Amy and Jessica were nowhere to be seen. "Where...?" I began. "Gone for the day," he murmured, his nose in my hair. He deftly handled the door while still holding me, kicked open the door and walked in. He gently set me down on his couch and sat back on his heels surveying me. He smiled, letting his hand slide down my calf to my ankle. It was an odd sensation, both stimulating and then mildly painful when he got to my ankle. He removed my shoe and frowned at the already swelling skin. "Can you turn it this way?" he asked, his warm hand enveloping my foot, urging it one direction. I nodded and obeyed. "That way?" I tried and winced slightly. He nodded, stood, and went to his drinks cabinet. After some clattering and drawer slamming, he came back with a plastic to-go bag full of ice. He placed it delicately on my ankle. "Thank you," I said, sincerely glad he had been there to help me, enjoying the way his hands had touched my skin. He put both hands on either side o

His face was buried in my hair as he carried me to the couch and gently put me down. He crouched in front of me and carefully lifted my leg with the swollen ankle. His warm hands felt good on the puffy skin. I leaned forward, eager to feel his lips again but he pulled back, a teasing smile on his lips. He picked up the bag of ice from where it dropped on the ground and opened it, pulling a cube out. He popped it in his mouth before tying it shut again and placing it gingerly on my ankle. The cold on my painful leg was enough to distract me for a moment, and when I looked back up he had maneuvered so he was crouched between my legs, a large hand on each side of my hips. "Oh," I said, as he leaned closer, suddenly nervous. He was so strong, so big, like a looming ocean wave that I had naïvely thought I could hurdle. "Still angry, are we?" he said softly, his hand toying with my hair. I nodded, trying to maintain some semblance of dignity. "Let me cool you off then," he said.

The children loved Charles from the moment he walked into the play yard, towering above Ms. Beale as she called out an introduction to them. There was no noise as every single child stopped and stared. It seemed there was something inside us as children that are naturally drawn to Alphas, complete with the desire to please and be near them. It made me wonder about my own attraction and if it was as deeply rooted as that. And why not? I was just as much werewolf as any other. What was more surprising to me, however, was his reaction to them. It was like watching him revert twenty years into a kid himself, but still managing to martial them like little troops. It wasn't long before he had them all playing one enormous game, with even the most shy child having a role that made them feel important and seen. The youngest rode on his shoulders as he dodged and played like a delighted puppy with the kids. Ms. Beale and I stood back and marveled, and at times I pretended not to notic

"What's wrong?" My arms had instinctively wrapped as far around his torso as they could go. He fully embraced me, smothering me against his hard pectoral muscles. "I thought I saw that man." My heart quavered slightly. "The one following us?"

We made it through the security line, the least harried and anxious of the crowd and letting numerous people in before us. All we needed to do was observe, and some of the people around us had jobs and safety of employees that depend on if they were able to speak or not at the meeting. We stood in the back between other press people and a few cameramen set up with tall tripods. Tech workers were setting up microphones in front and a few people were already seated at the head table with name plates in front of them.