BETA: Her Alpha(4)

I’m looking over my notes while I sip my drink. Being late isn’t my only reason for wanting to get out of here. Despite the storm, I’m not alone. My friend/tormentor was the only other customer in the coffee shop. We had a fight last night after dinner. He’s been irritable lately—well, more than usual—but I’ve been no better. It’s my fault as much as it’s his for our latest argument. The man makes me crazy. Last night was our third dinner this week, but it ended in a huge argument.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have come here to get your favorite latte,” Sheriff Smith remarks like a prick. I knew he was going to harass me. Erik was being a bastard since yesterday. We had dinner together because both of us were loners, and on normal days really enjoyed each other’s conversation. After dinner, we went to my house, and we watched the second movie in the Twilight saga. I felt the pain of the one wolf who loved the other wolf who found his soulmate. It was like a bruise to my soul because I knew one day, Erik would find his mate, and it wasn’t going to be me. We both suddenly picked a fight with each other, and he left without saying goodbye.

“Maybe you should mind your own business. Don’t you have a job to do instead of eating donuts all day?” I snap back at him.

“Do I look like I eat donuts, Chloe? Hell, you don’t look like you eat at all. I’m surprised you’re in here,” he strikes back as he looks up and down at my body condescendingly. It stings. He’s looking at me like I’m hideous to him. I’ve never felt so uncomfortable in my skin. He’s never remarked on my figure before. We’ve always be so friendly and close.

“Go jump in front of a truck,” I hiss at him as I drink my latte defiantly.

“Ooh, that’s the best you got, sweet Chloe?” he sneers. I hate the way he’s acting. It’s like our words from last night ended our Détente we’ve kept over the past year.

“Why are you being such a jerk, Erik?” I ask angrily.

“Because I enjoy how crazy you get,” he responds, creeping closer to me. The look in his eyes is different than it’s been before. He’s mad at me, but looks at me like he’s sad. I don’t care for it or his attitude.

“How’s this for crazy?” I say, grabbing my iced caramel latte and tossing it on him. I’m shocked by what I’ve done, but he provokes me. Sometimes I never want to see him again. Yet the same thought brings me nothing but pain. I stare at him, waiting fearfully to see if I’m going to find myself in cuffs, or to see if he tells me he hates me.

He slowly wipes it from his face and inches toward me. Giving me a menacing grin and tilting his head, he snarls, “Miss Grey, that wasn’t a very smart thing to do.”

His formal way of referring to me pisses me off. “Well…you shouldn’t push me,” I reply.

He grasps my wrist in the empty shop and pulls me close. My heart’s racing, and his fingers burn into my flesh. “Chloe,” he whispers with his lips mere inches from mine. “Don’t fight with me. You’re lucky this place was empty.”

“I’m sorry, Erik.” I just want him to let me go because I’m tempted to do something stupid—like kiss his hard mouth.

He lets me go, and I feel the coldness all around. Suddenly, I want him to hold me again. “No, I’m sorry, Chloe. I don’t know what’s gotten into me today, but I want you to know I didn’t mean to say anything bad about you. I didn’t mean any of it. Yesterday got out of control. I’ve been upset by other things and I let them get me in a bad mood. I think you’re beautiful. Are we still friends?”

I melt at the fact that he called me beautiful. “Yes, of course we are still friends. I won’t let your shitty temper ruin it. I didn’t mean to dump my coffee on you.” I turn and grab some napkins and hand them to him.

“I think you did…but thanks for the napkins.” He gives me that crooked smile that makes me insane and does stupid shit to my heart. He tosses the dirty napkins on the table behind me and I see that his shirt is wet. I feel like a total bitch even if he did deserve it.

“Oh my gosh! I got your uniform soaked!” I start patting him down with extra napkins.

He stops my hands on his chest with a low rumble ripping from his throat. “Don’t worry. I have spare clothes in the car. Chloe wait until the rain stops before you head out. I don’t want anything to happen to my favorite wolf.” He winks at me, then walks out of the coffee shop without looking back.

The owner, Roger, one of the many pack members, gives me a smirk and says, “You know, if it wasn’t for our shifter nature, I would say you two have that sexual connection like those movies where the two main characters fight like cats and dogs, then end up together.”

“Like ‘You’ve got mail’? I like that movie,” I remark. Cat’s got me watching romantic movies, or maybe it’s the other way around. Either way, we curl up on the sofa and veg out to love stories.

“I don’t know. I just watch whatever Eve watches, when she asks.”

“Well, it’s not our lives. It can’t be our lives. We’re not mates; soon we’ll meet our mates, and then we’ll still be teasing each other.” I get more despondent as I say the words my heart refuses to believe.

“Okay,” he mocks, then hands me a replacement caramel latte. Everyone but my brother Hunter knows that I’m constantly hanging around Erik. He’s been too busy recovering, getting the resort up and running, and not to mention worshiping his mate to notice.

“Thanks, Roger,” I say, rushing out the door to get to my meeting on time. I have to drive back to the resort to meet with the final structural inspection team. It’s wet and storming. The rain’s coming down so hard that even despite my exquisite vision, I can hardly make out the road in front of me. I call the resort to tell my brother that I’m running late.

“Chloe, it’s fine. You know that you don’t have to control everything, right?” He laughs.

“Ha. That’s rich coming from you, you know?” He’s all about control.

“Well, I’m the Alpha. I do have to control everything. You know I don’t know who my Beta is going to be, but I swear it should be you.”

“That would be freaking awesome, but we know it’s not possible. The same family can’t have total control. Anyways, I’ve got to let you go. The road is starting to clear up. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” It’s not that clear, but I hate being late and refuse to wait until who knows when for it to stop.

I hang up with Hunter, itching to run to the hotel, but I have all the plans and notes that can’t get wet. I’m about to start driving again when I see bright lights coming toward me slowly. It’s a squad car; it’s Erik. I roll my eyes because I know he’s going to get on me for driving in this shit.

He jumps out of his car quick as hell and is at my window in a flash. “Chloe, damn it. Are you okay? Why didn’t you wait for it to stop like I told you?”

“Because you’re not my keeper, besides I’m fine. I let it lighten up, but I have a meeting to get to. I pulled over because the rain got too heavy to see the road.” I know he’s only being concerned for me, but seeing him when we can’t be together gets to me, especially because I need him.

“I know it’s coming down hard. You’ve got to be careful, babe. They just towed your inspectors out of a ditch.”

“Are they all right?” I ask, trying to ignore the “babe.” It’s too much for me to deal with.

“They’re fine, but they’ll be staying at the resort tonight. There’s debris all over the road a mile ahead. Pull into the brush, and I’ll give you a ride to the resort with whatever you need to take.”

I try to lift that scowl he’s giving me, so I give him a wink with a buttery sweet, “Thanks, Sheriff.”

The look he gives me is odd, but then in the gruff tone I’m used to getting from him, he grumbles, “No problem. Anything for my favorite wolf.”

“Yeah, until we find our mates. Then we probably won’t speak to each other again.” My words upset him. It’s only fair considering I’m upset at the idea as well. It gets to me when he says sweet things or acts charming.

“Don’t talk about mates, Chloe. I’m not ready to lose you when you find yours,” he confirms the inevitability that our friendship will come to an end. My heart hurts at his tone, but there’s nothing either of us can do about it.

“Then help me get to the resort, Erik,” I demand with the authority of a queen. He gives me a low growl, but he still follows my command after opening up a pretty pink and black umbrella to protect me from the rain.

“Love your umbrella,” I say.

“I thought you would,” he replies, giving me a bright smile, the one that hits my gut with an inexplicable urge to kiss him. It’s like he got it for me.

“So you got a pink umbrella for me?” I tease.

“Most men wouldn’t care if they got wet. It’s the damsels in distress that don’t want to ruin their fancy hair.”