Rise of the Alphas

by Alexis Davie

  Maybe the younger Magnus would have debated her on it, but the older Magnus was clever enough to realize that if she had this much anger towards some dude driving a seventy-thousand-dollar truck around, she’d probably shoot him for driving around a million-dollar car. He was content for what he’d enjoyed, for now. This had been a lovely little derail into a different world, but as her truck came into view, he realized that it was over.

  He pulled off to the side of the road and watched her get out. “Sure you don’t need any help?”

  She smiled back at him, and, for a man that had been alive more than two centuries, his heart fluttered remarkably. Something about the combination of natural beauty together with a dirty face and rugged clothes took his breath away. She was truly an exquisite woman, not just for her appearance, but now that he knew that she was clearly quite clever, he was going to regret not seeing her again. She shook her head.

  “I think I’ve taken up enough of your time, but hey, maybe we’ll see each other again sometime. It was good to meet you.”

  He bowed his head, returning her smile, went back to the road, and headed back home, wondering if he should have said anything else.

  4

  The Party, Part 1

  Two Weeks Later

  Magnus stood on the balcony overlooking the city with a drink in his hand, thinking.

  The cold night air drifted across his bare chest, rustling through his recently showered, wet hair and bringing a chill through his bones. He brought the drink to his lips and felt the liquid slip down his throat. He hardly paid it any attention. His eyes were locked on the gleaming city so far below. Once, when he was younger, he would have given anything to be where he was right then, to prove his dad wrong, to be at the top of the world.

  Now, it just felt lonely.

  When he was young, he found everything titillating and exciting, but soon, he found himself growing bored. Then he turned to the thrill of investing in risky ventures, throwing his money and seeing what might happen, but it, too, lost its appeal. Then came parties, and parties sustained him for decades before the throes of sweet talkers had their carefully crafted compliments fall on deaf ears. Slowly but surely, he lost purpose, and he thought he understood why dragons grew so jaded towards the normal world. Nothing kept his attention. Monotony of the most exciting kinds flooded his life every day, and yet, then and there, with the remains of a fresh party strewn across his balcony and with the memories of the night still fresh in his mind, he realized it: he was missing something.

  He was missing someone to stand beside him. Someone to share it with. Someone he could talk to. Someone who mattered.

  He took another drink. Money made things awfully complicated. There was time where people would only suck up to him because they were scared of him, but the money had changed everything. They were harder to spot, and they all knew what to say, until finally, he realized that he didn’t matter to them, not in the slightest. It could have been him in that grave, and things would have kept on going with nothing but a few days of finding out who was next. He took another deep drink.

  He exhaled heavily, gazing out over the sparkling city lights. “Fuck…”

  He curled up his lip and tossed the rest of the drink out over the mountain before another few coughs overcame him, this time with slightly more pain than before. He let out a low grunt, stumbling for a second before catching his balance. The drink clattered out of his hand and shattered upon hitting the floor beneath. For a few, horrible seconds, his chest burned before, just as quickly as it had come on, it dissipated. He stared at the glass on the ground around his bare feet, took a lingering look back the city beneath him, and decided what he had to do.

  Sophie spent a solid ten minutes staring at the invitation for ten minutes before she could even decide what she felt about it.

  A dragon had invited her to a party. Only a few words, but she couldn’t wrap her mind around it. Yeah, she didn’t care that he was a dragon or not, but tons of people did, people who would do anything to meet him. It wasn’t like he was having to beg people to come to his party. So why the hell had he invited her? Was this a joke where she’d show up and everyone would laugh at the country girl? Did city people do shit like that? Was he seriously inviting her? Even past that, did she even want to attend? She was not well known for her love of parties or her love of the city. For a while, she just kept the invitation on her kitchen table while she thought about it.

  A trip to visit her grandpa changed it. In an attempt to update him on her life, she told him about the invitation, to which he so-lovingly declared that she’d better “catch herself a man while the getting’s good.” Halfway using him as an excuse and halfway because she found herself genuinely curious, she RSVP’d. At the worst-case scenario, she’d drive up there, not like it, and drive back. No biggie.

  The night of the party, Sophie dug out some clothes that she had in the back in the closet, found out that they surprisingly still kind of fit, dolled herself up with a rare application of makeup, did her hair, and drove all the way out to the city. And instantly regretted it.

  The moment she saw the valet’s expression at her oversized old work truck, she knew she didn’t belong. She gutted it up, trying to convince herself that she’d spent an hour getting all gussied up and she might as well see the inside of the magnificent house the party was being held at before leaving. Still, it was jarring to see her truck parked next to supercars worth a few dozen houses each.

  Magnus nearly spit his drink when he saw Sophie walking across his lawn through the massive glass walls that faced his valet parking area.

  Seeing the petite, almost sprite-like half elf striding towards the door with a decidedly sour expression on her face like that of someone who knew they did not belong but who was gonna do it anyway, he trailed off mid-sentence with some people he was talking to. She wore a confident red dress that hugged her body to perfection, showing her hips tilt as she walked with some amusing effort in the elegant heels. Her hair, previously dirty and thrown back in a practical manner, flowed about her head and bounced softly with every step she took.

  He’d wondered how she might look cleaned up, but he’d never even imagined that she would look so strikingly gorgeous. Knowing what she’d looked like before, knowing what she’d been doing when they’d first met, only enchanted him more that this beautiful jewel was the same woman who’d built her own bike and handled a ranch by herself. There was a decided fire in her vibrant eyes, a sort of “don’t fuck with me” warning.

  She came halfway across the lawn, squinted into the mass of people inside the house, and stopped walking. She curled her lip up in disgust at something before turning around and heading back towards her truck.

  Magnus hurriedly excused himself from his conversation and hustled through the party, getting to the door and throwing it open. “Sophie! Where are you going?”

  Sophie stopped and turned to look at him, making his heart flutter again. “I’m leaving, obviously.”

  “You just got here.”

  “I don’t need to stay longer to know these aren’t my kind of people. No offense.” He grinned, which caused her to scowl like he was making fun of her. She crossed her arms defensively. “What? They’re not. It’s too loud and fancy in there. I just don’t enjoy that kind of stuff.”

  His smile grew. “That’s why I invited you, though I’ll admit I’m surprised you actually came. Look. Won’t you give it a shot? Tell you what. Ten minutes, and if you still don’t want to stay, that’s fine. But give it a shot. I have something I think you’ll really like.”

  She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but at the same time, her body relaxed. “What is it?”

  He tossed his head back towards the house. “C’mon. I’ll show you.”

  Almost reluctantly, she nodded. “Ten minutes.”

  “Ten minutes,” he confirmed. “C’mon.”

  She smiled softly back at him and followed him. He led her into the house, skipping past t
he party itself and exchanging only a few smiles with people who were obviously curious about who Sophie was, and took her out back to the quiet deck, away from the people and the noise of the party itself. As he stepped out of the house, he let out a quick cough.

  Sophie stepped out of the doorway behind him.

  “You sure cough a lot. Are you okay—” Her words died off as she came fully out onto the deck and saw the glittering city far beneath them. Her eyes lit up with excitement and awe, and for a second, she looked like a little kid who’d finally seen Santa. Without speaking, she made her way to the edge of the balcony and peered over. “Oh wow. This… this is an amazing view…”

  Unbeknownst to her, Magnus watched her and loved to see the true delight coming off her. She had spent so much of their interactions fairly guarded. It was like watching a snow leopard emerge from a snowy peak, allowing him to see it in its full glory.

  “Yes, it is.” He cleared his throat and walked to the edge of the balcony beside her, looking out at the city beneath them with a faraway look in his eyes. “I bought this place back before most of that was here,” he told her. “Back then, it was smaller. Quieter. Much of it was just forest, and you could still see all the stars.”

  Sophie clung to the balcony railing and stared with a funny expression. Almost hesitantly, she spoke with a tinge of nostalgia. For whatever reason, this view meant more to her than it might your everyday person.

  “When I was younger, my grandpa would tell me about the city. He always wanted to come out to the highest peak on the city and look down on it, just to show everyone below that he could. He would have loved this.” A soft smile appeared on the side of her lips, quiet, soft, vulnerable. Magnus didn’t dare speak to ruin the moment. She finally was the one to speak, turning her attention to him with an inquisitive gaze. “I may have misjudged you. You aren’t a total ass.”

  He cocked an eyebrow up. “I guess I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  They locked eyes for a moment. With the moonlight and the warm glow of the party from inside the house illuminating her, the colder wind moving her hair lightly in the breeze, Sophie looked like an angel, something beautiful, something real, something too special for this world. For perhaps the first time, Magnus realized what he truly liked about her: she was untamed, wild and free. She was no conquest, no temporary pleasure. She was a wild Mustang without a master, and he wanted to ride that Mustang.

  They kissed, at first only a peck before she pulled him closer and they kissed passionately. Her lips were soft and warm and gave way slightly to his as he kissed her, wrapping his arms around her slender back and pulling her to his chest until their bodies intertwined. Feeling her warmth, feeling her body, knowing that she’d chosen him and wanted him to continue… Sophie was not like any of the women inside, eager to say anything to please him. Knowing that she could refuse him, that she probably had refused many a man before him and deemed him a worthy male, thrilled and aroused him.

  Magnus felt her back clench and relax while they kissed. Her thigh came up along between his legs before grazing the bottom of his crotch and the swiftly stiffening member within. Unable to hold himself back, unable to resist her, he softly bit her earlobe and felt her body, breathing harder and faster as his hormones flooded through his body.

  Only a few feet away, through the glass, waited the party. Any one of the guests could look outside and see what was happening, and perhaps knowing how little it would take for them to see, aroused Magnus yet more. This was naked, this was primal, this was raw, and this was exposed. Still clothed, they broke apart before he tossed his head back in the direction of the house. He had an idea, a dirty, naughty idea.

  Barely hiding a stiffening erection, Sophie’s face blushing from him having touched her already, they walked through the throes of partygoers and into his bedroom, which was lit only by the natural moonlight through the windows. The wall facing the party held a massive one-way mirror, allowing them to see into the party, but nobody outside could watch them—not that Sophie knew that, as she instantly seemed to notice the people right on the other side of the wall and hesitated.

  “One-way mirror,” Magnus explained instantly, which was everything she needed to hear. They found their way to the bed, and he sat down on the edge. She knelt before him, facing his spread legs with a daring grin on her face after she noticed his cock fighting to escape the bounds of his pants. Seeing her, so independent, so strong, kneel before him only hardened him more.

  He couldn’t take his eyes off her as she removed his pants, still clothed, and reacted with surprise when his shaft sprang tall and free before her face. The shock soon faded, and she gripped his cock with her hand, and expertly stroked him. Then, while staring straight into his eyes, she put her lips over the head. Instantly, pleasure flooded through him as she sucked on his erect manhood with the oblivious people right on the other side of the wall through the one-way mirror. Even though they could not see him and Sophie, they seemed to be able to. With her mouth, Sophie worshipped him, but with her hands, she worshipped herself by sliding a hand around her dress and rubbing her clit. Each stroke from her fingers seemed to bring her more pleasure that echoed through the soft moans she made.

  He wanted to be inside her, to feel himself enter her and watch her eyes when he did. Unable to wait any longer, he got to his feet and removed her clothes. She stood before him with a hint of shyness in her gaze, and she looked away, but even her small imperfections made her only more attractive to him.

  He turned her around and she faced the mirror with her hands pressed against it for support. He entered her from behind, coaxing a startled gasp as he slid in. Her knees came together, and her toes curled for just a second before he thrusted into her, slowly at first.

  Hearing her gasps and moans with each thrust, seeing the people inches away, and finally feeling her clench and have a shuddering orgasm brought him to an overpowering finish.

  When it was over, and all that was left was their panting and the residual ecstasy that slowly faded, all that he could think about was when he’d be able to do it again.

  5

  The Party, Part 2

  Sophie stared at herself in the mirror of a billionaire dragon’s bathroom and wondered what in the hell had come over her a few moments ago.

  She froze, dress halfway on, her hair a sort of disheveled mess hanging about her head and split over her half elf ears and stared for a few moments at the person she saw. A part of her wanted to be disgusted with herself. She was in the bathroom of a billionaire playboy and was easily seduced by a man she just met. She wanted to look at herself in the mirror and see someone she hated.

  But she didn’t.

  She was quite happy with the person she saw. She didn’t regret doing what she’d done with Magnus, and she enjoyed herself. What was there to be ashamed about? She was happy about it, no matter how long she looked. She hadn’t suddenly transformed into someone else. She was still Sophie, and that was tremendously reassuring to her.

  The sex had been exquisite. She was normally a girl that liked romancing and some foreplay, maybe dinner and some cuddling beforehand. But that had been the exact opposite. Just minutes before, she’d been considering leaving out of boredom and disgust for the general vibe of the party itself. There had been no romancing, and no cuddling. For whatever reason, she felt an animal drive to be with him. She’d successfully ignored it the first time they’d met, but the moment she saw him again, she felt the same thing, and it made as little sense as it had the first go around.

  The mirror answered none of her questions. She learned nothing at all by looking at herself. Not why she’d driven an easy hour out to a party she knew she would hate, not why she’d given herself to him, not why she’d even accepted the invite in the first place. But that was okay.

  She put her clothes back on, washing up a little, and realized it didn’t really matter why she did it. She didn’t have to rationalize her emotions to anyone.

 
Sophie brushed her hair behind her ears, not caring who noticed her elf DNA, and summoned up her frame. She gave herself a smile before walking out of the bathroom.

  She had only been in there a moment, so she hadn’t anticipated that Magnus would have been fully clothed already, but she was certainly not expecting what she saw. He stood facing away from her, looking through the mirror to the party with a funny, faraway gaze, completely nude. The way he stood showed off his impressive physique and the inherent power he somehow still carried. Most people, when naked, lost a lot of their power because they used their clothes to show their strength. With him, he somehow gained more stature naked, thanks to his strong, muscular build and big frame.

  Her initial theory about dragons being hung like a stallion had been proved more than she’d really expected. He was right on the border of being too big. An inch or two more, and she’d have to politely decline no matter how into him she might be. As he stood there, her eyes were drawn to his dangling participle before she remembered to be polite and focused more on his troubled look.

  “You, um… you okay?” she asked, clearing her throat and blushing despite herself. She’d literally seen all this a second ago. Him being naked was nothing new, but it was different now that they weren’t getting all hot and heavy.

  Magnus gave her a glance before returning to the people out the window. “Do you know why I put this mirror here?”

  “To have freaky sex?” She meant it as a joke, but he didn’t laugh.

  “So that whenever I looked out there, I’d be able to still see it, even when I needed some time away.” He knit his brow. “But I made it one way, and I never thought about why before.” He looked down at her and gave her a charming grin, dissipating the dark mood. “But no, the freaky sex part is good, too.”