Chapter 5

**** Alyssa ****

In the morning, I dress in my standard workout gear; a sports tank and capris leggings, eager to work off some of my anger. I only hope it's not wolf training day. The last thing I need is to expose that little secret just now, and as far as I know, he doesn’t know that the daughter of the famously strong Alpha Noah is wolfless. Though people used to gossip about my mother, so maybe he suspects it. Not that I care, nope, not one bit.

I should have asked the Blond Bimbo how they run their training here. I didn’t even ask her where they meet in the mornings. I scrape my hair into a ponytail and head downstairs, I hear giggling from across the hall as I exit my room. Really!? He couldn’t have the decency to put me further from his room, and I had to listen to them fooling around. I close my door with a little too much force and instantly regret it. He would have heard that slam. It probably gives him pleasure knowing I heard them and that it peaved me off. When I head downstairs, I strain my ears and hear arguing upstairs. Oh, all is not well with the Bubbly Bimbo — sucks to be you, jerkface. 

When I hear muffled talking outside the pack house, I make my way out there and find a huge crowd of people stretching and talking. It’s not just warriors, there are women and children here too. I’m glad this isn’t one of those misogynistic packs that think women shouldn’t train, that we should be barefoot and pregnant while running the kitchen. I’m glad to see that even though their Alpha is a misogynistic pig himself, the whole pack doesn’t suffer. The children surprised me though, from the looks of these little tykes, they range from five or six upwards. I started training at five but I’m, or I was, the Alpha’s daughter and I needed to know how to defend myself. Most families start their kids a bit later though, like 8 or 9, sometimes older. Maybe it’s to do with that random holiday that everyone had to bring their whole families.

A tall handsome man calls the group to attention. I recognize him as one of the two warriors who greeted Enzi when we arrived, when no one but the mistress greeted me.

“Find your groups; we’re starting in two minutes.” Assuming that he is this pack’s Delta and the head trainer guy, I head over to introduce myself to him. As I do, I feel his presence behind me.

 “Hey, you're new. Beta Jayvon’s cousin, right?” the Delta says. 

“Yes, sir,” I say. If anyone actually questions me about my upbringing or connections to the Beta, that story will fall flat. I don’t even know the Beta’s last name.

“I’m Darryl. Have you trained before? What kind of experience have you got?” I like this guy, he seems tough but friendly too, which is good since I’m not sure I can take much more bullshit and hostility.

“I train every day at home, so I can keep up. I train in my human form only though. I don’t have my wolf yet.” I bite the bullet and spill the beans, I doubt I could keep it a secret anyway. That fact wasn’t much of a secret in my own pack. Besides, it’s not like my husband can like me any less.

I see the trainer's eyebrows scrunch up a little as he appraises me.

“You must be younger than you look.” His eyes roll down my body taking in my curves but it doesn’t feel creepy, it feels more like he’s trying to guess my capabilities based on my body shape.

“17,” I supply. 

“Ok, join that group over there, and let’s see what you’ve got.” He nods in the direction of a group of giggly girls who look like they are all similar in age, and oh joy, the bubbly blond bimbo is in the group. I stifle a groan and suck it up.

As I turn, I avoid looking at my husband, who’s been hovering silently behind me during my whole conversation with Darryl, his assumed Delta. That creepy jerkface husband of mine threw me off balance. Now, I feel like I was rude.

“Oh, girls, this is Alyssa. She’s our new guest and Beta Jayvon’s cousin,” the bubbly bimbo introduces me to her group. I’m trying a few nicknames.

“How long are you visiting for?” asks one of the girls. “I’m Sandy, by the way.”

“I really don’t know,” I say. “The summer break, I think. Is your school on break yet?” My old school just let out last week.”

“Oh, your school is out already! We have two more weeks,” one of the other blonds groans. My husband was fucking a high schooler. Gross. 

“Are you 18? Is the Alpha your mate?” I can’t help but ask the blond bimbo. 

“Yes, I’m 18, but I haven’t met my fated mate. Enzi is going to make me his Luna, though,” she says with superior confidence, or maybe delusional confidence. 

Sure, he is.

I note the eye roll from one of her friends and the way her eyes glazed over for a minute as she mind-linked the two other girls. Interesting.

“That’s awesome,” I say, faking excitement on her behalf. I’m pretty sure it sounded flat, though. This girl was sweet but the epitome of a dumb blond. He was obviously using her. She’s beautiful and he’s married, and I doubt she’s his only girlfriend either. Most werewolves are faithful to their mates, but judging by his behavior so far, Enzi doesn’t seem the type. I decided I better change the topic before it irritated me, and I said something I would regret about one of them. 

“When does school start back after the summer?” I ask.

“First week of September,” one of the girls answers. 

Awesome! That would give me three months to figure out what the heck is going on here, and my birthday was that week, so hopefully, I could get out of here before the next school year even started. That would be long enough to uphold the alliance, AND I’d still have a chance of one day finding my fated mate because I sure as hell wasn’t going to put up with this asshole forever. 

“Break into twos, a few of us will be walking around to correct your technique,” Darryl yells.

“Alyssa, you’re with me. Let the future Luna show you how we work around here.” I glance at her friends quickly and note more eye rolls. 

What was wrong with this girl? Her heart is going to be crushed by that dickwad and, with all the showing off she’s doing over the Luna gig, I doubt there will be many people who will want to attend her pity party.

Nonetheless, I smile and face off opposite her. Because, yay, this shitty situation just got shittier. I’m an Alpha. I have Alpha strength. Actually, I’ve always been freakishly strong.  I could best everyone back home, even my dad sometimes. I’ll have to go easy on her, which is not in my nature, and I’m barely containing my emotions right now. I don’t want to damage my husband’s mistress as I have no idea how he’d react to that. He’ll probably be pissed off. He’s made it clear that as far as we are concerned, there is no we. I mean nothing to him. But she does. She’s his future Luna since she’s the one in his heart and his bed. 

We start sparing lightly and she’s good, but not great. She has skills and obviously has been training for a long time, but I’m better. Much better. But I can’t show off to the Luna. Her feelings would be hurt, and she might hold it against me in the future, especially when she finds out that her lover boy is actually married to me. 

“Alyssa, you need to move faster,” I hear my dear Alpha husband’s voice behind me, “Babe, you’re doing great,” he adds to the bimbo.

I’m seething. But I summon every scape of willpower within me not to move faster. I am trying to control my strength so I don’t hurt his babe. 

“Here, Alyssa, let me show you,” he says.

My eyes blow wide. Are you flipping kidding me? He wants to beat me up in front of his mistress!? Screw that! He stands opposite me and moves in for the attack while I show him some of my real speed and dodge him, quickly landing a powerful jab to his midsection. 

Take that, jerkface. 

I hear him grunt, but he stands up quickly and attacks again before I get the chance to feel fully satisfied. I dodge, but not fast enough. He lands a hard glancing blow to my ribs. I start to crumble, but then I re-focus and spring up, rolling, trapping his legs and tossing him over me. I pop up immediately and pounce on him, straddling him with one hand on his neck and one raised to punch him in his annoyingly handsome face.

“Yes, better,” yells the trainer.  I recognize that was an attempt to snap me back to reality before I did something stupid like punch the Alpha who desperatly deserved it right in the face in front of everyone. Reluctantly, I drop my hand.

Then I feel it. The disgusting pig had hardened beneath me. I groan in disgust and leap off him. 

Gross.

He pops to his feet, and I see his lips twitch into a half-smile, just when I thought I couldn’t hate him any more than I already did.

“I think you were going easy on me,” says the blond bimbo, accidentally diffusing the tension she probably didn’t even notice was brewing. 

No shit, Sherlock.

I smile, but I don’t respond. 

“Alyssa, partner Riley,” Darryl points to a tall, muscular man in another group who looks older than me; mid 20’s, maybe. 

Riley-guy nods at me, and I walk over to face him. We train for about an hour and a half in total, and I constantly feel the heat of my dickwad, jerkface husband’s gaze on me. I focus on training with Riley. He’s skilled and strong. We’ve been taught by different people so it’s actually a wonderful challenge to spar with someone new. By the time we’re done, I find I’ve really enjoyed myself. It worked. I worked off my anger. I feel lighter as I head back inside.

~♥~♥~♥~

Gloriously showered, I feel much better. Though when I get out, there he is: sitting on my bed and waiting for me, and he does not look happy. My heart races, and I see a smug grin rise. URGH, the dickwad thinks my heart is racing because I’m attracted to him — eeww — but really, I’m practically naked while he’s in my bed, and I feel vulnerable. There’s nothing but a towel covering me. I could probably beat him in a fight, but I'd rather not have to test that theory while naked. I am uncomfortable, nothing more. How could he think this is ok?

Then the smirk fades at my lack of response to him, and his angry and freezing glare returns. “What the fuck were you doing?” he demands. 

Is he for real?

“Training?” I answer, though it sounds more like a question.  Is he irritated that I bested him? I head into my walk-in and get my clothes, and the jerk follows close behind. 

“Don't walk away from me while I’m talking to you.” 

“I’m naked and I want to get dressed, get out!”

“You’re my wife, you can get dressed in front of me,” I screw my face up. Seriously!? How flipping dare he!?

“No! Apparently, I’m your Beta’s cousin and you already have a Luna and a mistress. Why the hell did you marry me if you already have a revolving bedroom door for whores?” 

“Sometimes everything is not as it seems,” he stares into my eyes so intently that I could swear he’s trying to tell me something. Sadly for him, I can’t read minds, and I have no idea what he’s implying, nor do I care to find out.

“That’s cryptic. Just say what you mean,” I snap.

“I need legitimate heirs, strong Alpha heirs. You come from good stock,” he says, looking away like he can't meet my eyes. Wimp!

I gasp so violently that I choke for a couple of seconds. I clench my eyes shut tight while I get control over my anger and my breathing. So that’s what he wants from this bullcrap alliance marriage: strong Alpha babies. This fucking prick will be the death of me.

“Well, you won’t be getting them from me. Get out,” I snarl, regretting that my knee-jerk reaction had been to choke instead of seizing the opportunity I missed earlier and punch him in the face. His mistress might not find him so pretty if I busted his nose. That’s a happy thought.

He stalks toward me, and I automatically take a tiny step backward. My backside bumps into the chest of draws behind me. I’m trapped in a tight, walk-in wardrobe, naked, with a furious, very strong Alpha wolf who wants to use me as his baby oven while he publically fucks another woman and recognizes her as his Luna. 

Not. OK.

“You were flirting,” he whispers, his eyes finding my eyes. I swear I see sorrow in those chestnut pools. I definitely need to G****e bipolar disorder. There must be something mentally different with him. If only I had my phone or my laptop.

“What are you talking about?” I whisper, refusing to look away even though his hungry staring makes me nervous.

“With the warriors. You were flirting. You were smiling.” It’s a statement this time, and he speaks it in a deadly calm voice, but he also sounds a little hurt.

“Idiot,” I mutter, but I know he heard me. “I was training and smiling does not constitute flirting. Am I not allowed to smile occasionally?  Not that I’ve had much reason too since arriving here.” 

Hurt flashes in his eyes again, along with golden swirls. 

“I expect loyalty from my wife,” he whispers with a dangerous growl that would intimidate anyone else. Not me.

“You’re the one with the mistress and the loyalty issues. Don’t you dare accuse me of that ever again. If you expect loyalty from me, you better be willing to give it in return, and if you’re not, then let me go,” 

“You’re not going anywhere,” he steps toward me and pulls me into a kiss.

I’m so shocked that I freeze at first. This is actually my first kiss. My first proper kiss, and it’s with someone I hate, and it’s definitely not consensual. It’s not really a proper kiss since I clamped my mouth shut when I regained my senses and shoved him away. He stumbles back, renewed hurt flashing in his eyes. 

“Are you mentally deficient? What on earth would make you think I’d want your disgusting lips on mine? Don’t ever fucking touch me again!” I growl. 

Once again, he looks briefly hurt. Oh, poor Alpha, isn’t he used to rejection? He recovers quickly, though, and springs forward again, pushing his body up against mine, pinning my back uncomfortably to the chest of draws. Then he leans down and whispers in my ear, “I’ll touch you wherever and whenever I want. You are mine.” 

Before I can respond with that much-deserved punch in the face, he stalks out. It takes a good few minutes for my heartbeat and breathing to recover. I’m livid. I would stab him in his sleep if I could claim self-defense. I read about a woman who once cut off her husband’s penis. I saw in a documentary; she got off. I’m sure he’d put up one heck of a fight, but there’s a precedent set. 

Unfortunately, it’s just a pipe dream. I’ve never hurt anyone deliberately. I don’t think even he could push me into doing that. Despite an overwhelming desire to smash his handsome face every time I see him, I feel like I could never actually hurt him. Obviously, I am the one who is mentally deficient in this relationship. I should see if there are any good self-help books in the library here.

I dress quickly to head to breakfast. I sit with Riley, the guy I trained with for the second half of the session. He has a group of guys he’s with, so yes, I made that choice just to annoy dickwad husband. He’s sitting with his blond bimbo beside him, so he has no right to complain. I can be petty when provoked.

********  Please vote and hit that like button  *****