The Rogue Alpha’s Claim

“I will scream,” Ariel threatened him, with the shopping bag already poised to launch at him. “I promise you, I will scream and…”

Alex put his hands in his pocket and removed it with a key, and Ariel could only look, open-mouthed, as he opened the door adjacent to hers and entered inside.

The door shut with a click, and her pupils continued to widen as she stared at the vacant space he had just once occupied, putting two and two together.

There was no way he could access the house if he wasn’t a resident there or if he was visiting someone. But the boldness with which he had entered the house only told of someone who was a legal occupant, and that left only one option.

He was her neighbor.

A loud gasp left her lips at the realization, and she slapped her mouth with her palm. She had just accused her good samaritan of being a stalker.

“Geez! Why can’t I shut up?” She had become too paranoid, afraid that everyone was out to get her, and it was coming to bite her in the ass.

She had to apologize as soon as possible.

Ariel took a few steps forward, and she was face-to-face with the similar-looking door. She raised her hand, connecting it to the door, ready to knock, but another thought was stopping her.

It wouldn’t be wise for her to barge on him now; when the anger was still raging, she would give him time and feign ignorance.

It always worked every time.

Ariel reluctantly turned her back against his door and made for hers, making sure to shut it firmly behind herself, and she leaned her frame on the door.

Geez!

This wasn’t how she had hoped today would turn out to be, but if she was truthful, he had a fault in it; he didn’t bother to deny her claim.

She shook her head, trying to get rid of the incident from today, and she swept her eyes across the room until they landed on the still-unopened shopping bags.

She marched towards them with purpose, lowering herself to the floor, and sat cross-legged, dragging the bags towards her, to begin the sorting process.

Mr. Woods had really outdone himself; he had gotten everything she could think of and even gone beyond, she thought as she caught sight of the box of jewelry, but she pushed it aside.

There was no way she was going to let him gift her that much.

She may be needy, but she still had class, and maybe that little part of her still refused to believe Kane was the culprit in her parents deaths.

Ariel stood up, arranging all of the things she had gotten in their appropriate places, and she looked at the room, looking a bit more like her.

She glanced at her wristwatch, and her pupils widened. Somehow, two hours had passed, and she couldn’t put it off any longer.

She had to apologize to her neighbor.

A few minutes later, Ariel was standing in front of his door, wringing her hands behind her. It was horrible enough that she didn’t have anything to bring to him.

She picked at the lint in her dress as she waited for him to answer the door. But no answer was forthcoming, and she tried again, raising her hand to the door, but it suddenly jerked open, and it was only her fast reflexes that saved her from getting her face planted on the floor.

“Hey, neighbor, fancy seeing you here.”

Her eyes met with probably one of the most beautiful men she had met-although he couldn’t hold a candle to Kane-his mask had been hidden, his chiseled jawline and well-defined face, and his eyes were a warm brown that was drawing her in.

Or maybe she was just horny.

“I live here,” he said as a matter of fact, and she gave him a small smile.

“I just wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier; it was horrible of me to assume something that you were obviously not, and I am sorry.”

“It is fine; I didn’t take any offense; it was rather amusing seeing you get all defensive.”

“Amusing?” Her face turned sour immediately, and Alex shook his head.

“No, I meant, hmm, I… you were just amazing standing up for yourself.”

“Hmm.”

“Please come in.” He moved out of the way to make room for her, and she took a step inside, letting her eyes wander around the house.

There was barely any difference between their rooms; they were both painted with the same dull ash color, and their furniture was already showing signs of old age, but what struck her was the lack of amenities in the living room.

It was much worse than her own; it was like he just moved here recently. If she could recall, he had said he had been here a long time, or was she mistaken?

“Care for tea?”

“Tea?” Her pitch rose higher than she would have liked.

“I know it is a little strange, but I spent some years in China, and I got used to offering people tea when they came to visit; of course it would come with biscuits.”

“Oh, okay.” He was a little strange, but she could manage it.

She sat gingerly on the couch, shifting inside to make herself comfortable while she waited for him, and he came back not too long later, holding a tray with two ceramic cups and a kettle, and he came to sit beside her.

He poured some tea in a cup and pushed it towards her, and she took it with thanks.

“Are you renovating or something?” Ariel asked as she skinned around the room, and he gave her a small smile with no hint of teeth.

“I do work that requires me to travel regularly; I barely stay in any place for long, hence the minimalist lifestyle.” Ariel nodded her head, his explanation making sense. “What about you, stranger? How did you find yourself in this town? You don’t look like one of us.”

Ariel rolled her eyes. “It is a long story, and I don’t want to bore you with all the details.”

“I asked; I don’t care about the boring details.”

“Well, I ran away from my abusive ex, and I thought this town would be a good start. I’m actively searching for a job, and it seems like no one wants to pay me my worth.” She sighed, but Alex didn’t seem convinced.

“Are you sure, though?”

“Excuse me?” Ariel’s eyebrow rose in question. “What are you trying to imply?”

“I apologize if I said something that was wrong, but I am very familiar with things like this, and it is not as it usually is.”

Ariel released a sharp breath as she stood up. “I think I have overstayed my welcome. Goodbye.”

“Wait, Ariel,” he called after her, standing up to meet her, and he held her wrist before she could open the door.

Arie directed her glare at him, and if looks could kill, he would be six feet under. “Unhand me right now, or else I will scream bloody murder!”

“Right, I am sorry; that came out wrong. Forgive me.”

“Listen here; I don’t know who you are, but you have no right to decide if what I felt was true. You weren’t there when he was hurting me, nor were you there when he threatened me, and you surely don’t have the right to decide if my feelings were true!” Her face was red with rage as she snapped.

She had been looking for an outlet, and now that she had seen it, she just wanted to channel all her frustration into it.

“I am sorry.”

“You are unbelievable.” She blinked rapidly, refusing to break down in front of this stranger.

“Let me make it better. I know a friend that is actively recruiting, and I could put in a good word for you, and he would be willing to give you a job.”

Ariel eyed him skeptically, even though she was leaping for joy inside. “Are you trying to bribe me? Because I am sorry to disappoint you, but it is not working.”

“Of course not. This is just a sincere apology.”

Ariel took another look at him from the top of her lashes, and she sighed. She truly needed the job. “Fine, but they better pay well.”

“Of course, nothing less for a queen.”

***

And he was right.

Somehow Alex had managed to convince the new publishing firm that opened in town that they needed a new secretary, and the pay was massive-almost too good to be true.

If she was honest, this town had been a blessing for her, and her guidance angel must be working full time. Random strangers have been going the extra mile to help her.

But who was she to complain? She was just a girl.