Alpha Eyes (Alpha Eyes: Book 1)

Chapter 12

 One at a time, the wolves slowly lowered themselves and rolled onto their backs. My wolf stayed at full attention as the youngsters met her gaze. There was one more point she and I needed to make clear with them.

Do you accept Adrian as your acting alpha?

Neither of them moved, keeping their bellies exposed in submission. When I nodded in approval of their choice, they both rolled back to their feet. One of their teachers approached with a couple pairs of basketball shorts.

"Shift," I ordered, turning my head to the side as they shifted back to human form and jumped into the offered shorts. Once at least partially covered, they faced me and dropped to one knee.

I drew a slow deep breath to calm my racing heart. Adrian placed his hands on my shoulders and rubbed little circles with his thumbs. When I didn't speak for a few seconds, he poked at my mind.

They'll listen to you now, I told you. Please welcome them into the pack.

He didn't ask questions. Rather, he stood up tall and nodded to the young men before us. "Gentlemen, welcome to the pack."

The group burst into cheers, whoops, and hollers. The new wolves shakily rose to their feet as they were swarmed by warriors and fellow students. It was like a big family reunion. Everyone's energy level boosted, and the joy spread like wildfire.

My wolf retreated to the back of my mind, her job completed. I sagged backwards, collapsing into Adrian. He gently wrapped one arm around my waist and scooped me off the ground into a cradle hold. His general warmth and scent engulfed me and eased my tense muscles. For a moment, he held me close and traced the tip of his nose along my hairline.

"You did great, sweetheart," he gushed into my ear. "You were incredible. Even my wolf was turning belly up to your sexy alpha."

I buried my face in his shirt as I flushed a deep shade of red. This was not the place for his flirty mate comments. I'd probably die of embarrassment.

"Why is it so draining?" I whimpered, just loud enough for only him to hear. "I feel like I've been boxing for an hour. Every part of me is trembling."

"I know," he purred, nuzzling my nose. "The only other time I've felt you trembling like this was when we—"

"Stop," I squeaked, squirming in his hold. "No one needs to know about our private lives."

He bit back any additional comments and hugged me to his chest. "Sorry, babe. I'm proud of you for stepping up. Those boys didn't put up much of a fight against you, so that means your alpha side was really strong. What else did you tell them? They were on their backs for a long time."

I traced my finger along his jaw, offering one of my supportive smiles. "I asked if they accepted you as their acting alpha. They said yes, so you have their allegiance as much as I do."

He blinked a couple times. "Really? You did that? For me?"

"Of course," I said. "We are in this together, and I'm going to make sure that you have as much power as possible. That's how much you mean to me, and how much I want you in every part of my life."

He ducked his head and captured my mouth with his. We both flinched with the fireworks that exploded across our skin. If we'd been alone, this easily could have turned into a steamy make-out session that left both of us gasping for air. Thankfully, the celebrations nearby kept both of us in check. Adrian teased me a little with his tongue before pulling away. I stared into his gorgeous eyes as my wolf purred her pleasure with the attention.

Jaxon separated himself from the group and jogged over to us. Another flush crept up my neck as Adrian tightened his grip around me, a low growl rumbling in his throat. I loved his protective instincts, even if we weren't fully mated yet. I could only imagine how possessive he'd be once we were completely and officially a pair.