"Why the hell were you with a male Amani?" He asked through clenched teeth. I could feel beads of sweat trickle down my back as I answered his question. "He's one of my best friends." "He's a mutt and needs to be put down." He said, giving me a threatening look daring me to continue.

  "You don't know his story Calix. He really is a good guy." I said looking into his eyes confidently. "Why are you so hellbent on protecting him? You're my mate not his! " He said angrily, his eyes staring right back into my own.

  "He is my best friend and I won't tolerate anyone disrespecting him, not even my so-called mate, so don't you dare call him a mutt." I said as his face twisted into one of anger obviously about to lose his shit. "He isn't as bad as you think Calix. If you'd just talk to him then you'd understand, but I can't say anything about what happened to him because it isn't my story to tell." I continued, saying the last part quietly reminiscing on what Alex had told me about his past.

  He huffed out a breath of annoyance as he gave me a calculating look. I wasn't about to back down without a fight, but arguing with him wasn't something I was necessarily fond of because it never went well. Maybe I was taking the wrong approach here trying to challenge him, so I decided to take another approach. Giving him a pleading look, I laid my head to the side on his chest and looked up into his eyes

  He tensed underneath me going stiff. "Amani, don't look at me like that; you don't know what it does to me." He groaned as he threw his head back on the couch letting out a sigh. "Calix please." I begged giving him the best puppy dog eyes I could muster.

  "Okay fine! But only on the condition that we formally set up a meeting." He said clearly giving up. "Thank you, I'll let him know right now!" I said as I impulsively kissed his temple. I scrambled out of his lap to get my phone when I realized that I was no longer holding it. Before I could even register what he had done I was already back in his lap.

  "Whoa there tiger; Where do you think you're going?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "I have to tell him the good news." I said hurriedly so he'd let me go already.

  "I must admit I'm not thrilled about your excitement for another man, but if it makes you happy I'll let him into my pack if he seems like a trustworthy person." "You'll let him into your pack?" I asked, wanting an explanation.

  "You see werewolves are often part of a pack and when one is not that means they are a rouge. It's up to the Alphas to decide if a rogue is deemed fit to enter a pack or not, and if they are they have to undergo a welcoming ceremony." He explained with his eyes never leaving mine. Wait, the Alpha has the choice to let a rogue into a pack?

  If that's the case then when I was on the phone with Alex and he addressed Calix as Alpha Calix, that must mean Calix is the alpha and can let Alex into his pack. I beamed at that realization before I quickly shut it down when I realized I could use it to my advantage.

  Calix doesn't know that I know that he's an Alpha, so in the meantime I could use that knowledge to butter him up to let Alex in. But I'll have to play dumb for a while to make it convincing. "Can you tell me more about the Alpha of your pack?" I asked innocently.

  He looked at me for a second and chuckled lightly. "Why do you want to know about the Alpha?" I twiddled my fingers a bit, entangling them as I put on an act of nervousness. "It's just I want to know more about him so I can have some idea of what he's like so I can give Alex a heads up, that's all."

  He rolled his eyes annoyedly, probably because I wouldn't shut up about Alex. "Fine If you want to meet the Alpha so badly then I'll schedule a visit for you and one for the rogue." "Thank you Calix." I said as I forced a smile trying my best to keep my unpleasant comments to myself.

  "Tomorrow is Saturday, so I know for a fact that he won't have anything to do because he doesn't work on the weekends." He suggested. I can't meet with him tomorrow because I'm going out with Alex and Autumn for drinks. Even though we were hanging out in the evening I didn't want to have to deal with him tomorrow at all or honestly ever, but I knew that was inevitable.

  "Tomorrow I can't because I have plans, but what about Sunday?" I asked as I averted my attention from his face as I looked at his veiny muscular arm that had been wrapped around my waist to avoid looking at his face. Talk about eye candy. "What plans do you have tomorrow?" He asked, cocking his eyebrow up in question.

  "Well I'm meeting up with a friend tomorrow, not that It's any of your business." I said as I scoffed in annoyance. Why did he always have to poke his nose into my personal affairs?

  "What 'friend' are you talking about?" He asked, his eyes growing a tad bit darker as I looked up in them to make a smart remark. "Again, that's none of your business." So much for buttering him up I guess.

  "It is my business because you are my mate and I need to know where you're going so I won't worry about your safety." He said through clenched teeth obviously trying to keep his composure. I wanted to piss him off so badly but didn't want to deal with the aftermath of it.

  "Mate my ass." I said underneath my breath lowly, but of course he heard it with his stupid werewolf hearing and all. His grip tightened on my waist as he slowly exhaled. "Do you need to be punished again mate?" He asked with his voice dropping a few octaves. If he wasn't such an asshole that would've made my lower region gush, but it had the opposite effect as I tensed up in his arms.

  I knew what it meant when he used that voice on me. Even though we hadn't known each other that long I knew him enough to know that he meant business when he talked to me like that. That business was usually followed by my moans filling up the space around us as I came for him. So, obviously I shook my head no as I looked down at my intertwined fingers.

  "What have I told you about using your words mate?" He asked as he grabbed my jaw, pulling it up to look at him. My eyes widened slightly in surprise as I was met with his darkened blue eyes. "Well?" He asked.

  "No... I don't need to be punished." I said as I suddenly felt the need to tighten my legs, feeling my body about to betray me, but didn't give into doing it. Why does he have to be so goddamn hot? As I looked at his face I noticed he didn't have any pores, like zero. His bone structure was absolutely insane and any girl would be lucky to have him. He was without question the most attractive man I have ever seen, but he was still an asshole.

  "Then act like it." He said as he brought his face closer to my own, fanning his spearmint breath on my face. "Now, who is it that you have plans with Amani; I won't ask you again."

  I mentally took a deep breath before I answered him. "Her name is Autumn." I said hoping he'd let it go; because It wasn't the whole truth, but it wasn't a lie either.

  He gave me that calculating look silently questioning me. "Is it just her or are you planning to hang out with that mutt?" I raised my head a little trying to loosen his grip on my face when it tightened suddenly. "I just told you I was hanging out with Autumn tomorrow, so can you drop it ...please?" I asked, putting an inference on please, now getting irritated.

  "That's not what I asked you now is it?" He asked as if his grip couldn't get any tighter on my jaw, it did. I whimpered at the strength he held my jaw with as it became painful. "You're hurting me." I told him pleading with my eyes for him to let me go.

  "Answer the question honestly and I'll let you go." He said calmly as he analyzed my face searching for any signs of dishonesty. The guy could hear heartbeats for god's sake, so he could obviously tell if I was lying or not. I mean what I was about to say wasn't a lie because at first it really was her then I invited Alex, so if we were talking about the past then it wasn't a lie. I had to convince myself that it was the truth if I wanted him to believe it, and he couldn't find out that I was lying because I didn't know what he'd do to Alex and it could jeopardize his chance to get into Calix's pack.

  "It's just her." I said confidently looking into his eyes as they turned from a dark blue to navy, meaning that he probably knew I was lying. "Why is your heart beating so fast mate?" He said in a taunting manner which made my heart sink in fear and .....anticipation?