He had no clue how to handle her. After the brief scare in the woods a couple of days ago, he decided it was best to keep a closer eye on her until things blew over and the surrounding packs had a sit-down. Which they did. And it was a fruitful affair that was handled better than he thought it would.  They agreed that security had to be tightened up and precautions put in place.

It all went well, in fact, it went so well that he was even invited to a wedding. The sister of  Alpha Colten of the Grayback pack, Eileen, found her mate and they are to celebrate their bond with a traditional all American wedding. Sadly enough he doesn't do weddings.  He has been to too many to count but he couldn't be rude and decline so he agreed with the excuse that he would be a tad bit late but will make it in time for the reception. That brought a smile to Eileen's face as she accepted that. 

It was agreed then that all the packs would be attending. It would be the first time in a long time that all the neighboring packs would be together on one ground. So, as news of the festivities made its way around, an excited Nikki had to go shopping and she wanted to take Hannah along. 

"No, absolutely not," he said.  

"Why can I not go?" Hannah looked up to him. The expression on her face held a mixture of hurt and something more ..... A curious, obstinate look.

"It's not safe, Hannah." 

"But, I want to go." she insisted. That small delicate jaw of hers firmed.  His brow lifted with the mulish look that spread across her face—that look alone intrigued him.  

Moving purposefully close, he looked down at her. She didn't move, she kept her eyes glued to his chest until he tipped her chin up and he held her gaze. 

"I said you're not going,"  He'd made his decision. It was final. 

He sucked in a breath with the sudden wave of her emotions as she pulled away sulkily and brushed past him without a word and plopped down on the couch in his office. 

Now, after some time had passed he sat back in his chair and looked up from his computer. His gaze landed on her perched near the armrest with her knees tucked beneath her as she looked out the window.  Her beautiful face suffused with sadness and the soft glow of daylight sent a flicker of something he refused to call regret, through him. Because he could not regret making her upset. Her safety was too important to ignore for the sake of regret, as was the safety of his pack.

But despite all of that, a thread of amusement wound through him as he observed her. He sighed then and looked at the clock on the bottom right-hand corner of his laptop 12:35 p.m. it was lunchtime.  He slowly stood up and walked over towards her. She kept her back to him.

"Hannah, are you hungry?" he asked.

A second had passed with silence before she turned her head to look at him. Impossibly warm brown eyes lifted to meet his. He let his gaze trace slowly over her face to her soft and tempting, pouty pink lips. 

"No," she answered. Her voice, so unassailably polite as always no matter what her gaze told him. Then she turned her head back to the window. His gaze then shifted to the rest of her and took in the softness of her brown skin and the perfection of her posture. Her body language told him she did not want to speak to him. His mouth curved slowly as he bit back a grin and shook his head. She was a complicated little thing that both fascinated him and drove him insane.

Before he could say anything, Nikki mind-linked with him.

"I'm on my way back, I got a dress for Hannah." 

"Okay," was all he said. He could hear her sigh.

"Is she still upset?" she asked.

He smirked turning away and slowly began walking towards the door. "Considering the silent treatment and the fact that all I saw was the back of her beautiful head since you left, Actually no, she isn't upset with me at all," he said sarcastically.

"What do you expect, Maddie, You practically kept her in all day."

"Safe!, I've kept her safe," he corrected sternly.

He listened to her sigh and she brushed off his words. "Anyway, I'll be there in 5. We have to start getting ready. Are you taking her?"

That was a good question. He turned to look at her then. He dragged in a deep breath and with it her alluring, seductive scent. He needed some distance from her because it was a very long drive there. Being alone with her in the closed confines of his truck was not a good idea. Especially not, if he actually intended to make it to the reception in a sane state of mind.

"No, You take her. I have to do a couple of things before I leave. I don't want to hold you two up." he swallowed. " I will meet you there."

He turned then to look at her one last time. 

"Nikki is on her way, I will see you later at the reception," he said.

She did not answer. 

He turned away and left.

He walked off towards the back of the house towards the beginning edge of the forest towards the lake. He decided on the long overdue change and run before he takes a dip in the lake. Anything to clear his head right now. 

The rush of the change and the run through the forest only fed his adrenaline. The dip in the lake and vigorous swim only cooled his skin but it didn't make him feel any better than what he was feeling before. Breaking the surface, he came up for air and waded his way to the edge of the water where he plopped himself down on the grass and stared up at the darkening sky above.  So much was on his mind, he rarely had time think. Mainly since she has been around. She was his weakness in the flesh. He'd lost count already of how many times he has kissed her. He has lost count of how many times he has refrained from claiming her. Really, the image of her tumbled in his bed beneath him, hasn't left him since the first night he kissed her. The view of her crept through him, sliding under his defenses. He shook his head. He shoved the thought away. That was not what he needed right now. 

He swore to himself he would not take a mate. He made it a rule to not get his head filled with the idiotic fantasy of having a family. This life of being an Alpha and the constant dangers of pack wars that came along with it was no life he would want his mate to live. True, it was their normal way of life. They lived in a 'dog eat dog world', where the Alpha position was always in jeopardy of being challenged.  Although personally, he didn't need to worry about that, it was still an issue that could not be ignored.

But now ever since Hannah arrived, his neatly placed cards on his table have scattered everywhere. He had fought with the idea of giving her up. Reject her. Regardless of how many times his wolf objected. He had to. It was the only way he could be at peace in his mind. 

His volatile world was no place for her. She wasn't a wolf. Their overbearing possessive ways, were not the best. Right off the bat, he could tell she was a free-spirited person. Gentle, fragile and too sweet. Being around her made him want to protect her. Keep her to himself.  Ever since kissing her the first time, he knew he had made a risky move. Because now he couldn't get enough of her. Crazy or not it would be a selfish move to claim her. So his mind was made up. 

Angrily, he sat up and clawed his hand through his damp hair. Koda began to argue with him but he just shut him out. With a sickening lurch in his heart, he closed his eyes. 

He had to let her go.

***********

A few hours had passed since he left the lake and went to the house to change. By then Nikki and Hannah had already left. The drive to the reception was a smooth one considering a part of him was anxious to know where they had gone since he arrived at the reception minutes ago and had not seen them. The mind link from Nikki of 'we are on our way', didn't ease his discomfort either. He made small talk with some of the other pack members and sat at the bar next to Brody that placed a 2nd glass of whiskey before him. Then slowly a circle of male pack members formed around them as they all went into a deep conversation of current politics and sports. 

It wasn't until her soft scent hit him, he noticed the commotion at the door and all of the guys turned away from him to see what it was all about. Then he saw her. 

The soft whistles and gasps were barely noted the way he was so entranced by her. 

God! she was beautiful. 

He studied every inch of her from the mass of shiny curls that framed her beautiful face to the pink sequined top short dress that accentuated her lush curves, down to her long soft caramel legs and sexy heels. Timidly her brown eyes searched the wide open space passing over every guest that held her image in awe. Until her eyes met with his. 

The small steps they took towards one another were painstakingly too slow for his liking but he would endure every minute of it because she was walking towards him. She only had eyes for him.  Then suddenly he snapped to attention when the lights dimmed. Prowling unmated males began to close in on her and with a confident stride, he wasted no time closing the space between them; possessively taking her into his arms and pulling her flush against him.

In his arms, he held her tight. The soft music surrounded them. "Are you still mad at me?" he broke the silence between them.   

 "No," she whispered. He stared at her. Lost in her warm trusting gaze.  That was a good enough answer as any she could give. He pulled her close and pressed his lips to her forehead, he breathed in the scent of her, he gloried in her warmth and her beauty.

  Then he realized, whatever he decided hours ago was mute.

 He could no more stop himself from wanting her than he could stop breathing. He had no intentions of giving her up. 

Nothing in this world could make him give her up. Not now.

Not ever.

**********

Here we go my peeps ...Had to update this part while it was fresh in my mind.

I want to give a shoutout to all my new followers. Thank you so much for the likes and comments you guys it's wonderful to wake up and find my inbox flooded with your inspiring words. 

So I had to choose this song because I think it's so romantic. up next PURE DRAMA and the moment you all have been waiting for....(Still deciding on how steamy to make it in the private chapter. It's your turn to tell me how spicy you want this enchilada) lol...

Stay tuned....