The Loneliest Alpha (The MacKellen Alphas) (45 page)

They’d
been dating for two months. That’s how she wanted to do this marriage thing
until they got back on the right path, and he’d agreed. He would do anything to
get back with her. His words, not hers. So he wasn’t allowed back in the house,
though he still had his keys, and they were working on things by dating. Last
night, after a particularly great romantic dinner and a long chat on the living
room sofa, she’d invited him upstairs.

Hanna’s
brother and alpha to the pack, Gavin MacKellen, had mated an incredibly
talented lingerie designer named Alicia Clarkson. She’d once given Hanna a sexy
little number and for the first time last night, she wore it. Tom had been
wild, all over her. The sex had been frantic and hot…and a little empty on her
part. He’d apologized after coming early, grinning and saying that the damn
lingerie had been the reason. Hanna didn’t care that she didn’t climax though
because her mate was back in her bed, wrapped in her arms like he once had been.

They
fell asleep that way and when she woke up, he was touching her, making her warm
and anxious until he finally entered her and did it all over again. Even
without the lingerie, he finished early leaving her throbbing between her legs.

That
was fine though. It was. Sex could always be worked on. After all, they hadn’t been
together in so long it would take a few tries before they got back into the
hang of it. Now that, she looked forward to. She hadn’t had an orgasm that wasn’t
self-made in over a year. And she was definitely a woman who wanted her
pleasure.

Tom
came back out of the shower, grinning. “Can’t tell you how much I missed that
shower. It’s gonna be good to back under it.”

Hanna’s
smile slipped but he didn’t notice as he started pulling on his clothes.

“Gonna
have to get my clothes back here too. Can’t be wearing yesterday’s clothes,
right?” He laughed.

Hanna
sat up. “What are you talking about?”

His
faced her, his grin slipping. “Now I’m confused. What are
you
talking
about?”

“You’re
talking as if you’re moving back in.”

His
eyes lost all mirth. “You’re telling me I’m not?”

Hanna
gripped the cover across her naked body. “No, I’m not ready for that.”

“I
just fucked you. Twice. If that doesn’t get me a pass back home, then what
does?” He was starting to get angry. God, she hated it when he got angry.

“Last
night was a good start, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to have you back in my
life like that.”

His
jaw slid to the side and he chuckled, the sound bitter and angry. He started
buttoning his shirt up. “Why don’t you just tell me what I have to do to make
you happy so I can do it already? I’m sick of this waiting.”

Laughing,
the sound hysterical, Hanna stood uncaring of her nudity. “Excuse me, but I
wasn’t the one who fucked other people.”

“You
just love holding that over my head.”

“But
you did it! I took a huge step in letting you back into my life at all.”

“And
I should what? Be grateful?”

Her
mouth dropped open. With some effort she snapped it closed. “Get out.”

He
let out a deep breath as he finished dressing. After he seemed to get himself
under control, he came forward, trying to set his hands on her shoulders but
she backed up. His hands dropped.

“Listen,
I’m just a little frustrated, all right? I want to be back here. Permanently,
with you. I miss you, babe. Can’t you see that? I had such a great time with you
last night and this morning.” He smiled a little, that sly grin of his that
always made her want to smile. “I want my woman back and here I had a taste of
it and I guess I got excited about it. I just want to be with you.”

Dang,
she felt like an ass. “I’m sorry, Tom, that was kind of out of hand.”

He
smiled and pulled her into a big hug. “I gotta get to work but I’ll call you
tonight and we’ll make plans, yeah?”

Hanna
smiled up at him. “Sounds good.” He kissed her quick on the mouth and left.

Feeling
more rejuvenated than after some spa time, Hanna showered and dressed. As she
drove into town to finish some shopping, her thoughts strayed to the most
unlikely of thought.

“Who
are you kidding, Hanna. You think about it all the time.”

Right,
she thought, laughing at herself. Alex Thompson. The construction worker, the
man with a motorcycle, the man who’d punched Tom in the face after she
confronted him several months ago…the man who told her she was stupid if she
took Tom back and then kissed her.

That
kiss.

Holy
mother…for the rest of her days she didn’t think she’d ever be able to forget
that kiss. Months later and she could still recall the taste of his lips, how
his mouth felt pressed up against hers hard and hungry, and most of all, she’d
remember how he made her feel. With that one kiss, something people share all
the time, he’d made her feel like a goddess. Not just any goddess either, but a
goddess with sexual power. Her body had come alive, awakening beneath his touch
growing warm and excited and aroused. Her body had responded in such a way she
couldn’t ever remember happening before—like his touch flipped a switch inside
her that hit all the right buttons.

Her
thoughts were traitorous, she knew, to think about his kiss while trying to
reconcile things with Tom. But, dang, Tom didn’t kiss her like that. Alex’s
kiss had told her a living story—that he wanted to fuck her. Not have sex with
her or make love to her, but fuck her hard and dirty. Somehow she didn’t think
Alex would let her go unsatisfied in the bedroom. He didn’t seem like that kind
of man. At all.

Shaking
her head at her faithless thoughts, Hanna pulled over at the pack’s florist.
She’d been wanting a lovely bouquet to brighten up the kitchen lately. Life had
been going so well and there was nothing like some pretty flowers to perk it up
even more.

The
young woman behind the counter, a local lykaen woman, though Hanna couldn’t
recall her name, smiled at her. “Can I help you with anything?”

“No,
just browsing for some bouquets, thank you.”

“We
have some lovely new ones over in the corner. Perfect for spring time.”

Smiling,
Hanna thanked her and went to check them out. Sure enough there were some truly
gorgeous flowers. Big, full bouquets with yellow daisy’s, pink tulips, and red
carnations intermixed with ivy and baby’s breaths. She picked the one that made
her smile the biggest and placed it on the counter.

“I
have to have this one. It’s so beautiful.”

The
woman was beautiful, Hanna realized. Quite beautiful with an angular face, a
thin body that was tall and filled out nicely. The kind of body that Hanna had
always been envious of. It reminded her of the mannequins in clothing stores.
Tall, willowy, beautiful.

She
rang up the order.

“That’ll
be forty-four dollars and seventy-five cents.”

Hanna
handed over her debit card.

“I’ll
need to see your ID with that.”

“Of
course,” Hanna said, passing it over.

The
woman checked the name on the card and the ID and that’s when Hanna’s bright
morning came to a crashing halt.

“Hanna
Bower?”

“Yes.”

The
woman wouldn’t look at her. With shaking fingers, she swiped the card and slid
it and the ID back at her as if she could barely stand to touch the plastic.

Hanna’s
blood filled with ice. “Is something wrong?”

The
woman sent her a big, fake smile. “No, not at all.”

Some
things a person just knew, and this was one of those moments. Hanna knew. No
doubts or questions or guesses. She knew this woman had fucked her husband.

“You
know my mate, Tom?”

The
woman’s eyes flew wide. “Who?”

She
was a poor liar. “My mate, Tom Bower. You know him.” It wasn’t a question, but
a statement.

“I
don’t believe I know anyone by that name, ma’am. Here is your receipt. Would
you like a bag for your flowers?”

Hanna
stared at her as ice filled her limbs. Even her voice got colder. “When? When
did you sleep with him?”

The
woman swallowed and took a step back, not meeting her gaze. “I don’t know what
you’re talking about, ma’am. I’m not seeing anyone.” She laughed, the sound
unsteady. “But if you know anyone who’s single, send him my way.” A fake laugh,
fake proclamations.

“Listen
here, I want to know
when
you were with my husband.” Hanna’s voice shook
with restrained anger. He said he hadn’t been with anyone since they started
reconciling two months ago. If this woman said before that she could leave with
most of her heart still intact…if she didn’t. Well…

The
door chimed as another customer came him. The woman behind the counter couldn’t
hide her relief. She wasn’t that good of an actress. “Hello, Mrs. Baker, how
are you today?”

An
older woman came toward the counter. She had gray hair, walked at a snail’s
pace, and had a hunch to her shoulders as if she couldn’t really hold them up
anymore. “Cameron, my girl, looking lovely as ever. Do you have any of those white
roses ready for me? I’ve been needing some for my—”

Hanna’s
mind switched off. The conversation became background noise. Eventually she
turned and left. That woman, Cameron, had been with her mate. But the question
was—when.

Climbing
back in her car, she started the engine and tore off down the road. There were
no tears, only a hollow ache. The pain hurt something fierce. Like some ghost
was squeezing her heart in a tight fist, cutting off the circulation.

She
wanted to call him and ask, that’d be so much easier than asking him in person,
but her strict no-phone usage while driving stopped her from that. Or so she
told herself.

In
no time at all she arrived at his work, Union Lab Corp where Tom managed the
firm’s larger accounts. She took the elevator up to his floor. Some of the
employees gave her a second look. Everyone here was dressed in their suits and
she wore a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, obviously not fitting in.

The
receptionist, named Linda, looked pained as she spotted her. Hanna had only
been here a few times and each of those times hadn’t bode well for anyone.

Hanna
kept on walking, not bothering to announce her visit or inform Linda what her
plans were. At the end of the long, busy hall was Tom’s office. It said Thomas
Bower, Financial Manager, Oregon Division.

The
last time she’d visited here, Tom’s door had been locked. Though he hadn’t been
doing anything nefarious as she’d thought. He’d been working with a co-worker
and even Hanna knew the woman had been too old and not attractive enough for
Tom to be sleeping with. She’d accused him of locking the door out of habit and
he hadn’t denied her claim. And why would a CPA need to lock his office door?
Because he was having affairs in there.

She
paused outside his door, listening. It was sad to know she was getting good at
stalking her mate.

His
voice came through the door, a harsh whisper. “Calm down. No, you listen to me,
she doesn’t know shit. Calm the fuck down, Cam. No, baby, it isn’t like that.
Listen…yeah…
no
. Fine, I’ll see you tonight. You know I do. Bye.

It
didn’t hit her like she thought it would. Probably because she was getting used
to this shocked numb feeling that blasted throughout her body.

A
bubble of laughter escaped her as she turned and started walking. Her mind
raced through all of it. The woman calling leaving voicemails for Tom stating
which hotel she would be at. Tom, crying and apologizing, making promises he
could never keep. Promises he most likely didn’t want to keep. Her listening to
him, believing it or at least wanting to believe it.

Hanna
used the phone on the car ride home. Her cousin, Jo, was a pack lieutenant and
helped with all security measures related to the pack. He answered on the third
ring sounding agitated. “What?”

“Hello
to you too, dear cousin. I just learned that my mate is still cheating on me
and that I am the stupidest person in the world—” her voice cracked and it took
her a moment before she could continue, “so what I need from you is to go to my
house and change all of my locks. All of them.”

“Baby
cousin…what the hell,” he said, at a loss for words.

She
barked out a laugh, the sound crazy. “It’s okay. It’s okay. I just need that.
Can you…can you help me?”

“Of
course, anything you need, cuz. I’ll also take care of that motherfucker right
after I take care of your house.”

Hanna’s
eyes flew wide and
No!
almost burst from her mouth. She’d never condoned
violence like that, especially not over herself. Talk about not worth it. But
when Alex had helped her that one, crazy night when she confronted Tom and he’d
hit that cheating liar in the face, she’d never felt so surprised…or thrilled.

The
old Hanna would say no, would do anything at all to talk Jo out of beating the
pulp out of Tom. But Hanna knew that in order to survive, she had to push the
old Hanna away and bring out the new one.