The Stargazer's Alpha

Ch. 7: When You Are Not Enough

"Scarlett, it's such a pleasure to see you again," Blake said.

"You're a hard man to find, Blake," Scarlett sang, putting her hand on Blake's wrist.

Whatever doubts I might have had until this moment, had evaporated. This handsy beauty was definitely my rival.

"I came to say hi as soon as I arrived, and you've stepped out. Harold and I came by your office this morning—"

Blake used the breathy pause to look between her and me. "Celeste," he said, "allow me to introduce Scarlett Beaumont of the California Pack and her cousin, Harold, one of my trusted Betas."

This formal, impeccably polite Blake couldn't possibly be the same Blake who left all the asparagus behind and ate all the bacon. Yet here we were, as if Scarlett's presence changed his demeanor. He also seemed to grow taller by the minute, towering over the cousins.

The gaze of Scarlett's sparkling red eyes stopped on me, then swiveled back to Blake. She didn't need to speak aloud, because her puckered lips clearly conveyed what she was thinking: Oh, look what the cat dragged in.

I was tempted to hide in Blake's mighty shadow and swallow a bitter guess about what kept my fated away from the cabin last night.

Yes, I had been freaking out about his overprotectiveness, but now that I knew he was entertaining Scarlett instead—and his words about fighting for your own place in the pack blazed in my memory—my feelings changed.

I slipped my arm out of his.

"Pleased to meet you," I said to the cousins.

There you go, the speech worthy of a U.N. Ambassador. I even resisted adding Miss Scarlett, that hung off the tip of my tongue. It just fit her, because she had the air of a southern belle. Her full-skirted dress with a wasp's waistline emphasized the resemblance. I bet this woman never had to worry about anyone judging her, let alone ignoring her.

Scarlett's perfect brows twitched when I spoke up. She probably expected me to maintain silence in the presence of my betters.

"Aha. Your secretary mentioned something about another stray from out of town. Is it her, Blake?"

A stray?

Before I yelped, Blake squeezed my elbow to let Scarlett talk. Even in the middle of the crowded hotel, my skin tingled with the desire to ease into his side. He stepped away from me, but not before I sensed a similar jolt of excitement cursing through his body.

"Blake, my friend, listen to me. Leave at least some of those lost souls to the rogues, or they'd come sniffing for your Omegas."

He growled low in his throat, and Scarlett trilled a laugh. "Oh, I have every confidence you can handle them. Why would I even worry about it? This is Seattle, for Goddess' sake, not L.A.!"

"My pack is safe," Blake said.

The aftershocks of his growl laced his voice, weakening my knees with pleasure. Scarlett, however, didn't shift from foot to foot or anything else that would indicate a sexual interest.

Maybe touching Blake's wrist was a part of werewolf etiquette and I was imagining things. Maybe she wasn't my romantic rival, just a consummate socialite.

"And now dear Celeste here is safe too!" Unlike me, Scarlett didn't rush to pile on words to cover up an oops. Everything she said was as natural as water flowing around the rocks. "There is something so solid and so old-fashioned about your style of governing, Blake."