The Alpha novel Chapter 17

Scarlet's POV

Later that night I get home and find Ethan in his home office, completely focused on whatever he is working on. I lightly tap on the open door, alerting him to my presence. His head quickly snaps up and when he sees it's me his face breaks into a grin. "Hey beautiful," he says as he rises from his seat and strolls over to me. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me to him, pressing a sweet kiss to my forehead. "How was your day?"

"It was amazing. Thank you for finally letting me go back to the shelter," I reply as I place my hands on his neck, my thumb lightly stroking his jaw. He grabs my hand and nuzzles into it before turning it to kiss the heel of my palm. My heart flutters inside my chest and I must admit that I really like his affectionate side. My wolf purrs, clearly she likes it too.

"You're welcome. I know it may not have always seemed like it, but I just want you to be happy Scarlet," he insists as he gazes into my eyes, his fingers lightly stroking my back as he continues to hold me as though he never wants to let me go.

I bite my lip shyly as I stare into his stunning blue eyes, debating on how I want to respond. "Well... do you know what would make me happy now?"

His smile widens at my teasing. "I don't... but I look forward to you telling me."

"I think we should play a game."

"A game? What kind of game?"

I grin mischievously back at him. "I saw a pool table in the media room. I was thinking that for every ball I get in the pocket I get to ask you a question about yourself and you have to answer it honestly and vice versa."

The smile he gives me causes warmth to spread through my body like it has been ignited. I can't help but wonder if my feelings for him are because of the mate bond or if I would feel this way about him regardless. There is no denying that he is utterly gorgeous with his perfectly sculpted muscles, tall stature, azure eyes, and dark hair. I would certainly be attracted to him regardless. I don't know how any woman would not be drawn to this Adonis. He's like a work of art. His facial hair that is just slightly more than a five-o'clock shadow gives him a somewhat rugged look but the rest of him is always so put together and intimidating. He has an air of mystery about him that makes you want to be the one to discover all his secrets. But that smile... Goddess, it could melt the Antarctic. It almost seems to make him a totally different person, one who is fun and carefree.

"Why, I like the way you think Miss Denton," he jokes as he gestures towards the open doorway. I lead us out of his office and he immediately wraps an arm around my waist again as we walk towards the media room.

We reach the room and head over to the billiards before he hands me a stick and a small cube of chalk. "So, have you ever played pool before?" he questions as he racks the balls.

"Yeah. One of the abandoned buildings in The Scourge has a billiards table that is useable. It certainly wasn't in the same condition as this one, but it worked," I respond, unable to hide the nostalgia in my voice. The material had been worn and faded, but we were used to that. None of us ever had gotten anything that wasn't old or used. Will and I, along with several other packless would spend time playing pool and darts at a place that had once been some sort of bar. It was the only fun we could have without getting into any kind of trouble.

"Do you want to break or should I?" he inquires as he grabs his own stick.

"I will," I state before taking position at the end of the table. I pull the stick back and aim before sending the white ball sailing towards the triangle of colored orbs. They burst apart and begin bouncing along the sides in every direction before the purple one falls into the corner hole. I pump my fist excitedly and turn to Ethan who is looking at me with an amused expression, trying not to laugh at me.

"Alright Alpha Kane..." I begin as my eyes roll up towards the ceiling and I tap my finger on my chin in thought. There are so many things I want to ask him, so many things I want to know. "What exactly do you do?"

He raises his eyebrows at me before letting out a chuckle as he scratches the stubble along his jaw. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you work all of the time. So, what are you doing all day? What keeps you so damn busy?" I ask, my tone light but curious.

"I dabble in a lot of things. Between me and my brothers we own most of the city. Alex deals a lot with real estate and finances. Xander focuses on entertainment and leisure. I spend most of my time with technology. I like to make things that better our lives or makes them easier. I invented drones that allowed all of the different packs or clans to import and export without shipping costs, which helped all of the territories to grow and flourish." His features light up as he talks about this and I feel my smile growing as I watch him speaking so animatedly.

Once he's done, I take another shot and miss. He takes position and easily knocks one of the striped balls into the side pocket before turning to me. He just stares at me for a moment as he contemplates and his jaw twitches a bit as he displays a serious expression. I begin to feel a bit anxious about what he's thinking about asking me. Finally, he demands, "Explain your relationship with this Will guy."