Alpha Benji

♕Chapter Seven♕

I stumbled over my footing, managing with some luck to remain upright. The door behind me swung shut with a thud of finality. As soon as the door was closed, my senses were overwhelmed. His scent was everywhere. Burnt firewood and fresh leather. 

His presence was strong enough that I could sense him without looking up. My breathing was shaky and uneven, catching in my throat in anticipation. I went through the calming motion of clenching and unclenching my fists. It was a habit I picked up as a child to help deal with my trauma. After I lost both my parents, I felt like I was spiraling. But the motion, while small, helped ground me and bring me back to reality.

"Ah, hello, glad you could make it." A  humored voice spoke up amongst the silence.

I swam through my memories to help put a face to the vaguely familiar voice. I remembered the voice from Cleaning Day. He had calmed down the Alpha and broke up the earlier altercation. He must be the Beta Belinda was referring to earlier. Beta Alaric.

I refrained from looking up at them, moving my head in a quick nod to let him know I had heard him. The silence that filled the room was eating at me, causing the anxiety to stay rooted in my lower stomach. I continued my routine of clenching and unclenching my fists. Anything to calm down the overwhelming urge to bolt from the room and risk my chances with the guards.

A rumble of a soft growl filled the room. "Look up, pup."

To my complete and utter horror, my cheeks flushed with embarrassment at his tone. It wasn't the Beta who growled, but instead the Alpha. My supposed mate. I could feel his heated stare on me as he spoke. His tone was belittling. Like he was talking to a child; or better yet, someone beneath him.

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat and raised my chin to look up at them, trying my best not to quiver under their intense gazes. There was a big oak desk in front of me and perched on either side were both men.

I could have mistaken the Alpha for a statue based on how rigid his posture was. He was leaning against the desk, his arms crossed defiantly across his broad chest. His jaw was locked in annoyance as he stared, towering over my frame. His whole body makeup screamed dominance and it truly wasn't fair.

"Play nice, Benji." The Beta next to him jokingly taunted, nudging his shoulder into him. He was another beautifully – and unfairly – crafted man, but nothing compared to the Alpha. His white canines were on display, standing out starkly from his olive-skinned complexion. While the Alpha screamed dominance and aggression, he gave off a more playful aurora to himself.

Another warning growl filled the room. Initially, I thought it was aimed at the Beta for poking fun at his superior, but I soon realized that it was at me instead. "Are you done staring at him?" His tone was tense as he hissed the words at me.

I opened and closed my mouth like a fish out of water. Was this temperamental Alpha really trying to come for me right now for looking at the person talking?

"I um, – Excuse me?" I faltered, attempting to come up with an excuse for my actions before just completely giving up. I saw no fault in what I was doing, but there would be no reasoning with the Alpha. I had learned quickly, due to my time in the cells, that disagreeing never got you anywhere.

"You're staring at him." His tone was sharp and accusatory.

"Can you blame her?" Alaric jumped in, once again, his smile not breaking from his face.

This time the growl was directed at him and not me.

Alaric threw his hands up in false surrender, shaking his head slightly. "Calm down, I'm just poking fun. I thought you wanted to make her feel comfortable."