Alpha Noah

~Abella

I grit my teeth, trying my hardest not to roll my eyes.

I’m almost tempted not to open the letter. Why should I? He might be my Alpha, and now my boss, but I could simply claim’s that I never received the letter in the first place…I just don’t understand what everyone’s obsessions with writing me letters is recently. Cian, and now Noah?

Despite my current feelings on the matter, my curiosity overpowers my stubbornness quite easily, and I tear open the envelope, not bothered about preserving its stunning outer appearance.

Dear Abella,

I want to personally thank you for taking this job, and moving into the accommodation I offered you. I know it was short notice, and I know you didn’t have the best beginning here, but I’m still glad you have joined the team.

As you know, your job is very important. I would like to ask, without your supervisor Heather knowing (if you don’t mind being discreet) to destroy any mail from a particular address. Burning would suffice.

My eyes widen, as I check the address he has attached. It’s from my town, but not nowhere close to my old apartment. I’m not sure who is from there, but Noah fails to mention.

Thank you again, Abella. I hope I get to know you better while you work here.

Kindest regards, Noah.

Sighing deeply, I shove the note into my back pocket. I’m assuming I will need to keep this on hand for when I get back to working tomorrow. Burning mail seems ominous, but I have to remember that Alpha’s are involved in dirty business, which is none of mine. Despite how curious I am…

You know what…No, I don’t need to have this letter on me. I’ll remember this address, then get rid of any trace of Noah from this room. Even if he happens to own this entire building. But that’s beside the point.

After tracing the address down onto a separate piece of paper, I decide to walk the note down to throw it into the fireplace I saw on the way up here.

Maybe that would be significant in some way…

As I walk downstairs, toward the living area that had been abandoned when I had come up here, I hear the sound of chatter. Maybe getting this note into the fire will be harder than I thought. And here I was thinking everyone would have gone to bed by now, since darkness has fallen and I’m assuming everyone has work tomorrow.

When I peer around the side of the door, looking into the living area, I see a group of girls, all congregated around the couch, talking about something I can’t quite see. They seem excited, nudging each other, blushing and giggling.

My blood goes cold. I know who the culprit is. It’s Cian.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

Sure enough, when I glance between the hoard of girls, I see him there, lounging casually against the couch, looking up at the girls who gush over him. That smile on his face makes my stomach turn.

Suddenly, a girl bumps me from behind. Before she has a chance to enter the room, I grab her arm, pulling her to focus on me.

“Do you know that guy?” I question.

She looks at me, eyes glazed, mouth partially opened. “Of course. That’s my friend Cian. I let him in because he’s my friend. It seems he’s made great friends with a lot of the girls here too, which is great. It means they will want to invite him over too, which is exactly what he wants. Or at least, that’s what he says will make him happy.”

There’s something about the way she is speaking that makes my stomach turn uncomfortably. Cian is a true manipulator to have her react like this. I bet it was one flash of that smile and a mention of that beautiful house he has on the hill, that had her falling right at his feet.

“You shouldn’t be friends with him. I heard he’s a bad guy,” I tell her firmly, before walking into the room.

It takes me great effort to wade through the group of girls. They seem so entranced by Cian, that they don’t notice me bump past them, as I try get to the couch where they sit.

The entire mood shifts when Cian notices me.

I know he is here for me. He’s here to torment me, to ruin my life in every way possible for whatever reason. Why does he want to do this to me? Maybe he is interested in me like he insinuates, which I don’t happen to believe. There is something else he wants from me, and I’m hoping I don’t have to find out.

The moment he lays eyes on me, a devious smile creeps onto his face. Suddenly his attention is completely removed off the girls around him, and he focuses on me. He raises a finger and motions for me to come over to him.

I only do so because I want to kick him out of here.

“You need to leave,” I say immediately, pointing to the door. Cian raises a dark eyebrow at me, as if I’m insane for coming up to question him.

“I thought you would be happy to see me, considering what happened last night,” he taunts, dismissing girls who lean over for his attention. I don’t blame them for wanting his affections. I’m not going to lie and say he isn’t insanely beautiful. Those foreign looks are enough to have all these girls willing to drop their pants for him. And it’s not their fault either.

I grit my teeth together, unsure of what he means by that. “Last night?”

“Last night, when you got drunk and we made out while your best friend laid incapacitated on the couch. That was until you passed out in my arms and I had to carry you to bed,” he tells me. All the girls around us gasp and whisper between each other.

My cheeks flush bright red. I can’t believe I let myself get drunk enough to forget what happened last night. I know he was in my house, because of the note.

But is what he saying real?

“You’re disgusting. I would never kiss you,” I snap at him. I can’t help, as I say that, to glance down at his lips for a single moment. Did I kiss those full, graceful lips? I hope not…I have faith that my drunken self would never want to kiss Cian. However, there’s doubt swirling in my stomach that I hope isn’t suggesting what may have happened.

“We’ll have to agree to disagree,” he murmurs, before he stands, moving to brush past me. He pauses, leaning down to whisper in my ear. “But only one of us remembers what actually happened that night.”

I follow him with my gaze as he walks out the room. A silent invitation.

Begrudgingly, I follow him. I don’t want to give him what he wants, which is attention, but I need to get him out of here before he targets another girl.

“Why are you here Cian? What do you want with me?” I question, following him as he tucks himself into a small corner. I’m grateful for the privacy away from the other girls, who remain in the living room, buzzing about something.

“Can I not come to say hi to my friend? And her other friends?” he asks, shrugging his shoulders loosely. I fold my arms over my chest, making him sigh. “What if I can offer you a better job? It’s not good to get into a job with an Alpha. Trust me, they are broody, complicated and all they want is…well, one thing.”

I look away. I know what he is suggesting. “it’s a shame I don’t believe you.”

“Noah isn’t a good Alpha. He is secretive, manipulative and cruel,” Cian tells me. I’ve never seen him be this serious before. I’m used to the cunning joker who charms all he comes across with his wit and humour.

“I might not trust Noah, but at least he doesn’t stalk me across the Pack and manipulates everyone in this place to get in,” I tell him. “I’m not interested in working for you, so you might as well leave right now. And for future reference, you’ve put me off from ever wanting to see you again. Got it?”

I take a moment to suck in a breath.

Cian doesn’t react for a moment. A muscle in his jaw ticks, before both of our attention is drawn to a girl who comes up from behind me. I feel her hand slip into my back pocket.

“Oh, does this have the Alpha’s name on it?” she asks. Her tone is slurred. Drunk. Good to know what kind of people Alpha Noah is hiring. I don’t have time to worry about her inevitable hangover in the morning, as she folds open the note I was planning on burning.

“Give that back,” I snap, reaching for it.

She tucks out of the way. “Not that romantic, but listen to this; Thank you again, Abella. I hope I get to know you better while you work here. Kindest regards, Noah.”

The way she reads it is taunting, as she grins, circling around the other girls who are curious about why the Alpha is writing to me. When I glance back at Cian, his expression is stony, impassive, as he watches the girl with distain. At least for once we hate the same person. Even if it is for different reasons.

“Not even Alpha huh? That means he wants to see her again,” one girl says.

“Goodbye assistant right,” another adds.

My cheeks flood with heat, as I look around at the swarm of girls taunt me. All for a stupid note I didn’t even consent to receiving.

And when I turn around, Cian is gone.