The Quarterback Alpha: A Sweet YA Paranormal Romance (The Smoky Hills Academy Book 1)

by Emma Wolfe

  A few blocks down, I saw the sign for Dorsey’s Food and Stuff and made a beeline for the store. Just as I moved to cross the street, a car’s screeching wheels startled me. I turned and braced myself for impact as a black SUV came barreling toward me.

  I knew I should have moved—should have done something—but my brain was having a hard time catching up with what was happening. The only thing I could think to do was stand there.

  Suddenly, two arms wrapped around me, and I was airborne. I parted my lips to scream or yell, but no sound came out. I heard the car’s screeching continue behind me, but I was no longer in danger. Instead, I was standing on the sidewalk with a pair of very muscular arms around me.

  That were still holding on.

  A deep growl sounded behind me. “Do you want to get yourself killed?” His tone was low and annoyed.

  “I…I’m fine,” I said, trying to wiggle free from his grasp and turn around to see who had just rescued me.

  He held on for a moment longer and then released me. I stumbled forward. His hand reached out and grasped my arm.

  “Geez,” he said, “I just saved you.”

  Red-hot embarrassment coursed through my body. I turned my face toward his voice and almost swallowed my tongue.

  Liam Bronson was standing there with his hand wrapped around my arm, looking annoyed and…in pain? I blinked.

  His brows furrowed as his dark eyes met mine. “You need to be more careful,” he growled. I felt his gaze roam over my body, like he was visually checking to see if I was okay.

  I felt naked under his stare. I wrapped my arms around my chest and glanced around. The SUV had since driven on and the streets were pretty empty. “Where did you come from?” I asked.

  I didn’t remember seeing him before I crossed the street—I’d been pretty sure I was very much alone this morning.

  He waved his hand vaguely. “We’re working over there. I saw you almost get hit, so I ran over.” He dropped his voice and muttered something that sounded like “that idiot.”

  I nodded, not sure what to believe. I had so many questions. Working over where? And how had he seen me?

  He growled and looked annoyed as he peered down at me. His gaze moved to his hand that was still gripping my arm. “Where are you going?” he asked.

  I wiggled my arm free and pointed toward Dorsey’s. “Food. We don’t have any.”

  Liam’s gaze flicked to the store and then back to me. “Why didn’t you drive?”

  I shrugged. “We don’t live that far and getting out for some fresh air sounded good.” Why was he drilling me about this? What did he care?

  He hesitated, and his gaze dropped down to my stomach. “You’re hungry,” he said matter-of-factly.

  I pressed my hand to my stomach and studied him. How did he know that? “Um, yeah.”

  He sighed as he stared at me. “I figured you probably haven’t eaten if you’re off to the store this early.” He reached out, grabbed my hand, and then started pulling me down the street.

  I stumbled a few times as I tried to keep up with him. Shock sort of took over my body as I tried to figure out what he was doing. Was he kidnapping me? My heart was racing from the feeling of his hand on my skin and from the fact that I was being dragged down the sidewalk by a complete stranger.

  “Relax. I have some food at our worksite,” he said over his shoulder.

  “Oh.”

  A few moments later, he rounded the corner. The guys he had been with at Jordan’s Diner yesterday were standing around a ripped-up parking lot. Their gaze fell on me as Liam led me over to a blue cooler off to the side. He pushed on my shoulder gently like he wanted me to sit on the nearby bench.

  Still confused, I obliged. I glanced around at the guys who were squinting at me as the sun beat down on them. Two had picks, and the other one had gloves on and was holding a large chunk of asphalt.

  “Eat,” Liam said, dropping a sandwich into my lap. It was huge. There must have been a pound of lunchmeat between the two pieces of bread. It was wrapped in saran wrap but looked as if it would burst out at any moment.

  I stared at it. Was he serious? “I’m okay,” I said as I slipped my fingers under the sandwich and moved to hand it back.

  Liam growled. It was deep and throaty. I stared at him, taking in his narrowed gaze and frustrated look.

  “Eat,” he said again. Then he grabbed a pair of gloves that were tucked into his pants and moved over to the other guys. “Get to work,” he bellowed.

  The other guys nodded and returned to tearing up the parking lot. I stared at Liam. He was lifting a large chunk of asphalt like it weighed nothing. He moved over to the dumpster and threw the chunk inside. His muscles rippled as he pushed his hands through his hair and moved to lift another piece.

  My heart picked up speed as I watched him. I mean, I’d seen construction workers before, but they hadn’t looked anything like Liam. There was something mesmerizing about him. My body warmed at the thought of his arms around me. Holding me.

  Geez, get a grip, Cora.

  Just before Liam grabbed another piece of rubble, he paused and tipped his ear toward me. Then his gaze was on me. His brown eyes had darkened, and there was this look of need in his gaze.

  I sat, stunned at the emotion I saw there.

  “Eat,” he said again. Then he dropped down and pulled the piece of asphalt up onto his shoulder.

  Not wanting him to tell me again, I nodded and unwrapped the sandwich. I tried in vain to take a bite. My mouth was definitely not big enough to eat it. So I picked off the top piece of bread and a few slices of meat and took a bite.

  One of the guys working with Liam leaned toward him. They spoke in low tones, and I was too far to hear what they were saying.

  After a few seconds, Liam’s gaze snapped over to me and then back to the tall, beefy guy next to him.

  “Okay,” he growled and then marched over to me. “You need to go,” he said as he stuck his hand under my arm and pulled me up in one swift movement. It was like I weighed nothing to him.

  “I—um—” What was going on? I scrambled to keep the remainder of his sandwich from falling to the ground.

  But, in one swift movement Liam caught the sandwich as it tumbled from my lap. Then he leaned down and set it on the bench I’d been sitting on.

  “Come on,” he growled, leading me back around the building.

  I was clutching my part of the sandwich as my feet stumbled to keep up. My mind reeled. This was all very strange, and I wasn’t sure how to interpret any of it.

  Once we were down the street a ways, Liam pulled me into an alleyway and turned to face me.

  Frustrated and a little annoyed that he kept forcing me to follow him, I pulled my arm from his grasp and tried to straighten my shirt.

  Realizing I was still holding the sandwich, I moved to hand it to him.

  He glanced down at it and then shook his head. “It’s yours.” He glanced over his shoulder.

  I sputtered and parted my lips, but from the stony gaze he shot me, I realized that there was no way I could have a real conversation with this guy, so I let out my breath and let it go.

  He glanced back at me and then leaned in. The warmth of his body rushed over me. “To the store and back. Nowhere else.”

  I blinked. “Excuse me?” Since when was this guy my parent?

  His expression turned painful as he held my gaze. There was a pleading in his eyes that took my breath away.

  “To the store and back home,” he said again. “Promise?”

  I couldn’t help but hear the desperation in his voice. I’d never met someone so concerned about what I was doing. Maybe it was a Liam thing. Or maybe it was a Smoky Hills thing. Either way, I couldn’t help but want to oblige. So, despite my desire to inform him that he didn’t get to tell me what to do, I just nodded. “That was my plan all along.”

  He held my gaze as he tipped his face closer to mine. Like he was assessing if I was telling the truth or not. A
fter a few moments, he pulled back.

  “Good,” he said. He turned and made his way back out to the sidewalk. Just before he moved out of sight, he turned. “Stay safe.”

  Confused, I just stood there, staring at him. This was a small town. What did I need protection from? But he looked earnest, so I just nodded. “Yeah, of course.”

  Then he disappeared.

  I stood in the alley, staring at the spot where he’d been standing. I was trying to understand his words and his actions, but I kept coming up blank.

  Whoever Liam Bronson was, he was very worried about me.

  And call me crazy, but that didn’t scare me.

  Not one little bit.

  5

  Liam

  This was not how I wanted to start my day. After my pathetic show of obsession last night, I forced myself to stay away from that tiny apartment window. Away from Cora.

  But this morning, I couldn’t help myself. I’d picked her heartbeat out from the rest of the noise, and when I sensed her danger, I went. Like an unstoppable force, a part of me that had to protect her had come out, and suddenly I was making really stupid decisions.

  And bringing her back to the worksite? Bonehead move.

  Especially when Grayson informed me that my father was on his way.

  “What did you think you were doing?” Grayson hissed from behind me when I returned.

  If anyone knew what I was going through, it was Grayson. He’d found his fate a few months ago. A girl—human. Someone he could never love.

  But if he could sense my agitation after meeting Cora, it meant I was vulnerable. There were few reasons for my inner wolf to rage inside of me like it was. And danger was nowhere to be seen.

  Which meant only one thing—I had found my fate.

  And she was a human.

  “Just drop it,” I said, a growl accenting my words. Agitation coursed through my muscles, so I reached down and heaved up a piece of broken asphalt. It felt good, working my body. I needed the distraction.

  Grayson scoffed. He could feel what I was feeling. He knew what I was trying so hard to push down. “Theo isn’t going to like this,” he said, pacing behind me.

  I whipped my head around and stared at my second-in-command. “He doesn’t have to know.”

  Grayson raised an eyebrow. “Your wolf is going mad. We can all feel it. If you think you’ll be able to hide that from your dad, you’re delusional.”

  I chucked the debris into the dumpster and then turned, flexing my muscles. My whole body was on red alert. My inner wolf was fighting to come out.

  I took in a few deep, cleansing breaths, hoping it would help calm me down. It did. Sort of. But then I caught the sound of Cora’s heartbeat again, and my body lit on fire.

  “You need to get her far away from here,” I growled. I was in pain, and Grayson was right. If Theo caught even so much as a hint that I had fated with a human, Cora was in trouble.

  Grayson nodded. “I’ve got it, man.” He pulled his keys from his pocket and headed toward his black pickup.

  I nodded, grateful for my best friend. I needed Cora far away from here, and I knew she’d be safe with my second-in-command. Grayson climbed into the driver’s seat and turned on the engine. A few seconds later, he pulled out of the parking lot.

  I filled my time clearing debris. I needed to calm down before my dad got here.

  I needed to push Cora to the deepest part of my mind. If not, my efforts to protect her would be for not.

  There was one rule I was supposed to live by: never fate with a human.

  Cora

  Rose was at Dorsey’s when I stumbled into the quaint little shop. I couldn’t help but smile as I walked over to her. She was studying a bag of rice, and I nudged her shoulder with mine.

  A friend was exactly what I needed after my strange experience with Liam.

  “Hey,” I said.

  Rose startled and whipped her gaze up to me. Her eyes were wide, like she was legitimately scared. When she saw me, her lips turned from a frown to a smile. “You startled me,” she said as she blew out her breath.

  I winced. Probably not the best way to start a friendship. “I’m sorry,” I said.

  She shook her head and returned the bag to the shelf. “No, it’s okay. I scare easily.”

  I nodded. “Gotcha. Good to know.”

  She glanced around me and then back up to meet my gaze. “Shopping?”

  “Yep. No food in the house.”

  She waved to the rest of the store. “Well, there’s not a lot to pick from, but I’ll let you know what’s good.”

  Grateful for her friendship, I nodded. “Perfect.”

  Just as we grabbed a shopping cart from the front, the guy who had been talking to Liam at the parking lot barreled into the store. He ran over to us and grabbed the shopping cart from my hands.

  “You need to come with me,” he growled. He pushed the cart away and waved for me to follow.

  “I—er—what?” I stammered.

  His annoyed gaze swept over me as he motioned toward the doors again. “You need to come with me.”

  “Grayson, is this a joke?” Rose asked, stepping up next to me.

  Grayson’s skin paled as he dropped his gaze. He shook his head, never once meeting Rose’s eyes. “Liam wants me to take you to a different store. Down the mountain. There’s more options there.”

  I stared at him. “He what?” I asked.

  Grayson turned to look at me. His hands were clasped in a pleading motion. Then he leaned in. “Please? Just come with me. I promise you will be safe.”

  Safe? What was with these guys and my safety? It was like they thought I was made of glass or something.

  Rose’s soft hand on my arm startled me. I turned to see her studying Grayson. “We should go,” she whispered. Her voice was low, like she understood that something else was going on. She certainly understood more than I did.

  “Really?” I asked.

  Rose met my gaze. “Yes.”

  Well, I was outnumbered two to one, so I sighed and nodded. “Okay, fine. We’ll go down the mountain.”

  Grayson’s shoulders visibly loosened as he motioned for us to follow. When we got out to his truck, he pulled open the passenger door and practically lifted me into the cab. It was like I was moving at a snail’s pace, and he wanted me to go faster.

  When he went to pick up Rose, she gave him one look, and he left her alone. She climbed into the seat behind me, and by the time she’d shut her door, Grayson already had the engine started and was peeling out of the parking spot.

  I had to grip the handle above the window to keep from flying to the side as we took a turn. We passed the worksite, and I glanced out the window to see Liam watching us. His brows were furrowed, and he looked…worried.

  I blinked a few times, and when I focused back outside my window, we’d already left him far behind.

  Frustrated that I had no idea what was going on, I glanced over to Grayson. His hands were tight on the steering wheel, and his gaze was laser-focused on the road in front of us.

  I parted my lips to ask him what was going on, but then closed my mouth and sighed. I had a sinking suspicion that he wasn’t going to tell me anything. So, I folded my arms and stared out the windshield as Grayson drove farther down the mountain.

  By the time he pulled into the Walworld parking lot and killed the engine, I was thoroughly agitated. Having this pack of guys dictating what I was supposed to do annoyed me.

  After we all climbed out of the truck, I linked arms with Rose. “What’s going on?” I asked, keeping my voice low.

  She glanced at me and then back toward Grayson. She shook her head.

  I glanced over and saw that Grayson’s head was tipped toward us. Like, even though he was a few feet off, he could hear everything we were saying.

  What was going on? It felt as if I’d entered an alternate universe or something.

  “Come on,” he said as he grabbed a cart from the corral
and pushed it toward us. I grabbed it and wrapped my hands around the handle. The cool air rushed over me as we stepped into the building.

  It was a lot bigger than the small shop in town. I was suddenly glad that Grayson had brought me here—even if the whole situation was a little weird—I was definitely going to find the foods I liked.

  “I’ll be here when you’re done.” Grayson stalked over to a bench near the entrance and sat down.

  Now that he was sitting, I could finally get a good look at him without tweaking my neck. He was huge, easily over six feet tall. And he was built like a Mack truck. Muscles everywhere. There was definitely something in the water in Smoky Hills.

  My gaze dropped to his forearm. He had a sleeve tattoo. I scrunched my nose. What high schooler had that many tattoos?

  Rose nudged me. “Come on, let’s get you some food.”

  I nodded and followed after her as she led me away from Grayson. He was resting his forearms on his knees and looked as if he’d either fallen asleep or was staring at the floor.

  After Rose and I picked through the vegetables and fruit, we moved to the meat counter. I ordered a few slabs of steak and chicken. While we waited, I glanced over at my new-found friend.

  “So, is this normal?” I asked, leaning against the glass case.

  Rose met my gaze. “What?”

  I nodded back toward Grayson. He was so far away from us that I felt comfortable talking at a normal decibel. There was no way he could hear us.

  Rose followed my gesture and shrugged. “With Grayson, you never know, she whispered. “Really, with that whole group of guys, you never know.”

  I stared at her. Her response was weird, and why was she whispering? “What do you mean?” I asked.

  Rose took a deep breath. “They keep together, that’s all. Don’t really do much besides play football and hang out. But, there’s a lot of stuff about Smoky Hills that’s confusing.”