The
playfulness
caught me, lighting a spark that made my chest feel suddenly too tight. This wasn’t the guarded,
suspicious
woman of our earlier few encounters... but someone with humor - and a
willingness
to engage in it.
"I see. And what would the tabloid headline be?"
I raised my eyebrow and
couldn’t stop the smile
, even if I had a reason to want to. She tapped her chin in
mock deep consideration
with a tilt of her head.
"How about ’Empire Falls: Alpha CEO Reduced to Bag Carrier’?"
"Devastating. My board would have me removed by morning."
Warmth
expands from that tight spot in my chest, watching as she finally checks on the photo she took. Studying it with
critical eyes
... her brows that pinch together when she concentrates
is cute
.
"Not bad. You’re photogenic even when ambushed."
She concluded
out loud
with more praise than for the food, before turning the screen toward me.
Acting
like I couldn’t make it out at all, I took the
opportunity
to move closer.
"May I see?"
For a moment, we stood almost
shoulder to shoulder
again, like when we were in line. Nearness to her sends the same waves of
awareness
through me.
That I could reach over and
hold onto her
at any moment. That, other than
complaining
, there might not be much she could
do
.
I quickly focused on the image to keep myself
grounded
and away from
feeling disgusted
with myself. On the screen was me, the
flash
brightened everything and captured my surprised eyes.
It was strange seeing myself this way. Not posed, not prepared, just
existing
in a moment that Citra herself had
chosen
to capture.
My mat-...
she
pulled the phone back slightly, into
her chest
, before giving me a side glance that had me
hurriedly
sliding my eyes back up.
"Should I send it to you like you asked? Or would something like this damage your reputation?"
"I’d risk it."
My
voice lowered
without conscious intent, so I
cleared my throat
. Standing next to her like this... is
not smart
, even if I don’t want to move away.
"Send it, please. It would make a nice change from the corporate headshots I’m made to take."
Watching her thumbs move across the screen, feeling the
vibration
in my pocket when the message arrived. Such a small exchange - really
nothing at all
- but I was unable to look away from
her face
as she looked back at me.
"Feels like you overpaid me a bit for the meal..."
What am I even
saying
? What does
that
even-
"...I’m sure you’ll find a way to make it up to me... at some point."
The words carried a hint of
open flirtation
, with red ears and a slightly
exposed neck
, that I hadn’t expected. Adrenaline
spiked
in the way that I knew meant my eyes changed, as I
held back
my wolf.
"I look forward to the opportunity."
A
rough voice
gave her that answer as the moment stretched between us. It was only when she smiled and
shrugged
that I realized I was
being tested
.
But since she is saying nothing, I
assume
I passed? I wanted to offer to
walk
her to wherever she was going to choose to stay.
To ensure she arrived safely... and
only that
. But I knew such an offer would be rejected - possibly loudly, because holding back just before
does
not erase
how I’d already messed up by
marking the other place
.
As she steps aside and shoulders all her
many bags
, the
will
required to not move was almost
physically painful
. Every fiber of my form wants to
reach out
for her, to offer more
lasting
protection
.
But I’d
promised myself
I would respect her
boundaries
, even when
every Alpha instinct
screamed against it. I start to count to ten but only get to
two
.
"Goodnight, Kyrie."
"Goodnight, Citra."
I hesitated to
push my luck
, but my mouth opened before she turned
completely
away.
"Feel free to ambush me with a camera anytime. And send me the photos."
She
rolled her eyes
but didn’t suppress a small smile. I watched her walk off, staring at the set of her shoulders, the
subtle sway
of those dark twin tails.
And the backpack and totes that are
in the way
of fully appreciating
her hips
until she turned a corner and disappeared from sight. Only then did I pull out my phone to look at the photo she’d
sent me
.
After a decade of having my picture taken for magazines, corporate reports, and formal pack documentation with the council... this
casual
snapshot felt
more valuable
than any of them.
I moved it to a
private
folder, away from the business photos and official documents that filled the
download
section of my device.
The
chirp
of my earpiece interrupted my churning thoughts and I tapped the button on the side instead of
speaking
the voice command.
"Alpha?"
Luca’s voice is quickly on the line. Tentative, as if he knew he was
interrupting
something important.
I still haven’t had
a talk
with him about all of this. I’m not being a very good leader, insisting that my
strange actions
are
private
without any more detail.
"Yes?"
At least I was able to resume my
normal
authoritative tone. I slipped
too much warmth
around Claire once or twice already.
"The council is asking about the situation with the Duskpaw pack again. And we’ve gotten a random complaint about a rogue from one of the Pineheart temporarily in the city."
I frowned, glancing in the direction
Citra
had gone. Seems like the rogues are busy
targeting women
today. Were the events
connected
?
"I see. I’ll be back at the tower shortly. Claire should already be working on something... that would have landed in her lap a while ago. Collect files on Pineheart territory disputes for the last three years to start with."
"Yes, Alpha."
I ended the call and took one
last look
around the food truck park. Pawnshop as our first meeting, a
too short walk
as the next, but this...?
"...Feels like our first date."
For a brief time, I’d
practically
just been Kyrie... sharing a meal with a
fascinating woman
. Now, I needed to get back to
being the Alpha
again - to protect what was important.
Including a
very stubborn princess
who didn’t want my protections quite yet. But should I just wait so
patiently
until I’m asked?
"If I were so patient, I never would have taken on the company when I did."
I started walking back toward Lunarizon Tower, the
base
for my pack and the center of my ’empire’. Gradually my next moves started to fall into some kind of
outline
of a plan.
At the top, was that someone had
targeted
Citra tonight and had
dared
to claim they acted on
my
orders. That couldn’t go
unanswered
.
My heart held onto the image of Citra’s
smiles
and teases. As well as the way she’d called me by
my name
when she left.
Without feeling like she was hiding a
respectful
’Alpha’ somewhere underneath of it...
at all
.