Resisting the Alpha
Chapter 2

You sure you want to do that? Max asked.

Bridget eyed the sexy incubus and pursed her lips. I wouldn’t ask for another one if I wasn’t sure I wanted it.

All right, but if you fall off that barstool, I’m not picking you up. Your a*s can stay on the sticky floor.

She snorted and motioned for him to hurry up and pour the drink. When he went to move away, she snatched the bottle out of his hand. Max just shook his head and moved on to his next customer. She watched him with a hungry gaze. If it weren’t for that whole soul-sucking thing, she might take him for a ride. Her bed was going to be damn lonely tonight. She’d gone home to change out of her wedding dress and found her fiancé’s half of the closet empty. Rat bastard hadn’t even left a note. He’d just bolted.

What a wimp, letting the likes of Micah Smythe get to him. Maybe the alpha had a point. She needed a man with a backbone, someone who would go toe-to-toe with her and not cower when she raised her voice, which she did rather frequently. She’d been told more than once she should try out a shifter, but they were always looking for their mates. That’s the last thing she wanted … that type of commitment literally meant forever. Shifters lived a damn long time, and once they bit their mates, their women would live just as long.

Bridget enjoyed life as much as the next person, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to spend several hundred years hanging around. Wouldn’t it get boring after a while? There was only so much travelling you could do, and only so many sights to see.

Someone settled on the stool next to her and she turned to look at her best friend. They couldn’t be more opposite, but somehow it worked for them. While Bridget was loud and never backed down from a fight, Josette was soft-spoken and calm in any given situation. Even when her pack attacked her, she handled it with grace. Of course, she never fought back, which Bridget just didn’t understand. No way would she ever be anyone’s punching bag.

I don’t think the answer is in the bottom of that bottle, Josette said as she flagged down Max.

The bartender approached with an easy smile for the young wolf, and Bridget wondered if there might be something there. It wasn’t the first time Max had lit up when Josette was around. And he definitely acted differently around her. He always turned on the charm with the ladies, true––but with Josette he spoke softly and was a little too sweet. Bridget wasn’t sure how that whole soul-sucking thing would work out between them, but obviously romance was in the air.

Too bad it wasn’t her romance. No, a certain obnoxious wolf had wrecked that for her.

I’ll have my usual, Josette told Max.

One mudslide coming up, beautiful. He winked and began gathering the ingredients.

Josette smiled at him before turning to Bridget. Have you talked to Paul since he ran out of the church? If you could call that a run … I never realized someone’s arms could flap so much. For a minute there, I thought he would take flight.

Bridget snickered. Maybe he’s secretly a were-chicken. He damn near laid an egg when Micah growled at him.

The Alpha does have that effect on people. Josette pursed her lips. But then, that’s because they don’t really know him. There isn’t a sweeter man around.

Bridget slid a glance toward Max. I don’t know. There might be one.

Josette stiffened. Are you thinking of moving on so soon?

I wasn’t talking about for me. Bridget rolled her eyes. Don’t you know that man only has eyes for you? I swear he wears his heart on his sleeve every time you walk through the door.

Josette shook her head. I can never be with Max. The incubus thing is just too much for me. He’d always have to sleep with other women, and I’d risk my soul if we became intimate.

You never know. There might be a way. You’re friends with some powerful people. I bet between Breena and her mate, they could come up with something.

Um, no. Breena’s wand is temperamental at best. I’d probably end up with green hair and warts if I asked her to help me out with my love life.

There’s always Cade. Or even Jared. Surely the warlock would help you out, if he were able to, that is. You have a lot of friends, Josette, whether you realize it or not. You may not be as popular as most of your pack, but the friends you have are true and will stand by you through thick and thin. Bridget bumped her with her shoulder. You know I’d do anything for you.

A gleam entered Josette’s eyes and Bridget wondered if she’d just opened herself up for one of the wolf’s schemes.

Anything? Josette asked.

I have a feeling I’m not going to like this, but I’ll ask anyway. What is it you need me to do?

Sleep with Micah.

Bridget sputtered and coughed as her whiskey went down the wrong way. What? she wheezed. Uh-uh. No way in hell will I take that cretin to my bed. He’s a throwback to the caveman days. Overbearing a*****e.

You don’t replace him even a little bit attractive? Josette gave her the sweetest smile. Maybe a teensy bit?

What the hell does that have to do with anything? The man is god’s gift to women and he knows it. Like he needs another woman throwing herself at him. Did you see that skank he was entertaining last week?

Josette’s eyebrows rose. So you did notice.

Bridget snorted. “She was hard to miss, with her barely-there clothes and bleached blonde hair. Talk about plastic. I’m sure those boobs weren’t real. And that waist of hers? She had to have had a tummy tuck or something. No one is that damn skinny, shifter metabolism or not.”

Someone sounds jealous, Josette said in a sing-song voice.

“Hardly, Bridget sneered. If that’s the kind of woman your alpha wants, he can have her. Probably catch something from her skanky a*s. You know she’s made the rounds.”

Laughter danced in Josette’s eyes, but Bridget turned back to her bottle and ignored her friend. So what if she’d noticed the women Micah had hanging all over him? It didn’t mean anything except she had good eyesight. The man was just as bad as the incubus, romancing a different woman every time she turned around. If he wanted a revolving door on his bedroom, that was his business. All right, so he was s*x personified. And maybe she’d fantasized once or twice about what those lips would feel like against hers, how those callused hands would feel against her softer skin, and even wondered if his c**k was a big as the bulge in his pants indicated. But she’d never admit it.

You won’t even admit that you’re curious? Josette asked as she accepted her drink from Max. Bridget watched as her friend tried to hand him money, but he refused to take it. In all the months they’d been coming to the bar, he’d never allowed Josette to pay for anything. If that wasn’t telling, she didn’t know what was.

No, I’m not curious.

You’ve never once wondered what it would be like to be with Micah?

Maybe once or twice. Okay, more like twenty or more times. Not that she would admit to that.

Nope. Never, Bridget said as she tossed back another drink.

Josette gave her a sly smile. Never once wondered what he was hiding under those tight jeans of his?

Bridget forced her face into a neutral expression. His jeans are tight? I never noticed.

“Liar. I totally saw you checking out his butt a few weeks ago. He’s way out of my league, but I have to admit he’s rather yummy. I’ve had a crush on him since I was just a kid, but he’s never noticed me as anything other than a pack mate. And that’s the way it should be. I’m not strong enough to mate with the alpha.”

Bridget’s stomach churned, but there was no way she was jealous over Josette’s infatuation with the alpha. No, it was probably just the whiskey sloshing around in her stomach.

I hadn’t really noticed him until he came barging into the church today and ruined my wedding. My future. Anger burned through her again as she thought about the moment Micah had chased off her groom, leaving her standing at the altar like an idiot. She’d led Paul around by his nose since they first started dating. She never would have thought he’d jilt her. But then, she hadn’t counted on a nosy wolf interfering in her life either.

Josette’s look said she clearly didn’t believe Bridget. So she might have checked out his a*s. And possibly wondered if his chest felt as muscular as it looked. Maybe wondered what it would feel like to run her fingers through his hair … but not under penalty of death would she ever admit to any of those things. Micah was all wrong for her. He was bossy and too arrogant by far. She’d always liked her men meek and biddable. Even if that wasn’t working out too well for her, it didn’t mean she was going to take on the alpha. He was just too … everything. He’d have her screaming and pulling out her hair within minutes of agreeing to sleep with him.

But if the rumors were to be believed, he’d also leave her in a puddle, a contented puddle, completely boneless with just a k**s. She could only imagine how lethal he was in the bedroom. Bridget shook her head, dislodging those wayward thoughts. No, she wouldn’t think about Micah and a bedroom. That way led to trouble, and she intended to avoid trouble at all costs.

She scanned the bar, everything blurring a bit. Just how much whiskey had she drunk?

What are you looking for? Josette asked.

The lucky bastard who’s going home with me tonight.

Josette shook her head. “No. I’m not letting you take home some random stranger just because your ego took a hit today. But really, if you’d wanted a groom who could face down an alpha wolf, you shouldn’t have picked someone so spineless. I’m the weakest in my pack and I could have taken Paul.”

Bridget snorted at the image. Yeah, I bet you could have. Guess we’ll never know now. He’s probably three states away. Chicken-shit.

Come on, Bridget. Let’s get you home and tucked into bed. You know what you really want to do is curl up in that nice big bed of yours and sleep it off. You’re going to have one hell of a hangover in the morning.

Bridget waved a hand. Nothing I can’t handle. I’ll just suck down my morning-after concoction and I’ll be right as rain.

We’ll see. Josette helped Bridget off her stool and wrapped an arm around her waist, guiding her toward the door.

Wait! I have to pay, Bridget said, fumbling for her purse. She pulled out a wad of cash and thrust it toward Max. If that isn’t enough, I’ll pay the rest when I come back. You know I’m good for it.

Max accepted the crushed bills and waved her away. Something tells me I’ll be seeing you again sometime this week.

Bridget gave him a smile as she wobbled on her heels. She let Josette guide her outside, but when she started toward her car, the wolf pulled her in the other direction.

No way am I letting you drive in this condition, Josette said. You’d end up killing someone, or yourself. You can’t even walk!

Bridget grumbled under her breath, but let Josette lead her in the opposite direction. She crawled into the backseat of the tiny-a*s car, which reminded her more of a wind-up toy than something that should be on the streets. Curling into a ball, she closed her eyes to still the spinning world.

She felt the car come to life and her body swayed on the seat as Josette pulled away from the curb. As her friend rounded the corner, Bridget slid onto the floor. She clawed her way back onto the seat and prayed the ride would end soon. As the darkness surrounded her, she let go of the stress of the day and began to drift.