Denying the Alpha

by Sam Crescent

  He put on his most shocked expression and whispered, “Sorcery…”

  It received the laugh he’d been aiming for, and she was shaking her head at him once again.

  “You’re an odd duck, Mr. Mayor.”

  “I’ve always preferred ‘curious bear’ over ‘odd duck,’ myself.”

  That made her laugh out loud. “That one must be a local saying. I’ve never heard it before.”

  “We have a lot of those around here.”

  “Well, I look forward to hearing all of them before I leave.” She hopped off the stool and nodded a little too cordially for his taste, as if their bantering and attraction was something that happened every day. “See you around town, Mr. Greyson.”

  “No need to be so formal—you can call me Sir.” He winked again before tossing a towel over his shoulder. “But seriously, if you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask anyone in town, they’ll get in touch with me.”

  “I’m not anticipating getting into any kind of trouble that would be ‘mayor-worthy,’ but I appreciate the sentiment … Sir.”

  Emmett watched her snort another laugh and then turn to walk toward the exit, her sweetly rounded hips swaying hypnotically as she went. Never had the word sir sounded more mocking and damned if it didn’t put a smile on his face.

  He was still watching her leave when he sensed Boone’s presence beside him. “That one’s feisty. Who is she?”

  “That, my friend, is Bess’s niece, Daniella.”

  Boone’s whistle of appreciation followed Dani’s delectable backside out the door, causing Emmett to turn abruptly, his silly smile quickly morphing into a snarl before he even realized it. Every shifter in the bar stopped what they were doing to look his way, ready to attack whatever had displeased their Alpha, and Emmett had to breathe deep to get his emotions back under control. Good thing his enforcer was more ballsy than bright, as the other male just smiled and raised one eyebrow in question.

  “So, it’s like that, is it?” Boone asked.

  “Apparently it is,” Emmett grumbled, running a hand through his unruly hair. “There’s just something about her that my bear doesn’t seem to want to let go.”

  “Is she human?” Boone’s head tilted. “Bess wasn’t able to turn when Philip tried to change her, even with the recessive genes. She smells human.”

  “I know, I wasn’t getting anything from her except for human.” Emmett couldn’t help but be disappointed. While others in the pack were able to mate humans, even if they would never be able to shift, as Alpha of this mixed pack, he was expected to mate another shifter to keep his line strong.

  “Too bad.” Boone shrugged. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t have some fun while she’s in town though, does it?”

  Emmett just grunted in return, thinking back to the fact that she’d actually rebuffed his advances rather easily.

  “Huh.” Boone’s eyes had a mischievous glint to them that Emmett didn’t care for at all right at this moment. “Don’t tell me she turned you down?”

  “I’m a stranger. She’s a smart woman, that’s all,” he snapped out a little too forcefully.

  He racked his brain for the last time a female had actually turned him down and came up with nothing. As a matter of fact, due to his Alpha status, women usually came on to him quite frequently. His frown grew deeper. Why did it bother him so much that this one woman seemed immune to his charms?

  “I’m sure she’ll come around. They all do, right?” Boone winked and gave him a nudge.

  For some reason, Emmett’s bear wasn’t appreciating Boone talking about Dani like that and another growl slipped out of his mouth. It was another embarrassing slip of control and he didn’t like it one bit.

  “Callen should be here any minute. Want to go for a run when he gets back?” Boone suggested casually, but his expression noted a little bit of concern. “Sounds like you need to blow off some steam.”

  “That sounds like a plan. Let’s take the trail that goes past Bess’s place so I can be sure Dani made it to the house okay.”

  “You got it, Mamma Bear.” Boone laughed and ducked as Emmett chucked a bottle cap at his head.

  “You’re such an asshole.”

  The idiot just shrugged again. “I know.”

  Chapter Three

  Dani held her breath as she drove up the short driveway to her aunt’s A-frame home, not knowing what exactly to expect. She was relieved to see the porch light was on. She’d asked the lawyer if her aunt had put in motion detector lights for the outside of the house, but he’d said with all the wildlife in the area, it would be turning on all hours of the night, which made sense, she supposed.

  She parked and got out of the car, finding the spare keys exactly where Jeffery had told her they would be. The house itself was actually very cute when she opened the door and turned on the main lights. Sure, it needed some work, but overall, Dani just knew it would be fantastic with some light renos. The main floor was all open, leading back to the large kitchen that seemed to have been the last thing Bess had updated. Dani flipped on the light for the deck and peered out the patio door, impressed with the outdoor space. She imagined her nature-loving aunt spent more time outdoors than inside with a patio like that, not to mention the vast garden that led right to the edge of the thick forest.

  She continued the tour. There was a small laundry room off the kitchen that wouldn’t need much work, aside from the spackle and paint the whole place needed. The staircase was finished with what appeared to be reclaimed wood and Dani admired it as she wandered upstairs. There was a loft bedroom and an office up the stairs, with an en-suite bathroom that was delightfully spacious. Bess certainly had splurged on the Jacuzzi tub and Dani was practically rubbing her hands together in anticipation of enjoying that while she was here.

  Back down on the main level, a cute little half-bath was on the far side of the stairwell, then her focus moved back to the living room. It wasn’t bad, but what it was missing was a proper fireplace mantle. She hoped there might be a carpenter in town who would take on the job of making one. All in all, it was pretty darn cute, and when Dani was done with it, this house would be amazing.

  She smiled as she walked back out to the car and grabbed her suitcase and the cooler. The rest could wait to be unpacked until tomorrow.

  Don’t get too attached to this place, girl. It’s only a vacation until things go back to normal at home.

  She finally got the bed made and fell into it around midnight, her mind already making a list of things she would need to do tomorrow to get started. But the last picture in her mind before sleep took her was of the irritatingly handsome mayor and his cheeky smile.

  I have a feeling he’s going to be nothing but trouble. Best to avoid him completely while I’m in town … but you know what they say about best-laid plans.

  ****

  “You know, Bernie, for such a small town, you certainly do have a banging paint selection.” Dani winked at the ancient man mixing her choice of paint. She swore he blushed but it was hard to tell with the beard taking up three-quarters of his face.

  “Now you behave, Miss Dani.” He looked up and winked at her. “My Martha can be a jealous one.”

  “In your dreams, you old coot!” Martha hollered and then giggled from the other side of the store, making Dani hope that her hearing was half that good if she ever made it to their age.

  The couple had been amazing as soon as she stepped into the hardware store, helping her find everything on her list and then some. It turned out that Bess and Martha had been good friends. The older woman had already promised she was going to stop by the next couple days and drop off some dinner, since ‘poor Dani would be working so hard all day.’ No matter how much Dani insisted it wasn’t necessary, Martha wouldn’t take no for an answer.

  “I’d really love to get a fireplace mantle done for the house. Is there a carpenter or contractor in town who might be interested in doing it?”

  “Oh, yes.” Mar
tha seemed excited at the prospect. “A mantle would look so nice, now that you mention it. I’ll call around and send someone on over to the house this afternoon for you, hon.”

  “Thanks so much. You two have been wonderful.”

  “Nonsense, dear, you’re practically family, after all.” Martha came around to give her a big hug while Bernie hauled the bags out to her car. “If you get lonely out there, just give me a call anytime.”

  Dani couldn’t help the moisture that gathered in her eyes. It’d been a long time since she’d felt welcome somewhere. Almost every single person she’d run into since arriving in town this morning had been ridiculously nice, but then again, she imagined that must be a small-town thing. Next stop was the grocery store.

  She was just reaching for the ice cream when the most delicious, low voice came from behind her.

  “You know, they say that geniuses choose mint chocolate chip.” Emmett smirked as he held up his very own pint that was the same she had her hand on.

  “I would have pegged you for a butter pecan man, Mr. Mayor.”

  He looked surprised for a second, then his charm slipped back into place. “Have you been peeking in my freezer, Miss Holt? That’s my number two flavor.”

  She laughed. “Just a lucky guess, I suppose.”

  “Have you been over to Pete’s confectionary yet? They do happen to have the best milkshakes in town… I could walk you over and introduce you if you’d like.” He winked. “You may even get the town council discount if you play your cards right.”

  Dani was almost tempted. Emmett certainly was a tough man to turn down, but she also knew she had a ton of work waiting for her back at the house—not to mention, ice cream that was getting warmer by the second.

  “That’s nice of you to offer.” She was trying to be quiet now, as the teenaged check-out girl seemed extremely interested in their conversation as she ran through Dani’s groceries. “But I’ve got a long day ahead of me.”

  Chapter Four

  Emmett couldn’t believe it. She was shooting him down again? No, ‘maybe another time’ or ‘I can’t but I’m free tomorrow.’ One thing could certainly be said for Dani—she knew how to check a male’s ego. Poor little Katie who was running the cash register, the expression on her face looked like she was wanting to crawl under the counter, probably expecting him to lose his temper. Her mom had brought her here less than a year ago. They’d been fleeing an abusive Alpha and Emmett didn’t blame the two females for being slow to trust.

  “No problem.” He tipped the brim of his ball cap. “Have a great day, Dani.”

  Was that a flicker of disappointment I saw in her eyes? No worries, sweetheart. I’m not even close to giving up.

  Two hours later, Emmett pulled up to Bess’s house and ambled up to the front door with a smile. When Martha had called to tell him about some woodwork Dani had asked about, of course, he’d jumped on the opportunity to assist. The way his bear was insistent on spending time with Dani, Emmett was beginning to wonder if the little spitfire was actually his mate—human or not. He’d never really considered taking a non-shifter on as a mate before he’d met her, but it seemed fate was determined to make it happen regardless, and to tell the truth, stepping down to let another lead his people seemed a small price to pay for spending the rest of his life with the woman meant just for him.

  He could hear the music from outside and he grinned as he knocked, wondering if she’d even hear it over the noise. After waiting a few minutes with no answer, he tried the doorknob and carefully opened the door a crack, not wanting to startle her.

  “Hello?” he yelled out. “Dani?”

  When she didn’t appear, he inched further into the house and he grinned when he finally saw her in the kitchen, back to him, dancing up a storm while singing along to No Doubt’s “Just a Girl,” while she filled holes in the wall. Dammit if she wasn’t the most adorable picture he’d ever seen.

  “Dani?” he tried again as he reached over to her iPod dock and turned the music down a bit.

  “Ahhh!” She jumped, flinging a large dollop of putty from the knife right into her hair. “Jesus, Emmett! You scared the hell out of me!”

  He tried not to laugh at the picture she presented. Hair in a disastrous ponytail with wild pieces flying all over the place … except for the bit now plastered to her forehead by drywall filler. She wore a plain white tank top with a Star Wars logo on it and a pair of delightfully short jean cut-offs that showed off her tanned legs to perfection. He tried like hell to not stare at the generous cleavage that teased his animal side—but it was easier said than done.

  “Sorry, darlin’, I knocked, but I guess you didn’t hear me over the music.”

  “Oh, of course,” she answered, looking confused. “Why are you here?”

  “Martha called and said you needed some woodwork done?”

  Oh, there go those eyes again, narrowing with suspicion. Who knew that would make my dick hard?

  And it did. Good thing he was wearing some loose canvas pants today so she wouldn’t notice his reaction.

  “And let me guess, you’re the guy who can build me a mantle for the fireplace?” She crossed her arms, most likely not realizing it only pushed those delectable breasts up further to make his mouth water.

  “Guilty as charged.” Emmett winked at her and didn’t even try to hide his grin.

  “Fine, whatever.” She sighed, but he could see the slight flush creeping up her cheeks. “I’d like to try and mimic the style of the staircase. Is there anywhere around here that we can find some reclaimed wood?”

  He looked toward the stairs, taking in the texture and color of the pale-gray wood, and agreed it would be a fantastic feature piece. His gal had a great eye.

  “As a matter of fact, there are some old cabins in the woods that would match up with what you had in mind.”

  His bear rumbled with happiness when her face lit up with excitement.

  “Really? That’s awesome. When can we go check them out?”

  “I’ve got some office work to do this afternoon. How does tomorrow sound?” He gave her his most charming smile. “Say around noon?”

  Dani might be a tough nut to crack, but the only way he was going to do it was by spending more time with her … any way he could manage it.

  ****

  “Perfect, I’ll see you then.” She smiled politely, even though on the inside she was grinning like a smug fool at the look on his face in the wake of her dismissal. His eyes narrowed for a moment and it seemed that he was going to say something, but then he grinned and shook his head.

  “See you tomorrow.” Emmett turned to walk back out the door and Dani couldn’t seem to stop from watching his ass as he went. In all fairness, it was a really nice ass.

  The rest of the day flew by as she moved and covered up furniture and pulled stuff off the walls, getting ready to prep for new paint. Dani hadn’t even realized it was so late until Martha’s yoo-hoo reached her ears over the music in the background.

  “My, you’ve been hard at work, my dear!” Martha set down a box that smelled delicious on the kitchen island.

  “I have, I just really get in a zone when I’m doing stuff like this. I love it.” She edged closer to the food. “Oh, man, that smells amazing!”

  “I brought you a casserole and some salad. I don’t know if you had a chance to peek in the garden, but there should be plenty of veggies to sustain you while you’re here. Jeffery mentioned that you wanted to sell once the renovations are done. Who knows, though. Maybe you’ll fall in love with our little slice of paradise and end up staying.” Martha winked at her with a beaming smile before she hugged her and went back home to her husband.

  Dani had a feeling that Martha was on the recruitment committee, and from the smell of that casserole, the elder woman might just be the perfect person for the job.

  Chapter Five

  Dani was having a fantastic morning, sitting on the deck with a steaming cup of coffee, listening to
the birds enjoying the small pond on the other side of the yard. After working late last night, she’d indulged herself with a luxurious bath and then fell into bed.

  She felt her phone vibrate just like it had been all last night, and Dani took a deep breath, knowing that if she didn’t answer Andy’s call, he’d just keep calling and leaving more pissy messages.

  “Why are you calling me, Andy?” Dani tried to keep her tone neutral, but she had a sneaking suspicion she wasn’t succeeding.

  “Dani, why haven’t you been answering my calls?” His winey voice immediately grated on her nerves. “Where are you? You haven’t been back to your house in days.”

  “Jesus, Andy. Have you been watching my house? That’s not creepy at all.” Dani took another deep breath, trying to keep calm. “We broke up, and I’m sorry that you’re having a tough time moving on, but you just aren’t the man for me. It’s a simple as that.”

  The quiet on the other side of the phone actually made her even more nervous, because she knew a quiet Andy was much worse than a yelling one.

  “Listen, bitch.” His tone was scathing. “You’re mine because I want you. I don’t give a damn what you want. Tell me where you are right now, or you’ll be sorry.”

  Her heart beat a mile a minute and she had to set her coffee cup down before she spilled all over herself.

  “Don’t call me again, or I’m going to the police, Andy.”

  His laugh sent chills down her spine. “Try that, Daniella, and you’ll find out right quick who’s more important in this town.”

  She hung up immediately and turned off her phone, hating that she had answered at all. How could she have thought he was such a nice guy? When she’d first met him, he seemed like a normal, charming guy, maybe a bit high-strung, but nothing that had set off any red flags. It wasn’t until a few months into dating that he seemed to try to control more and more aspects of her life, and by the time Dani had gotten fed up and broke it off with him, she’d been worried his verbal attacks would turn physical. After weeks of trying to avoid him around town, which was difficult when he and his friends pretty much stalked her every move, Jeffery’s call about Bess’s house seemed like just the break she needed to get away from the creep. It just proved that you never really knew someone.