Playing Games with an Alpha

Chapter Twelve: The Look of Love

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Playing Games with an Alpha

Chapter Twelve: The Look of Love

"You are the Alpha aren't you?" Paisley repeated in a harder tone of voice. Her eyes roamed Asher's face with interest. She wanted to know why he looked like he was about to tackle her.

"Yes, I am the Alpha of this territory." Asher looked her dead on. "I think the question now is who are you?"

"Paisley you sure don't have a lot of stuff! There was only one box left!" Clara pranced in with a happy look on her face. She stopped in her tracks when she noticed Asher and Paisley and their new close proximity. While Paisley wasn't looking Asher seemed to gravitate closer to her. While her sub conscious didn't mind, she kind of did. She took another step back and Asher looked a little hurt.

"I see you've met my brother!" Clara smiled. Her expression faltered when she realized there was a tension or sense of awkwardness in the air. "What's going on?"

Paisley shuffled uncomfortably; she had no idea what to say. Her wolf was screaming to go to this man and love him endlessly but that made no sense to Paisley. Why on earth would she do that? What was a mate? Was it like a soul mate? She had many questions but this time instead of her being the only one in the dark, the people who surrounded her were as well. They didn't know much about Paisley and she had a feeling that the truth would have to come out soon.

Asher ignored Clara for the time being. "Paisley? That's a beautiful name." Paisley's face turned a beat red. This man was complementing her and yet she still stood like a statue.

"Asher, why are you staring at my new room mate like that?" Clara questioned with her eyebrows raised with her hands on her hips. It took her several minutes but after that Clara's mind clicked. "Oh my God!"

She started jumping up and down like a happy schoolgirl and Asher just laughed at her. His laugh sent shivers down Paisley's body once again and she never heard something sound so alluring. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!" Clara continued. "You guys are mates!?" Clara's happiness clouded her judgment. She should have known that it was impossible was Asher to have his true mate.

"I don't know how," Asher said. "But all the right signs are here. You are my mate. You have to be." Asher stood in front of Paisley. This time she couldn't step back, she was pressed against the kitchen counter. His hand rose and gently touched her cheek. That was enough to wake Paisley up out of her daze.

"Stop," She yelled and maneuvered her body away from his. His face contorted in confusion and pain. It hurt Paisley to see him that way but she was just as confused. Her heart was beating rapidly at the contact they made and it refused to slow down.

"What's wrong?" Asher asked with a frown on his face.

"I- Uh-" She couldn't seem to get the words out. She didn't know what to say. She looked to Clara for help but she didn't understand what was going on either.

Paisley knew she was going to sound stupid. She knew asking this question would bring up a whole other set of them. But she needed to know why her heart was racing because of this man and she needed to know why he looked ready to kiss her.

She winced, "Um... What is a mate?"

They stared at her, blank stares full of wonder and confusion. Asher's golden eyes seemed to darken, how or why Paisley didn't know. Silence filled the house and perplexity jam-packed the air.

Clara broke the silence. "Paisley, what do you mean? You are a wolf... You should know these things."

Paisley sighed audibly. Her hand covered her face and her head dipped forward allowing her hair to act as a safety net. She was dumbfounded. Ben hadn't mentioned anything about mates yet and Paisley hadn't asked.

A cool, soft hand coming under her chin and lifting her face up interrupted her thoughts. Tingles erupted from where he touched her and this time she could not ignore them. A soft gasp escaped her lips and made her look up at Asher. He wasn't smiling but he wasn't frowning either. "I don't like seeing you look sad like that," he muttered in a low voice.

Paisley bit her lip, a bad habit she picked up, and glanced away. If he didn't like seeing her sad then he was going to be in a world of hurt. The majority of her life was filled with sorrow and although Paisley was strong enough to overcome it she still had breakdowns or bad memories every once in a while.

"I should call Ben and Eleanor... they can help explain things." Paisley looked back at the two. Clara seemed worried about Paisley and Asher was too hard to read. Paisley didn't like him like that. She desperately wanted to know what was on his mind.

"Your grandparents?" Clara asked. Paisley nodded. "There's a lot I haven't told you or anyone else yet and I guess its time for the truth to come out."

Asher seemed to be lost in thought. His gaze never left Paisley's figure but he couldn't think straight. On one hand he was ecstatic and overjoyed to have found his true mate while on the other hand his Alpha instincts told him she was hiding things and he didn't know what to say to that. He should be acting like the leader he is and interrogating her but this was different. This was his mate. His. He liked the sound of that.

Hearing her say the name Ben made him cautious and agitated, she was his and his only now, until he figured out whom she meant. Ben was a good man so was his wife, Asher thought. They've always helped out and respected the pack. But Ben was also harboring the questionable rogue, which meant that that female was most likely Paisley and that angered Asher beyond belief. She wasn't any rogue he could see that and he bet Alec did too. The only reason Alec continued to watch over her was to get a good view. That made Asher growl. He'd have to slap Alec later for his pervert-like tendencies. But then again he was glad to know that Paisley had someone watching over her for protection... He'd still slap Alec anyway or better yet not go grocery shopping again for a while.

He looked back to his mate. She was perfect and more than anything he could ever ask for. His heart clenched. He finally got when he always wanted but Asher didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. His enemies could use her against him and hated that knowledge.

His pack would have to wait to find out about her and so would the council. Asher needed to get to know her and figure out how the hell she didn't know what a mate was. That's what particularly stunned him. What wolf didn't know about mates? And she was a wolf, he was sure. Her scent and most of all her eyes pointed that out. Her eyes were a mystery that Asher determined to uncover. All that mattered now was her. Paisley. He would protect her, cherish her, but most of all Asher would love her. He was never letting her go.

XOXO,

HaileyElizabeth