Controlled 2: Loving An Alpha Male

by S. K. Lessly

  Abby was by far the most beautiful woman in every form she took. She had long, thick blonde hair and deadly bluish-green eyes. Abby was no way a helpless flower. She was tough and strong and she never let anyone get close to her. What no one believed, because she hid it well, was what happened to her the second she laid eyes on Sonny. Abby hated his type with a passion. She didn’t believe in being controlled. She and her family lived on their own. They were nomads, protecting themselves from other packs and lone wolves for survival.

  Unfortunately, Abigail couldn’t resist Sonny. She tried for a long time, but she couldn’t deny the truth. They were meant for each other and the moment she let go and let him in, peace seemed to envelop her and her family. The couple found happiness and together they built a pack that rivaled every other pack that existed. She gave him a family and a son to carry on Sonny’s name that became a strong alpha just like his father.

  Andrew had been told countless times by his mother that he was just like his father in every way; ruthless, cunning, and smart. He was also just as stubborn and controlling, if not more. Andrew knew his mother’s claims to be true, yet he denied it every time someone mentioned the similarities. Also, it didn’t matter how many times he had been told what fate had in store for him; that he would find a mate so strong he wouldn’t be able to resist her. He didn’t believe them. No one controlled his destiny but him. No one dictated to him what his path was in life, how to live his life, or who he was to become in his life, but him. He would never show that type of weakness or any other type of weakness. And no woman would ever bring him to his knees.

  The day he met his wife, he had believed that he’d been right all this time and everyone else was wrong.

  Andrew had to make a quick stop, as he drove home, to one of the places that always gave him hives to buy coffee. He hated grocery stores, but he hated coffee chains even more and he couldn’t go without the dark bean, heavy roasted caffeine goodness. So, he had located a store close to his apartment and pulled into an open space.

  Andrew peeled out of his car and was heading into the dreadful building when he heard a soft heavenly voice to his right call out to him.

  “Excuse me.”

  The moment he turned and his eyes met the woman’s, he was hooked, taken in mere seconds. The woman was stunning. She had dark deep wavy hair that fell slightly over her shoulders. She was tall, curvy, and had unbelievable gray eyes. They seemed to entrance his soul. He tried to deny it, but it was that moment when he fell for Mikaliah Nelson.

  “I’m sorry to bother you. I was hoping that you would be able to give me a jump. My battery seemed to have died.” Mikaliah gave him her award-winning smile, hoping the frown on his face would soften. When it did, she felt relief. She also felt something else that made her heart do backflips in her chest.

  Andrew had never been the shy type. He always went after what he wanted so he didn’t waste time going after Mikaliah the moment he restarted her car. He couldn’t resist her. And ever since that day, she had been a constant on his mind. He couldn’t wait to see her and be with her. And the feeling had been mutual. Everything had been going great between the couple. Andrew had wanted to make a life with this woman. He had wanted to marry her and be with her forever. The problem they had faced was that they weren’t each other’s mate.

  “When you find your mate, you will lose all sense of the word control,” that’s what Sonny had said to him one day.

  When Andrew met Mikaliah, he felt a connection to her, a pull, but it wasn’t what he had expected. He hadn’t lost control. Sure, he wanted to spend every waking moment with her, but it wasn’t how his father had described, which in Andrew’s mind made his case valid. He didn’t have to lose himself in order to find someone to spend the rest of his life with. Mikaliah made him happy, and that was all he had needed.

  Andrew and Mikaliah were in love, and despite the fact that they weren’t mates, they didn’t want to be apart. So, Andrew married her. They were planning to run away together and leave their lives behind. That was the only way they would be able to be together in peace. It was a risk and they both knew it. But they didn’t care. They were in control of their own destinies. It was what they both wanted; to be in control.

  Thinking back to those times, Andrew knew they had been reckless. It had been a huge gamble, marrying Mikaliah, one that could have ended very badly for both of them. The prime example had been the moment Andrew entered Rock’s diner and his eyes fell on Nyla. The feeling, the sensation that rocked his body that day was a reaction that he couldn’t control. Everything that his father had warned him about, everything that the elders had said would happen, actually happened. He found himself powerless, she rendered him powerless and she had no clue what she had done. He wanted Nyla right then and there. He didn’t care who was around. If he had allowed himself the forbidden pleasure, he would have kissed her right where she stood. He could have claimed her too, a stranger, right in the center of that diner. And, he wouldn’t have cared about the repercussions of his actions. He had been going out of his mind that day, and despite his efforts, it had been like that ever since.

  But what made him sick was thinking about Mikaliah. What if she was still here with him and he had still been married when he entered that diner? He was so close to claiming Nyla that day and every day afterward. How would he have explained his actions to his wife? Andrew knew Mikaliah would have understood, but it still would have killed her just the same.

  Shit, what if the roles had been reversed and Mikaliah had stumbled upon her true mate? Andrew knew for a fact that he wouldn’t have gone away easily. He would have fought it. He would have destroyed anything or anyone that tried to keep him away from Mikaliah. And it would’ve been for naught because no matter what he did, she wouldn’t have belonged to him anymore.

  Andrew shook his head as he pulled into a visitor’s parking space in front of his building. Things would have been disastrous, which was why he needed to be smart about Nyla. No doubt, there was something going on between them. The feelings he’d had for Mikaliah were nothing compared to how he felt for Nyla. That bothered him and it made him feel fucked up as well. It also made him hold back a bit from Nyla. He was in love with her. There was no disputing that fact. But if she was a human, he knew that she wasn’t meant for him. If she wasn’t human, then what the fuck was she? Why couldn’t he stop thinking about her or stop wanting her? And what if he was wrong like he had been with Mikaliah, and Nyla was taken away from him just like Mikaliah? That thought alone made his chest tighten. His heart dropped to his stomach and he instantly felt sick. Damn if he was going to let her go. He couldn’t. It just wasn’t possible, which meant only one thing.

  Nyla was a wolf.

  Andrew shook off that thought too and climbed the steps to his apartment, biding past the elevator as he did most times. Just as Andrew slipped his key into his door lock, he froze. He closed his eyes, sighed in frustration, and reluctantly opened his door. He had company again!

  Perfect!

  15

  Andrew slowly opened his door and found his apartment littered with uninvited guests. He shook his head, closed and locked his door, and cautiously moved deeper into his apartment. He didn’t know what to expect from this unpredictable bunch, but he sensed that whatever this was, it wasn’t good.

  Fuck, I need a drink.

  Andrew stalked to his bar, the unnerving silence and questioning stares from his guests ignored. He dropped his things on the floor by his couch and continued to his bar, mentally preparing for whatever intrusive bullshit he was about to endure. Damn! He could feel the heated stares from his brothers bearing into him as he moved, especially from his second, which made him smirk. Yeah, I’m definitely going to need that drink.

  Consequently, when he got a good look at the top of his bar his smile evaporated from his face. Apparently, his brothers had left him dry–again.

  Mother fucker, he growled in his mind then turned slightly and narrowed his eye
s on a bunch of stoic faces.

  The bottle of 1738 that he typically stashed behind his bar was empty, which was to be expected. However, so were the rest of the bottles he had replenished from their last unwanted visit. Wolves didn’t consume alcohol with the intent on getting plastered. They would have to drink a case of the strongest alcohol for that to happen. No, they drank the harsh and bitter liquid for one reason. It was a way to help them relax. It settled their minds and bodies, allowing them to tame the wild fuming rage within them, even if it was for a little while.

  Andrew, resisting the urge to beat the shit out of his brothers, reached around to another hidden compartment behind his bar and brought out a decanter filled with Dalmore, a fifty-year-old scotch whiskey, which had been a gift from one of his clients. He poured himself a glass and took it down straight. He then noticed that there were a few ice cubes left in the ice bowl on the bar and dropped a few cubes into his glass before he poured himself another drink. This time, he took a slow sip, savoring the taste on his tongue. He smiled to himself as the rush of warmth from the alcohol flowed through his body. Regrettably, he couldn’t savor his euphoria. He had to deal with the bastards behind him.

  “Please tell me you’re here for a good reason. Otherwise, I’m out. I have shit to do,” he said to no one in particular before turning around, drink in hand and finally acknowledging his guests. All of his brothers, besides Edgar, were scattered all over his living room. Some sitting on the couch and recliner while others had pulled the chairs from his dining room table into the living room. Everyone had their chairs somewhat circling one man: Rinic.

  “Have a seat,” ordered the older man. His tired eyes looked into Andrew’s resentful ones without blinking. Rinic leaned back into the loveseat and waited for Andrew to make the next move.

  After a few beats, Andrew reluctantly moved toward the couch and sat next to Cedric and across from Rinic.

  “I take it you haven’t been keeping your distance from the girl?” Rinic asked Andrew as soon as he was seated.

  Andrew sighed in frustration before he replied, “You know I haven’t. And you also know that I don’t plan to either. So, don’t waste my time asking me questions you already know the answers to. Just cut the bullshit and tell me why you’re here and why you needed to bring backup with you?”

  To Rinic’s credit, he kept his eyes glued on Andrew, despite the pinched expression on his face. He had been preparing himself for this confrontation for a couple of days now. This wasn’t going to be easy, and Andrew was going to give him shit the whole time. But it was expected. Rinic knew and understood his Alpha better than most. Still, it hadn’t been easy to do. Andrew was an enigma, complicated, mysterious, and dark. Nevertheless, Rinic was determined to help mold and prepare this young pup into a fierce leader and that meant studying everything, from the way he walked, moved, and killed to the way he looked at life and lived it. He had learned what angered the man, how to test him, and how to push. He also knew when no matter what he said to Andrew, when his mind was set on something, there was no changing him. In other words, Rinic knew when to pick his battles and when to let it go.

  Andrew had been right about one thing. His brothers were here as backup. Rinic wasn’t sure how Andrew would respond to what he had to tell him. He believed that he needed the most important and influential people around Andrew when he told him what could potentially save his life and end it at the same time.

  After Rinic gathered his thoughts together while also keeping some thoughts away from his fearless leader, he began.

  “Cedric has told me some of the things that you have gone through with this woman—”

  “Nyla. Her name is Nyla,” Andrew rebuked coldly.

  Rinic, taken aback by the tone in Andrew’s voice, straightened his back and nodded. “Yes, Nyla. Despite hearing this from Cedric, I’d rather hear it from you. It will help me put everything into perspective.”

  Andrew fought the urge to explode. He really didn’t have time for this shit. He had some place to be. Andrew leaned back and pulled out his phone to place it on the table in front of him. He glanced at the screen before putting it down and noticed that a text had come in from Nyla. He opened the text message quickly and read it. Nyla had texted that she had to stop at Dee Dee’s apartment before she headed home. There had been a major accident on the highway and she needed to let the traffic die down a bit before she got back on the road.

  Andrew fired back a reply that he understood and told her to call him the minute she was on her way home. He asked about Se’Nya and waited for a reply, but it didn’t come right away.

  “AP!”

  Andrew looked up from his phone and looked at Cedric.

  “Rinic needs this from you. Tell him about your woman.”

  Frustration building, Andrew blew out a forced breath, placed his phone down on the table in front of him and laced his fingers. He regarded the nobleman, one of the oldest and wisest men in the pack. Regardless of his personal feelings on Rinic’s usefulness and useless rhetoric, Andrew did respect the man. He knew, though, that there was more at stake than the frustration he would undoubtedly feel listening to the man’s bullshit. He wanted to know about Nyla and from what Andrew knew about the man, he wouldn’t be in his apartment with his brothers by his side, if he didn’t have the answers he wanted.

  So, Andrew told him everything that had happened to him the moment he entered Rock’s diner. By the time he was done explaining what had happened to him the first day he saw Nyla and how he felt when he saw Darrius’ arm around her, Rinic stood and started pacing aimlessly in front of him. That immediately put Andrew on guard. Throughout his account of everything that had happened since he had met Nyla, Rinic was uncharacteristically quiet. That wasn’t like him. Rinic always had something to say and would cut in with his opinions even when he hadn’t been asked. But now, at this moment when Andrew was expecting a complete lecture on their family history and tradition, Rinic remained quiet.

  Cedric and Andrew met each other’s perplexed expression and shrugged. Cedric, reading Andrew’s impatience, chided bluntly, “Out with it, old man. What’s going on?”

  Rinic, who looked startled as if he had forgotten where he was, stopped his excessive pacing and regarded Andrew. He shuffled closer to him, his eyes wide as saucers and placed his hand on his shoulder. “Have you mated with this woman yet?” he asked in a rushed tone.

  Andrew grudgingly pushed Rinic’s hand off his shoulder and stood. “Seriously, you’re asking me that shit?”

  Rinic nodded, ignoring Andrew’s sudden rage, “Yes, I am. It’s important, Andrew.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m not answering that fucking question,” Andrew bit back, hovering menacingly over Rinic.

  Cedric stood as well and faced off with Andrew.

  “No, he didn’t claim her yet,” Cedric told Rinic, leaning on his connection with Andrew. “But he wants to, though.”

  “Get the fuck out of my head, Cedric.” Andrew reeled on his second.

  “Then stop leading with your arrogance for one second and hear the man out.”

  “Andrew, listen,” Rinic warned, stepping in between the two friends. He considered Andrew closely, his anxiety increasing as each second ticked by. “You have to be careful with this one…extremely careful. Never in my days have I thought this would happen in my lifetime.” He shook his head then asked, “You say she has an offspring?”

  “Yes, a daughter. Why?”

  Rinic scrubbed his chin absently in his thoughts. “My goodness, this is interesting.”

  “Rinic?” Andrew called to him, hinting that he needed to start explaining something, but Rinic held his tongue.

  He looked around the room at each of the men present. Every man here had Andrew’s confidence and trust. They could be trusted to keep their mouths shut, especially when it had to do with their alpha. Rinic also knew that this bunch would never do anything to cross each other. Yes, they fought a lot and argued, but whenever they ne
eded each other, they were there no matter what.

  Rinic moved quickly to Andrew’s bar, uncorked the decanter of his expensive scotch whiskey and poured two fingers worth into a glass. He took it down quickly and looked at Andrew.

  “It’s important that you listen to me and listen carefully. If you don’t do exactly what I say, things could end pretty badly for all of us.”

  Andrew felt the severity of his words and sat down. He rested his elbows on his thighs and looked up at the man who’d been his mentor and teacher since he was born.

  “Okay, tell me.”

  Rinic poured more scotch into his glass, and as he walked wearily back to his seat, he began to explain the fate of Andrew and their pack.

  “This woman is your mate, Andrew; that goes without saying. What you feel when she’s around is just the beginning. You are going to find it harder and harder to resist her. In fact, it’s going to be damn near impossible at some point and hopefully, you’ll be far away from her when that happens.”

  “Why? Why would I keep my distance? Old man, you’ve been speaking about this mate of mine like she was the second coming, for years. And now, you’re telling me to stay away from her? That doesn’t make sense.” Andrew shook his head, stood with his drink in his hand, and walked away from the living room to his balcony door. He peered out into the brilliant bluish-purple sky, sipping his drink, watching the sun slowly approach the horizon in the distance.

  “Andrew, just listen,” Rinic insisted and waited until Andrew looked over his shoulder at him before he continued. “For centuries, our kind has always found their mates. Some were great unions…love connections, and others were not. But still, there’s someone out there for all of us.” Rinic scooted up from his sitting position and touched his fingertips together in a praying-like gesture. “Then there are cases, very rare cases, where the mate of an Alpha could be far deadlier to him than his worst enemy.” Rinic paused after that admission just to make sure he had Andrew’s attention before he continued.