7. Bipolar Tendencies

Alexander Bad, my new alpha, had a reputation of being a ladies’ man, and he was honoring said reputation. The blonde, who had sought him out, desperately wanting an explanation, had had her heart crushed.

I had been told to stay, and thus, I had witnessed a scene that should have been more private. But it didn’t look like he cared.

As for his other reputation, of being a ruthless alpha, who had 0 tolerance for nonsense, that was becoming more and more like a myth to me. Indeed, the alpha was far too sweet to me, and he even allowed me to call him by his first name – more like demanded it but that was not the point.

Jessica, his hookup, looked positively gorgeous, and I wondered how a playboy could say no to a she-wolf such as her. She was everything I was not – tall, blonde, with an hourglass figure. I, on the other hand, was a short far-too-slender brunette who stood no chance and wouldn’t even hold a candle to her.

Too engrossed as I was in my musings, I didn’t notice him moving until it was too late, and he was standing in front of me, smoothing out the wrinkles of my brow.

“You’re frowning, Jade,” he observed calmly.

I smiled at him at once. “It’s nothing, Alex.”

He beamed at me. “We’re making progress. You didn’t hesitate or stutter.”

“I do not stutter,” I retorted cheekily, narrowing my eyes at him, totally forgetting our respective statuses.

“Don’t you?” He taunted, his eyes twinkling with mischief, staring deep into mine.

My breath caught in my throat, and I had trouble keeping the blush threatening to expose all my desires at bay.

He raised an eyebrow challengingly at me, and I couldn’t help but rise to the bait.

“I… I… I… don’t.”

Damn it all to hell, I inwardly cursed myself for this feeble attempt of appearing like a strong woman worthy of his attention.

He chuckled good-humoredly, went back to his desk, and then resumed his work.

I sat back down on the sofa, and fished out my phone, wishing I had someone to talk to, but all the acquaintances I had made over the past few days were not yet friends.

Instead of texting anyone, I played a crosswords game, like the nerd I could be when it came to literature.

A few rounds and some burnt neurons later, and he declared he had finished all his work.

I jumped to my feet and stretched.

“Were you bored?” He asked in a concerned tone.

I shook my head negatively, “I played a game.”

He nodded in understanding. And it wasn’t long before we were leaving the building, his arm around my shoulder, almost as if protecting me.

To say the day had been unexpected wouldn’t cover the half of it.

The return to the mansion where we lived took less than forty minutes.

The alpha parked the car in the garage, and as I exited his luxurious car, I couldn’t help but say in a grateful tone, “Thank you for today, alpha.”

“Back to using titles, Jade?” He mock glared at me.

I giggled nervously at that. “Sorry?”

I allowed him to walk ahead of me, so that we wouldn’t be caught coming back together. I didn’t want to the pack members to get the wrong idea. Besides, considering how short I was, it wouldn’t be hard on him to lose me.

Only, our alpha couldn’t care less about others’ opinions, it would seem, for he slowed down and fell into step with me.

“Alpha,” I let out in a mortified whisper.

“Alexander,” he corrected me at once.

“Fine. Alex, what are you doing?”

“Going home,” he deadpanned.

“I’m aware,” I responded in a duh-tone that had him halting and raising his eyebrow at me.

Uh-oh, me and my damned attitude, I thought to myself.

“I mean to say,” I hurried to say, dampened my lips in nervousness, and then carried on, “Entering the pack house like this together is bound to raise questions.”

“I’m ready for them if you are,” he chuckled good-humoredly.

“What?” I let out in a dumbfounded tone.

“I need to explain to your parents what happened and why you skipped your afternoon classes. I wouldn’t want them to ground you for something that wasn’t your fault.”

I offered him a lopsided smile, “Thank you.”

He nodded at me curtly, as if he was restraining himself from saying something.

I couldn’t help but wonder if the alpha had a hidden agenda, if he was somehow testing little wolfless boring me by allowing me into his private space.

To what end though? I asked myself. Don’t be stupid, Jade. He’s just a sweet alpha.

Oh, how wrong I was!

After he explained to my parents – whom he had summoned to his office – what had transpired at school, he asked for the boy responsible of the bullying. He then proceeded to give him the berating of a lifetime, before telling him dismissively, “5 laps around the perimeter. I don’t want to hear a word.”

“Alpha…” Eli began in a half protesting half pleading tone.

The renowned Alexander Bad said curtly, “10 laps, it is. Off, you go, before I decide to make your punishment worse, pup.”

I was shocked to see this side of the alpha. Did he have bipolar tendencies or mood swings or something? He was hard to understand, and I honestly didn’t know how to thread around him – if not carefully.

In the deepest recess of my mind, I felt like there was something more between us, something he knew, something he wasn’t telling me. But I dismissed the feeling as nothing but that – a hunch.

It almost felt like he was all I could think about.

He truly was bad for my peace of mind and sanity. And to make matters worse, I was as clueless as they came. I had no idea how to deal with him should he decide to seduce me. He was an alpha – a powerful one at that – and I was but the new wolfless addition to the pack… and yet, every fiber of my being yearned for him, and wanted his touch on me.