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C.J. PrimerAs noted in the comments in the prior chapter, I've adjusted my update schedule this week to Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday rather than the typical M-W-F. This adjustment is for this week only. Thanks for reading!
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The Denver Alpha 21
COLE “Wow, this is off the beaten path,” Juliet remarks as I pull into the parking lot of the small Italian restaurant on the outskirts of the city. Admittedly, that’s part of the reason why I chose this place. More importantly, though, I picked it because it’s a hidden gem- the atmosphere is intimate, the food is amazing, and it’s not obnoxiously stuffy or fancy. It seemed like a decent spot for a date. Though technically this is my first one, so I’m totally winging this whole thing. I shrug a shoulder in response, parking the Camaro and cutting the engine. “Can’t risk being seen out with me, huh?” she laughs as she unbuckles her seatbelt, cutting me a sideways glance. Although she says it in jest, I detect a bite of hurt in her tone. This isn’t how I wanted to start the night. I blow out a breath, reaching over to grab Juliet by the chin and turn her face toward mine. “I’m a very private person,” I say, staring into her pale blue eyes earnestly. “Make no mistake that I want to b
The Denver Alpha 22
COLE I stop short as I turn down the hallway toward my bedroom, my mood shifting from bad to worse when I see someone loitering outside my door. I guess it’s a good thing that Gavin Holley pissed me off so much that I didn’t invite Juliet to spend the night with me, because if she were here right now, she’d probably react poorly to seeing Tayla Bancroft waiting outside my bedroom. Fucking great. Tayla has never been one for subtlety, and her intentions tonight are apparent from the way she’s dressed. She’s flaunting her best assets, scantily clad in a black mini skirt and a tiny crop top that ends right below her nipples, displaying an indecent amount of underboob. There was a time when her body drove me wild, but it just doesn’t do it for me anymore. Nothing about the girl does. If she’s here to try to seduce me, she’s got another thing coming. “What are you doing here?” I growl in annoyance, refusing to advance another step closer until she explains her unwelcome presence. Tay
The Denver Alpha 23
Juliet“I’m still waiting for the play-by-play,” Shay teases, kicking her feet and splashing me from her perch on the edge of the pool.I pull myself partially out of the water to fold my arms on the warm concrete beside her, heaving a sigh. “You already got it. The date was great, but we just came back here after and went our separate ways. It was super anticlimactic.”Shay grins, waggling her brows. “You mean anti-climax-tic?”I giggle, pushing off from the wall and splashing water up at her. So obviously, Shay knows all about Cole and me. I was going to go crazy if I didn’t confide in someone soon, and I couldn’t drop a bomb like that on Quinn and expect her to keep it from my brother, so Shay was the next best option. Plus, the girl isn’t stupid- she knew something was going on between us, so I basically just filled in the blanks for her. She’s been so supportive and insightful that now in hindsight, I wish I’d told her sooner.“What’s with the slow play, anyway?” Shay asks. “Bo
The Denver Alpha 24
COLEI’ve never been a big fan of surprises. Chalk it up to my penchant for structure and discipline or my control-freak tendencies, but I just don’t understand why it excites people to have something sprung on them when they’re completely unprepared. I mean, wouldn’t it be better if everyone knew what the fuck was going on and could plan for it? For me, surprises don’t equate to fun, they just add unnecessary stress. Those closest to me know this and respect my strict no-surprise policy.There’s only one exception to the rule, and that’s my five-foot-nothing, curly-haired, overly-chipper little sister. She found her fated mate and moved away last year, and I’ve missed her like crazy since. She’s the one person who can show up unannounced at any time and I’ll always be happy to see her. And she knows full well that she’s the exception, which is why she never hesitates to do exactly that.She’s such a little sneak about it, too. When non-residents arrive at the gate to our pack’s commu
The Denver Alpha 25
JULIET Leave it to Astrid to pop up right when I’m more pissed off at her brother than I ever have been, intent on giving him the cold shoulder to make him suffer for it. It’s not as if I could turn down her dinner invitation. I’ve always liked Astrid and am happy to see her, even if it does mean sitting beside her brother and trying to play nice throughout the meal while suppressing the urge to stab him in the arm with my fork. There’s no way the others don’t pick up on the tension between us. In fact, judging by the looks they’ve been throwing our way, I know they do. Cole is in full on business mode, all polite smiles and courtesy laughs, while I’m still silently fuming about this morning. I try to push it aside for the sake of everyone else, but I’m not near as skilled as Cole is when it comes to burying my emotions. I tend to wear them on my sleeve, which makes for a slightly awkward dinner. It’s not all bad, though. Astrid and Brock announce that they’re expecting and we’re al
The Denver Alpha 26
COLE The first thing I notice when I wake up is that the light’s different. It’s brighter than usual, filtering in through the cracks in my blinds and bathing the room in a warm glow. I usually wake to pale grey light and the chirp of birds in the early morning, but today’s different because the sun’s already higher in the sky. I’ve slept in. For the first time in recent memory, I didn’t set my alarm. Any disruption to my rigid schedule would typically throw off my day, maybe even my entire week- but as my eyes start to adjust to the light, it hits me that I’m not alone. Another first: I’m waking up with someone beside me. No, not just someone. Her. Juliet Anderson, the woman who has infiltrated my every waking thought since the day she arrived here in that pale blue sundress, batting her eyelashes and playing all sweet and innocent. I was hooked from our first hello. Now she’s fast asleep in my bed, her hair pooled on the pillow beneath her like spun gold, looking so angelic t
The Denver Alpha 27
JULIET I press my thighs together tightly and swivel to dangle my legs out the back door of Tobias’ SUV, careful not to flash the long line of clubgoers waiting outside of Zodiac as I hop down from the vehicle. The skirt I’m wearing tonight is sinfully short; a high-waisted black pleather number that I’ve paired with a lacy maroon bodysuit and heels to match. And if you think I wore this outfit with the intention of driving Cole crazy, then you’re absolutely fucking right. The man is going to lose his shit in the best way when he sees me tonight. I can’t wait. Shay hooks her arm through mine, tugging me sideways so Kylie and Eddie can climb out of the SUV behind me. Meanwhile, Tobias comes around the front of the vehicle and tosses his keys to the valet. “Dang, is it always like this on a Monday?” I ask, elbowing Shay and nodding to the crowd of people waiting to get in the club. They’re lined up all the way to the corner of the building and there’s no telling how many more are wait
The Denver Alpha 28
COLE “This must be some kind of misunderstanding.” The cop shakes his head, shoving a piece of paper in my direction. “I’m sorry, Mr. Bauer, but it’s all right here. Your liquor license has been suspended until further notice.” He flinches as I snatch the paper out of his hands, my eyes skimming the words upon it. It looks fucking official, I’ll give him that- but there’s no way this can be legit. I run all of my businesses cleanly. Not only that, but my relationship with the chief of police all but ensures that things like this aren’t sprung on me. I continue scanning the document, reading the reason listed for the suspension and jerking my head up to lock eyes with the cop again. “Serving minors?” I ask in disbelief, my composure slipping as my agitation rises. “Are you fucking kidding me with this shit?” The officer- Banks, according to the name badge on his uniform- flinches again, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple. He may not know what the alpha energy rolling off me
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