Taming the Alpha

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Chapter 16 - Taming the Alpha

Draken POV

"You know you look fucking stupid right now, right?"

I didn't even try to hold back a growl of pure irritation. It sounded vicious even to my own ears, but she didn't even flinch.

Of course she didn't.

It was obvious this girl had a talent for pushing my buttons. Even I wasn't normally this short-fused. Okay, I was. But she brought me to a whole new level.

How could a single six year old possibly be so annoying? It wasn't normal. Sure, I didn't like kids. I didn't like anyone. But I wasn't normally this prone to such homicidal tendencies for no real reason.

She cocked her head to the side, simply watching me watch her. Even that annoyed me. She was at that age where everything she did was supposed to be cute, but she was grating on every nerve I had.

Every. Fucking. One.

She glared at me through narrowed eyes, striking a ridiculous pose. Her arms were crossed, her hip cocked against the wooden post that was stabilizing the deck her body was leaning on. A fair-haired, glossy, blue eyed doll was wrapped loosely in her arms, staring sightlessly ahead, an immortalized half-smile on its plastic face.

It wouldn't have looked so bad – normal, even – had the girl not been frowning, her tiny button nose scrunched up to imitate anger, and her rose colored lips set in a firm line. I think she was supposed to look like, well... me. Minus the doll. Which wasn't gaining the little chit any points.

I took a deep breath to calm myself, something that only marginally worked.

"Does your mommy let you say that?" She asked, her fake British accent comically incorrect. She had lowered her voice to a tenor I assume was supposed to mimic mine, but everything about it was totally wrong. The outcome left me at odds with myself. Part of me wanted to laugh. The other, far darker side was contemplating slitting her throat with the knife I was conveniently twirling in my hand.

Or drowning her. I could smell a lake not too far away. That was an alternative. Not quite so messy.

A muscle in my jaw twitched.

So many options.

Yet, none of them I could act upon.

"Blood-eey 'ell! Why are we out here?" She continued in that fake accent, her voice way too high. And quite frankly, she sounded more Australian than British. "Wouldn't you rather go inside and have a spot of tea?"

I caught the knife in mid-air and clenched the hilt until it began to hurt, the metal embellishments digging into the palm of my fisted hand. Very, very bad thoughts were running through my head. "No." The single word was spoken with such ice cold steel it would have scared absolutely anyone.

But this little chit was not just anyone.

She was a complete and utter fool.

Her mouth opened and closed around a yawn that penetrated the night air. "And crumpets?" She added, as if on an afterthought.

"Shut up!"

"So sorry, love." She cocked her head to the side. Unruly brown hair fell across her cheek, hiding half of her face from view. She lowered her lashes, her fingers running idly over the doll's head. "What's a crumpet, anyway?" Her nose scrunched up. "Is it edible?"

I raised an eyebrow, trying to remind myself of all the reasons I should keep this child alive. The list was long, but not nearly long enough in my opinion.

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