Why Me, Alpha?

Chapter 5

“There are just some things you don’t need to know about, Nolan.” Marcus replied.

Nolan shook his head, chuckling. “I don’t know if you can sense it, but her scent in particular is different from the younger ones.” He lay back down and started throwing the paper ball in the air again. “There’s something distinctly werewolf, but there’s another scent and it seems, to me at least… Contradictory. There’s something not right here, Marcus. I don’t know about you, but I can feel it.”

Lia opened her eyes and checked the time.

4:17 A.M.

She sighed, sitting up. She felt something fall off her shoulders and turned to grab it. To her great surprise, she saw Marcus sleeping on the chair just outside her small cubicle, his head leaning forward.

For a moment, she sat there, shocked, then she smiled. She sighed as she stood and stretched. She walked beside him and sat on the balls of her feet.

“Marcus,” She called out to him softly.  “Marcus, wake up.”

He opened his eyes slowly and when he saw her, a smile made its way to his lips.

“Good morning,” he whispered, groggy.

She smiled in reply as she stood up again. “What are you doing here?”

“Mom told me you were still here last night, so I came to take you home.” He smiled at her expression. “But you were asleep.”

“You should’ve woken me up.” She said as she placed her shoes on.

“Couldn’t do it, you looked extremely peaceful.”

She had to smile at his action, which endeared him more to her. She handed him his suit jacket. “It’s already morning.”

“I’ll take you home.” Marcus stood.

“I think I’ll walk,” she replied. It’s not that she was avoiding him, well, fine, she’d admit to that—partially. It was more because she loved walking in general, it helped her gather her thoughts.

“I’ll go with you, and please wear this, it’s cold out this time of day,” he said waiting for the elevator, handing her his suit jacket once again.

She was tired already, and still felt slightly out of it, so she didn’t put up a fight. Instead she placed the jacket on as a sign of acceptance while he held her bag.

When they finally got into the elevator, they stood at an awkward distance from one another.

“Will you tell me what was bothering you yesterday?” Markus asked after a moment of silence.

Lia sighed. What was the point in not telling him anyway? “My parents died in a car accident.” She paused for a moment to let him absorb the information. “I haven’t been comfortable with fast driving, or not wearing a seatbelt since. I mean, I understand that wearing a seatbelt or what not doesn’t necessarily guarantee safety, but it just makes me feel safe that way, it goes the same with people in the car with me. I know it’s petty, but I can’t help it.”

“So yesterday…”

“I guess I was just really irritated that you’d laugh your safety off, just like that, especially when, at any moment, you could die.” The last bit she said in a whisper, her heart clenching at the thought, materializing her thoughts into words didn’t make the ache she had felt the day before any better, in fact, it intensified.

Surprised by the intensity of the feeling, she walked out the elevator the moment the doors opened, leaving behind a stunned Marcus.

Marcus grinned. She did care for him, despite everything she said. He quickly stepped out, stopping the elevator doors from closing, and followed her.