Chapter 4

I finish out my school day and head for my locker. Jason is my ride today, as we take turns driving to school. This is his week. I’m rearranging my books to take home what I need for my homework when a shadow falls over my locker. I look up into the glacial blue eyes of Alpha Rik. Great! What does my future alpha want?

I reign in my impatience and aggravation. No use pissing off the one I’ll most likely be bound to for my entire life.

I take a deep breath, “Alpha, how can I help you?” Personally, I think I did a great job of acting uninterested while still being polite.

“Hey there beautiful, I don’t believe I’ve seen you around before.” Seriously? This is his opening line? Like we haven’t gone to the same schools our ENTIRE lives?

I put on my best fake smile, “I guess you haven’t. It’s a bit hard to see past all of your adoring fans.” I close my locker and lean my shoulder against it, facing him. I decide to have a little fun and bat my eyes. “You ARE an alpha right?” I ask, making sure to give him my best wide-eyed, star-struck look.

“I am sweetheart, but don’t let my aura intimidate you. I hear it can be a bit overwhelming.” Wow! This guy certainly thinks highly of himself. Even Artemis snorts in my head. The joke’s on him. Guardians are completely immune to the Alpha aura or command. My father says it’s because, in the past, alphas started to care too much for their guardians so they would command them to stand down in a fight allowing their Alpha to be injured or even killed. Over time, the Alpha command no longer worked on us. I guess I won’t ever have to worry about that with this alpha, not like he even knows who I am or appreciates my family’s sacrifice.

And while I can feel Rik’s aura, it washes right over me. But I have no intention of letting this douchebag know who or what I am.

“Oh wow”, I bring my hand up to my heart as if I’m trying to hold my palpitations at bay, “It’s really nice to meet you.”

Artemis snickers in my head, ‘Laying it on a bit thick aren’t you?’

Maybe I am but, honestly, an alpha should know his pack members. It would be insulting that he doesn’t recognize me under normal circumstances, but the fact that my family has given so much for his and he doesn’t even know who I am? Well, it just grinds my gears.

He puts his hand out to shake mine, “I’m Rik, Alpha heir of the Canyon Ridge Pack, maybe you’ve heard of me?” I move my mouth into the most convincing ‘Oh’ I can muster and attempt to look even more flustered. “Oh, oh wow, nice to meet you”, and I shake his hand.

What I didn’t expect was to feel a jolt, like an electric current going through my hand, making the hair raise up and down my arms. It wasn’t unpleasant, but very much unexpected. Rik looks startled for a moment and I wonder if he felt it too. Weird. Maybe it’s static electricity from the locker.

He’s holding my hand and looking at me expectantly. I’m wondering what he’s waiting for and why he’s not letting go of my hand when he finally speaks. “It’s customary where I’m from to introduce yourself after someone introduces themselves to you”. He gives me a charming smile, as if making females speechless is an everyday occurrence for him. And possibly it is. He is surrounded by dimwit followers all day every day, it can’t be that hard to make them speechless. However, I am not one of his merry menagerie, so I’m about to introduce myself when I’m saved by Jason.

“Hey Ca-”, I cut him off before he can say my name. “Hey Jason, do you know Alpha Rik?” I ask and give him a glare that I hope he interprets correctly. Jason gives me a ‘what the hell?’ look before turning to Rik. “Of course. Alpha Rik is from my pack and is my future alpha.” I’m SO thankful for Jason right now. He may not know why I am acting stupid, but he’s going along for the ride. “Alpha” he acknowledges Rik as he inclines his head showing his neck in submission.

“Jason”, Rik nods his head to Jason. “I was just introducing myself to your friend here.” He turns back to me. “So, sweetheart, what’s your name and what pack are you from?”

Ok, so now I’m getting pissed. He really doesn’t have a clue as to who I am. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Jason flinch. Time for me to move this along. “What makes you think I’m not from your pack?” I raise an eyebrow at him, moving past innocent toward snarky.

He looks at me with a typical condescending alpha air, arching his own eyebrow in return. “Well sweetheart, I know every member of my pack, and I don’t know you.” And now it’s time for me to knock that arrogant asshole down a peg or two.

I lean into him, putting my hand on his chest. His very chisled and warm chest. Geez, are alphas made of granite? I force myself not to slide my hand over more of his body to see if it’s all this hard and sculpted. Head in the game Car.

I get up on my tip toes and bring my mouth up toward his ear. Luckily, he takes the hint and leans into me as well so I can whisper in his ear, “Well, obviously you don’t know EVERY member. And my name isn’t Sweetheart.”

I’m pretty sure I heard his quick intake of breath as I turn on my heel and start to walk away. “Let’s go Jay, I need to get home”.

…………..

Once we’re in the car, Jason looks at me, “Ok, so you want to tell me what that was all about? Why are you letting Alpha Rik think you’re from some other pack?”

“I’m not”, I insist. I mean really, Rik started that conversation. He obviously has no idea who I am and then he’s going to stand there and try to tell me he knows every member of his pack? “I’m not just going to let that go Jay. Why should I? He’s the future Alpha of our pack. If he’s going to be arrogant, he should at least be able to back it up. You heard him. He didn’t even know I was from his pack.”

“So why not just tell him?”

I look at my bestie with my mouth hanging on the floor. “Are you kidding me right now?”

“I’m just saying, be careful Car,” he looks at me pleadingly.

“Of what Jay? That he might actually realize who I am and be angry at me? It’s not like I’m wrong here. And let’s be honest, I’m pretty sure if there was a battle, I could take him. Not that Alpha Anders would ever let me fight him.”

My friend looks at me as he turns down the long, winding road to my house, “I’m just saying, you will most likely be attached to his hip at some point, best not to make him public enemy #1 before that. He will find a way to make your life miserable.” He has a point. When Rik becomes Alpha, if I haven’t found my mate, my role as his guardian will officially begin. Then I could be stuck with the Playboy Alpha and all of his entourage for who knows how long. I don’t even want to think about what I might have to see or hear to spend that kind of time with him. UGH!

“Ok, Jason, you’re right. If he approaches me again, I’ll be nice.” My best friend gives me a look that says he doesn’t believe me. “What? I can play nice in the sandbox.”

Jason snorts and says, “Yeah, but only if it’s your sandbox and you have all the toys.”

I shrug. “What’s your point?”

He just shakes his head as he pulls up and drops me at my house. “See you tomorrow.” I wave goodbye and head inside to get ready for afternoon training with my dad.