Return of The Alpha -
Chapter 4
Jericho tried to leave the meeting to go after Payton, but everyone wanted to shake his hand and weld What seemed like hours later, he finally found the opportunity to break away, only to be flagged down "Alpha, may I have a word?" Marcus Jones asked.
Jericho sighed inwardly. "Of course."
"I work in the city of commerce building, helping the town as well as building up the tourist race as m "I thank you for that," Jericho said, smiling. "We're all going to have to pitch in and turn the last few ye "Exactly what I was thinking," Marcus said. "I have a few ideas I can run by you tomorrow, if you have t "Perfect. Want me to come by the house? Will Payton be there?"
Marcus frowned. "Payton? I suppose, but what does she have to do with anything?"
Jericho cocked his head. "Because she's my mate. Didn't she tell you?"
"Your mate?" Marcus shook his head. "Impossible. She can't be anybody's mate."
"I'm not following."
m back. As alpha, he had to listen. It was his job as leader to be there for the pack, and his personal business would have to wait. ton's father.
I can."
und."
Marcus gave a mournful sigh. "She's not ... a complete wolf. I'm afraid you'll have to replace a mate in song else." Jericho folded his arms across his chest. "What do you mean by not complete?"
Marcus looked around, then spoke in a low tone. "She can't shift. Her wolf is recessive. I'm afraid she's Jericho waited for more info, but it was clear Marcus thought that was enough explanation. "And what Marcus blinked. "Did you not hear what I just said?"
"Oh, I heard some nonsense about her being unfit, but none of that is true."
"Alpha," Marcus said slowly, as if Jericho didn't understand. "She can't shift, which means if you have car Jericho had to bite his tongue so he wouldn't lash out at his soon-to-be father-in-law. He took a deep Marcus took a step back.
to be anyone's mate." her an unfit mate?"
with her, they could have the recessive gene as well. Your lineage would be damaged, and as alpha, you can't afford to have her deformity passed down." and organized his thoughts. "Be careful what you say from here on out," he warned, part of his wolf coming through to turn his voice deep and rumbling.
"You are talking about my mate. The future mother of my children, who will be perfect no matter their genetic makeup. I don't give a sh!t about her inability to shift. I don't give a sh!t about your prejudice against her. Payton is my fated mate, and that's all that fvcking matters. Do you understand?"
Marcus hesitated. "I don't think you've thought this through-"
"The next words out of your mouth better be yes, Alpha."
He stared at Marcus Jones hard, daring him to defy him. He wouldn't allow his mate's name to be smeared, especially from her own kin.
"Yes, Alpha," Marcus said, a bit stiffly.
Jericho reined in his wolf. "I'll be over this evening to talk with her."
"She works nights at the diner."
"Very well," Jericho said. "I'll see her there. You can write up your ideas for the community, and I'll meet you tomorrow at your office. Good day, Marcus."
He didn't wait for Marcus Jones to say goodbye in return. He turned and marched away, and the rest of the lingering pack was wise enough to move out of his way. Which was a good thing because he seriously thought he might hit someone if they dare said a bad word against Payton. He'd wondered why she was in the back of the room, close to the door. Now he knew.
He had caught her scent before he'd seen her, and it was like no time had passed. Except it had. She was no longer prison bait. His conscience had been scrubbed clean knowing she was an adult and ready for his possession. There wasn't one thing anyone could say that would sway him from claiming his female.
Payton didn't think as she began separating her belongings into two piles. One to keep. One to toss. She didn't need much if she was going to start her life over. Once she was content with the decisions she made, she went to shower and dress for her shift. The one good thing about living so close to town was being able to walk to work. She didn't have to waste money on a car or insurance. Of course, she now had to make plans on how she was going to drive out of Sheridan, and those thoughts consumed her as she punched the time clock. Not many locals were there, and she figured they were still at the meeting.
The diner was the only place to eat along the long stretch of Interstate Seventy, so they usually had quite a few drivers stopping by on their way through to Denver.
A couple of hours into her shift, the bell over the door jingled, and an awareness traveled down her spine. She wasn't facing the door, but she didn't need to see to confirm that Jericho had just entered the diner. "Girl, just look at that piece of man meat."
Payton looked sharply at the woman who had just spoken. Her attention was at the front door, and she spoke to her friend who strained her neck to glance behind her.
"Here's your check," Payton muttered as she slapped the paper ticket onto the tabletop.
The women jumped, frowning as Payton stormed away. She may not have any claim on Jericho but damned if she wanted to hear women swooning over him. Jealousy was a nasty b!tch.
Jericho sat down at the bar and waited. Esmeralda came over with a cup of coffee, and he thanked her. Payton did her best to ignore him, but the man and his muscles were hard to disregard. "Can't ignore him forever," Esmeralda murmured to her.
Payton blew her bangs out of her vision. "Why is he here?"
"I'm not a mind-reader, but I bet it has to do with you."
"Oh, please. He's Alpha now. He's got a bevy of beautiful, normal women to pick from."
Esmeralda gave her a disdainful look over her glasses. "Come on, now. You're not that obtuse. Don't act like a twat."
As her eyes widened, a chuckle burst from Payton. Esmeralda shook her head and grabbed a carafe of coffee as she made rounds. Taking a deep, fortifying breath, Payton turned and walked over to Jericho. "Want to order anything?" she asked.
"I'll have steak cooked rare, and eggs over hard," he replied.
Nodding, she wrote down his order, then turned to add it to the cook's window.
"I talked with your father."
Payton tensed and glanced back at him. "Oh, yeah?"
"We talked about you."
"I'm sure that was a disappointing topic of conversation."
"Don't," he muttered. "Don't self-deprecate."
She shrugged and faced him once more, placing her hand on her h!p. "I know my shortcomings."
"Then you know nothing. Now, I'm going to enjoy my dinner, and later, when you're done for the evening, we're going to have a meaningful heart-to-heart."
Payton flounced away, not wanting to hear anything else. However, Jericho didn't leave, even after he finished his dinner. He ordered decaf coffee and seemed right at ease sitting at the counter.
Some pack members came up and talked with him, and although she told herself she didn't care, secretly she was glad he was listening to them. Bennett had never taken the time for pack problems, among other things. When her shift ended at ten, he waited for her near the back door. She paused and studied him before sighing. As she began to walk home, he fell into step next to her. She glanced up at the night sky. "Full moon is next week," she said.
"Yes."
"You'll be able to run with the pack again."
"Yes."
"Very monosyllabic tonight, aren't we?"
He grinned. "Just waiting for you to mention the weather."
"Well, the evening air is very cool."
"Want me to put my arm around you?"
"Why would I want you to do that when I'm wearing a jacket?"
"Ouch," he said, with a mock wince. "Is that any way for my mate to tease me?"
She stopped walking. He took a few more steps before halting as well.
"Don't say stuff like that, Jericho."
"Why not? It's true. I know you feel it."
She wanted to lie, but facing not only her mate but her alpha as well, she couldn't. "I do. I've felt it ever since I was a teenager." "That's one of the reasons why I left," he said dryly.
"Wasn't until I was eighteen that I found out I couldn't shift." She started walking again, and he kept stride next to her.
"My parents took me to every shifter specialist out there. All reported the same thing, that I was born with a recessive wolf. I have the instincts, but..."
She trailed off. No need to state the obvious.
"Seems like everyone has an opinion about who should be my mate," he murmured. "Even you."
"The mating bond can be broken-"
"That's bullsh!t," he said harshly. "You can't override the instinct. That's why we have it. Wolves mate for life, Payton. If you turn me away, then you doom both of us to a miserable existence. A fvck here or there will be meaningless, and I don't know about you, but I've had enough of those to last me a lifetime."
Jealousy at the thought of him with some faceless woman gnawed at her.
"Don't like that mental image, do you?" he taunted. "I like the thought of you with another man even less. You belong to me, Payton. Like I belong to you. I won't accept anything less." "We don't even know each other! You have no idea who I am."
This time, he halted mid-stride, but she didn't stop. She was done.
"Then who are you?"
That made her pause. She hesitated and turned to face him. "I'm an outcast to this pack," she replied.
He took a step closer. "Are you? Or are you an outcast to yourself?"
"What does that mean?"
"Have you ever tried to fit in? To listen to anyone? To befriend them? Or did you wallow in self-pity and believe the sh!t your parents have spewed at you?"
That floored her. "How dare you? I have a disability-"
"No, you don't," he said, marching up to her and taking her by the arms. He bent until they were almost nose to nose. She stared at his mouth, suddenly hit with the longing to feel it on hers.
"Your inability to shift is a crutch you're using to push everyone away. I don't care that you can't shift, Payton. If you were a full human, I would still crave you."
"You, ah, you don't know anything about me," she whispered, unable to look away from his l!ps.
"You think I haven't watched this pack? That I haven't watched you?"
She couldn't stop herself from touching him. She reached up and brushed her fingertips over his cheek. Down his jaw. "I don't even know where you've been."
"I was healing from the damn poison." He took her hand and kissed the knuckles. "I built up my father's construction company. I wanted to make sure when I came back that I could tear Bennett Warren to fvcking shreds for ripping me away from my pack.
For killing my father. And for forcing me away from you. You say we don't know each other, and technically that's true, but our wolves know each other. My fvcking dick knows it wants your p***y. And before long, you will be mine, Payton."
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