Alpha Zac

Chapter 7

ISLA

The blare of my alarm clock jolts me awake. I sit up, rubbing my eyes, I don’t even remember falling asleep last night. I would love to go back to sleep, but today is my first day of training, and after that encounter last night, I better be on my best behavior.

I can’t believe the nerve of Kyle. Who does he think he is, trying to answer for me and making it seem like we were involved? He was the last guy I want in my room.

I turn the knob of the hot water in the shower on and strip down. I catch a glimpse of the light pink raised keloid scars on my back in the mirror. I trace a finger over the thickest one that curves on top of my shoulder…trouble is the last thing I want to be in. I reach my hand in under the stream to test the water, and it’s perfect. I step in, letting my body relax as the scalding water pelts against my skin, and I close my eyes.

My mind starts to wander back to what I saw last night…Alpha Zac’s huge appendage was out on full display. I didn’t realize he had a girlfriend, couldn’t be his mate. They aren’t marked. His rock-hard c**k consumes my mind as my hand trails down to my wet slit. I didn’t get to look long but long enough to commit it to memory. The dull throb fades away, and a wave of pleasure takes its place. I quickly finish my shower and wrap myself in the fluffy white towel as I hop out.

I pull on a pair of black high-waisted leggings and a matching sports bra, throw my unruly waves into a quick ponytail, tug on my joggers, and out the door I go.

Luckily, the training facility is right behind the packhouse. As I pull open the solid metal doors, I look around in awe at the large gym with mats covering the floor. It is easily twice the size of the one at TRTC. Grayson spots me and waves me over to where he stands, talking to a group of other warriors.

“Good morning Isla!” he says with a smile. Man, I thought he looked good yesterday, but without a shirt on, his rippling muscles on display, yum. He takes a minute to introduce me to everyone here, and I see similar looks of doubt flicker across each face, I’m sure it’s based on my size. He stops when he gets to a leggy blonde girl with a pixie cut. “Audrie here will be your partner for drills and will work in tandem with me for your patrol training.”

Audrie is about five or so inches taller, with a slender frame but solid muscle. Her belly button ring is like a diamond in a rock pile. I wish I could have a six-pack like that!

She smiles warmly as and points to the back row of mats, “Let’s take the spot over there.” I follow her to the back corner as everyone else slowly starts to pair off. We’ve just started stretching when Alpha Zac walks in.

I feel a heat start to build in my core and it takes everything I have not to drool over the god on earth that makes his way to Grayson. I thought he was attractive in clothes, but I’m a goner now that he’s shirtless.

Those tan corded forearms connect to bulging biceps with tribal tattoos that scroll up and across his hard chest. My eyes follow down his washboard abs to the deep v-cut of his adonis belt, pointing down to where I know that huge appendage is. After I’ve nothing short of eye f****d him, I look up to see his eyes trained on me.

Crap.

He totally just saw me admiring him. His lips curve up into a GQ-worthy smile, and I swear he winks.

“Earth to Isla!” Audrie snaps her fingers at me. I feel the heat rushing to my face as I turn towards her.

“Sorry,” I squeak.

“No worries, girl, Alpha and Grayson are solid eye candy for sure!”

“Oi, was I that obvious?”

“Nah, no one was looking at ya yet.” She says reassuringly.

As we make our way through the warm-up, my nerves start to build up. “Why don’t you take offense first?” Audrie suggests. “Uh, Sure,” I say, taking my position. We are set to spar when Grayson blows the whistle. I take off full speed at Audrie, waiting til the last possible second to juke to the right. I hook my left foot onto her right ankle to disrupt her balance. While she is caught off guard, I spin behind her, grab her arm and flip her over my body. She hits the mat with a thud.

“Damn, shorty, I sure wasn’t expecting that,” She says as she takes my hand and pops back up.

We switch stances, and she barrels at me, ducks down, drives her shoulder into my abdomen, lifts me, and takes me down. Before I can think, I’m face down on the mat, and she’s sitting on top of me with my arm pinned behind my back. We go back and forth like this for the rest of training. When Grayson blows the whistle at the end, we are both dripping in sweat and panting.

“Solid sparring, shorty,” She says, wiping the sweat from her face.

“Thanks, glad to have a challenge for once,” I reply. “My partners at TRTC were more in it for fun than to sharpen the skills, so it was either less of a challenge or ended with me getting hurt.”

“Is that how you got those scars?” She asks, motioning towards my shoulder.

“Uhm, no, those are from an uh, accident when I was little,” I stammer.

She eyes me while she takes a drink of her water. I don’t know that she believes me, but she doesn’t press further. Instead, she shrugs and says, “Well, they totally give you a badass vibe.”

“Thanks,” I say with a smile.

“Want to grab a coffee before we start patrol tonight?” She asks as we start to head out of the gym. “Yeah! That’d be great!” I reply, probably a little too eagerly. “Cool, I’ll meet ya outside the packhouse a half hour before.” I nod, excited to have what seems like my first friend here.

As I’m crossing the yard back to the packhouse Grayson jogs up beside me. “Isla, Alpha would like to see you in his office in twenty minutes.” I stare blankly at him, oh no, this can’t still be over last night, can it? “Is that okay?” He questions. “Yeah,” I say as I work to keep from going into a full-blown panic.