I think maybe I imagined it. I don’t want this to turn into a fight. Leighton is clearly ready to leave.

  “Koy …” I start, but his attention is on Leighton.

  “Apologize to the lady,” he demands.

  Leighton turns to me instantly.

  “I’m sorry Lacey. That got a bit out of hand and I … yeah, I’m sorry.”

  I’m not ready to tell him it’s ok. It’s not ok, but I think that if I don’t accept his apology, Koy might just kill him with his bare hands. I nod an acknowledgement of the apology and Koy releases Leighton. Leighton scurries away, but as he opens the door, he looks back at Koy with such malice I feel a shiver run through me. I have a feeling this is far from over.

  “Friend of yours?” I smile at Koy, hoping to banish the bad atmosphere.

  “Not exactly,” Koy says. “He won’t be bothering you again, Lacey.”

  He shakes his head, as though pushing the vision of Leighton from his mind. He smiles warmly at me and his dark eyes seem to lighten a little.

  “Why don’t you go grab a booth and I’ll get some drinks,” Koy says.

  I frown slightly, confused. It’s as though he thinks we had plans to meet. He sees my expression and laughs.

  “Sorry, that was weird wasn’t it? Cole mentioned the two of you were meeting here and I thought I’d drop in and say hi.”

  I relax. Of course Cole would have told Koy I’d be here. I feel butterflies swimming through my stomach. He came here just to see me. I jump up off my stool.

  “Good thing you were here or I might have had to punch that loser,” I smile.

  He laughs and shakes his head.

  “Seriously,” I say. “Thank you.”

  I reach out and touch his arm as I thank him, the way I’ve wanted to touch him since I saw him. I feel a spark fly through my hand and up my arm, leaving my skin tingling and eager for his touch. He swallows hard and I know he feels it, too. I move my hand away and go to find us a booth.

  I smile to myself as I move away. Maybe coming back here isn’t going to be boring like I feared. The way I can feel Koy’s eyes on me as I walk away makes me think that actually, things are about to get really interesting.

  I sit down in the booth and wait for Koy. I don’t have to wait long until he slides in opposite me. He pushes a glass of white wine towards me.

  “Thanks,” I say with a smile.

  “Seems your tastes have changed somewhat,” he smiles.

  I feel myself blush, thinking of the old days when I would happily drink warm beer if that’s all that was on offer – and being underage, I had to take what I could get.

  “Yeah well when you’re legal, you don’t have to take sloppy seconds,” I grin.

  “A girl like you should never get sloppy seconds on anything Lacey,” Koy says, his voice low and filled with lust. “You should get the best of everything.”

  I feel myself blush under his intense gaze, but I can’t draw my eyes away from him. I swear if we weren’t in a bar full of people, I’d be climbing over this table and ripping his clothes off. If he keeps looking at me that way, I might end up doing it anyway, audience or no audience.

  Koy shakes his head slightly and when he speaks to me again, his voice is normal, and the spell seems to be broken. I find I can look away and that I can think rationally again. Was I really contemplating diving over the table and fucking Koy right here?

  “So how was big city life? And what brings you back here to our sleepy little village?” Koy asks. “I seem to remember you calling it Dullsville and saying you’d never come back.”

  “Life in the city was great,” I tell him. “There was never a dull moment. Even at 3 a.m., you could find something to do if you wanted to. It was so different to village life. Faster. Exhilarating. But I guess there was always a part of me missed home. I was made redundant and I knew I had a decision to make. I honestly don’t know why I came back. It’s like somehow this place has a hold over me. I guess I missed the quiet life in some ways.”

  I didn’t know it until now, but now I can see it clearly. It wasn’t the peace I missed. It wasn’t the sedentary pace of life. It wasn’t even my brother, who I love dearly. It was Koy. Somehow, I never really let go of my crush on him, and the idea of seeing him again never really left me.

  “I’m glad you came back. It’s good to see you again,” Koy says and my heart skips a beat.

  By the time Cole arrives, late as usual, Koy and I have both edged forward on our seats, whispering and laughing. One look at Cole’s face as he slides into the booth next to Koy tells me he is not impressed in the least.

  Koy seems to sense Cole’s anger and he sits back from me slightly. I stand up abruptly, aware that I’m flushed pink.

  “I’m just going to visit the ladies’ room,” I say.

  4

  Koy

  The longer I spend with Lacey, the more I want her, and the harder it is to control my inner beast. It doesn’t help that she makes it clear she’s as into me as I am her. She has kept on moving closer to me as we talk, leaning forward over the table. I want to reach out and run my hand down her cheek, kiss her lips, but I hold myself back.

  All I’m doing is tormenting myself, making it harder for me to walk away from her. I’d almost managed to convince myself that my reasons for staying away from Lacey didn’t matter when Cole slid into the booth next to me.

  I can feel the anger coming off him in waves, and I know he knows as well as I do the danger being with me would put Lacey in. His anger gets through to me in a way that my own reasoning just can’t, and I instantly pull back from Lacey.

  Lacey looks flustered, and she excuses herself to go to the bathroom. Cole waits until she’s out of sight and then he rounds on me.

  “Seriously, Koy. I didn’t mention Lacey’s return so you could try and get into her panties. What are you doing?”

  “I know. I’m sorry,” I say.

  I try to say more, but Cole is far from done.

  “You know the danger she’d be in being with you. You have enemies, Koy. Dangerous enemies, and if word gets out that you’re into Lacey, how long do you think it’ll be before one of them uses her to make a move against you?”

  My inner beast roars, telling me not to take this shit from a mere mortal. I could end him right here where we sit, but I won’t. He’s my best friend, and in some ways, the voice of reason who can silence the beast in me.

  “You think I don’t know that?” I snap.

  “You’re not acting like you know it,” Cole counters.

  He’s not afraid of my temper and I like that about him. He knows who I am, what I am, and still he keeps me in check. I force myself to rein myself in and when I apologize again, I mean i
t.

  “I’m sorry Cole. Nothing will happen between Lacey and me. If I had known the effect she would have on me, I never would have come here.”

  I stand up to leave but Cole stays in place and I frown.

  “Don’t expect me to tell her you bailed. Have the decency to tell her yourself.”

  I sit back down hard. I take a long drink, almost draining my glass. For the first time, I’m starting to regret telling Cole my secret, but not telling him wouldn’t have changed anything. Because he’s right. I have to stay away from Lacey. I have to stop being selfish and love her enough to let her go. The problem with that is I don’t know if I’m strong enough to do it.

  I spot Lacey coming back through the crowd and Cole gives me a warning look. I nod, letting him know I got his message loud and clear. Lacey sits back down, seemingly oblivious to the atmosphere between Cole and me. She grins at us.

  “So, catch me up on everything I’ve missed,” she says.

  Cole starts to fill her in on the lives of some of her old friends. I sit in silence, finishing my drink so I can leave without it being obvious I’m leaving on Lacey’s account. I don’t want to get her caught up in my shitty life, but I don’t want to hurt her either.

  Her eyes keep flicking from Cole to me, and I ask myself if I am really willing to give her up. Short of leaving town, leaving my pack, and starting over again somewhere off the grid, I don’t think I really have much choice, and as much as I’m drawn to Lacey, when I took over as alpha of our pack, I made a promise, both to the pack and to myself. The pack became my family, and they will always come first.

  That makes my mind up, and I down the rest of my drink. I make a show of looking at my watch.

  “Well I’m sorry to cut the party short guys, but I have to go. I just wanted to pop in and say hi to Lacey. It’s been nice catching up with you.”