The Code Of The Alpha

“You’re scared he’s mad at you,” Luca guessed.

“My dad got mad at me after he found out I’d backed into his truck when I was seventeen because I was running late for school. I’d say this is a little past that, wouldn’t you?”

“It doesn’t matter what he thinks,” Luca said, looking at me.

“We’re two grown-ass adults.”

“While that may be true, I’m still going to call him today and explain things.

“As long as you can do it in less than a minute and a half,” he said.

“Seriously?”

“Seriously,” he answered, sitting up.

“I don’t need anyone to be able to trace calls to your location.”

“This is my dad you’re taking about,” I reminded him.

“Who is a rival Beta that didn’t like me before I took his daughter away from him,” he pointed out.

“My pack’s security and my mate’s safety are my two main priorities and I’m not willing to compromise them just to ease his worry.”

We were quiet for a few minutes as I tried to find a way around Luca’s reasoning.

But I couldn’t.

“I just want closure,” I admitted.

“I feel guilty.”

Luca sat in closer and leaned in, placing a hand on the side of my face. Electricity danced from the tips of his fingers, traveling down my body.

“You have no reason to feel that way,” he assured me in a low voice, looking at me intently.

My gaze dropped from his eyes to the mug in my hands. A few moments went by before he tilted my chin with the pad of his thumb, earning my attention.

His green eyes trapped mine.

“Can I tell you a secret, amore?”

He leaned in closer until I could feel his nose brush mine.

My breath hitched in the back of my throat.

“The only thing I could think about this morning when I woke up was that I didn’t kiss you even once yesterday,” he whispered.

Luca gently tugged at my chin, pulling me closer towards him. I couldn’t stop my gaze as it dropped to his lips, barely catching a glimpse of them before they were pressed to mine.

My eyes closed as I relished in the feeling of the kiss.

His hands moved up to tangle themselves in my hair as my lips parted, allowing the kiss to deepen. Luca pushed me back towards the pillows propped up behind me and I fell against them.

I suddenly remembered the hot cup of tea in my hands when it spilt on me, the searing hot pain spreading as it ran down my torso and thighs.

Jolting up from the bed swing, I swore with clenched teeth as I placed the mug down on the ground.

“Sorry,” we both mumbled at the same time.

I pulled my t-shirt away from my stomach and twisted it out, watching the tea spill from between my hands onto the floor.

“You’re okay?” Luca asked

“I’m fine.”

My hands were stinging from the heat as I let go of my shirt.

“Did it burn you?” Luca asked, concerned.

He got up off of the bed swing and stepped towards me, hands outstretched. He grabbed the bottom of my shirt and lifted it barely, looking at the patchy redness that covered stomach.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

I watched his reaction as he touched the skin gently with two fingers.

“I’m fine,” I repeated, tugging my shirt from his grip and yanking it down.

The last thing I needed was a man with washboard abs poking at my loose jiggle that persisted no matter how many carbs I cut.

“Do you want some more tea?” He offered, picking the mug up from the ground.

I took it from his hands.

“No, I’m fine.”

I began to walk towards the backdoor. Once inside the house, I put the mug in the sink and grabbed a dish towel before walking back out onto the balcony to see Luca staring off at the distant rising sun.

I began to dry the mattress where the tea had spilt. Thankfully, my t-shirt had absorbed most of it.

“Amore,” Luca said, earning my attention.

He turned to face me, leaning back against the balcony railing as he did so.

“Lincoln has a way of securing calls for longer than two minutes on his phone. I can arrange for you to meet him at his office first thing this morning if it’s that important to you to speak with your father.”

I was shocked by this concession.

“What time?” I asked.

Luca raised an eyebrow.

“You have other plans?”

“I told Fallon I would meet with her this morning at the training field.” I said.

“Richardson?”

I wanted to ask him how many other Fallons he knew but I refrained, nodding instead.

“Be careful of her,” he warned. “I don’t trust her any more than I do a stranger.”

“Why?”

“Her ambition is unbridled. She steps on whoever she has to to get where she wants to be with no regard to consequence.”

“Is that kettle a little too black for you?” I asked.

Luca shrugged.

“I don’t make impulsive decisions. I deliberately and carefully plan my every move. She rushes in at the first glimpse of opportunity and seizes it, throwing caution to the wind. It makes her a great fighter, but a terrible soldier.”

When I didn’t say anything else, Luca sighed.

“The reason I’m telling you this is because I want you to be careful. If my gut is right, she’s using you. She wants Blaine’s position as Gamma.”

I scoffed.

“Like I would be able to give her that… I have no influence here.”

“Baby, you could have whatever you wanted and all you would have to do is ask. Fallon isn’t an idiot, she knows this.”

I felt my stomach lurch.

Luca walked towards me.

“Just be cautious.”

I nodded absentmindedly, still replaying the mental recording I had taken of him calling me ‘baby’.

“Thanks for the heads up.”

I turned quickly and walked back inside the house, leaving Luca to watch the sunrise by himself.