Who was this hunk?

Picking up after events of Chapter Two

Alpha Zayne Steele

Alpha Zayne quickly forms a plan to send out Jovi with a team to Alpha Dartwood's community to get a hold of the phone and run the trace reversing the tap. Once that is completed, and we have a location, they can stay for one month, both him and his pack. Thankfully Alpha Dartwood's pack was small.

Alpha Zayne sat up, straightened his shoulders, and laid out what he wanted, then said, "that is what I want, take it or leave it, also while my team makes the trip to your community and back, you are welcome to stay here, Mekhi will arrange rooms for you and your family on the third floor of the pack house."

Alpha Dartwood's eyes widen. This he can work with. However, he was surprised at the request, "might I ask why?" He was curious to know what Alpha Zayne was planning.

"No, you may not." Alpha Zayne was not about to divulge anything to this weasel. "Do we have a deal?"

"Yes, we do." Alpha Dartwood backed off, satisfied he had gotten this far.

Alpha Zayne got up, shook Alpha Dartwoods hand, nodded to the ladies, and exited, leaving Mekhi to get them settled upstairs.

Three hours later, Alpha Zayne stirs awake. After leaving the meeting with the Dartwoods, he had only made it as far as his wing on the top floor, too tired to journey home. Though it was only half a mile away, upstairs was simply closer.

Zayne's work is never done. He now has to go interrogate the Doctor and the others.

He took a shower. He kept supplies in this room for days like this. Where he can rest and ready himself for the day or night.

After showering, he dressed in a pair of jeans and a black long-sleeved hoodie.

He made his way to the ground floor and into the kitchen to see what the cook had prepared for the day, greeting a few members on the way.

The pack house was always buzzing with members of all ages, from kids to teens to young unmated adults, all scurrying about their business.

The house was fully flourished and furnished with a gaming room, home to various entertainments. This room has everything from pool tables to ping pong and tennis tables, Darts, Air hockey, shuffleboard, foosball, pinball, you name it.

There was also an array of board games, a theatre room, and much more. There were lots of activities to keep the young pups busy and out of trouble.

Most members usually avoid him, not in a bad way. They merely chose to give their Alpha space as they knew he was doing a lot to keep their community safe. For that, they were very grateful.

While some, on the other hand, go out of their way to greet him for that exact reason.

It was now about five thirty pm.

Venturing into the kitchen, he saw a blonde standing by the counter, stirring some form of liquid in a cup.

She was making coffee, "oh hey..." Zayne trails off, unable to remember her name.

"Leandra," she says as she smiles, looking up her beautiful blue eyes at him. She stopped stirring and slowly lifted the cup to her perfectly plump lips.

Zayne smiles, “Leandra.” He didn't know what to say next and was not really interested in conversing, as his goal was to get something to eat.

"Alpha Zayne, right?" She asks, craning her neck to look up at him.

"Yes, that's me." Zayne was checking out the containers covered on the counter she so happened to be by.

"Just making sure," she gestures towards him, up and down, "given the get-up you are wearing, I had to make sure you weren't a burglar."

Zayne scoffs but chuckles anyway.

Leandra blushed and sipped her coffee, shifting, putting weight on her other leg.

He looks at her, "how are you settling?" then he grabs a plate from the cupboard behind him and starts stacking it.

Leandra blinked her long eyelashes at him, "it's been interesting." Thinking about an earlier encounter with Sacha.

Leandra, curious about the Alpha's wing, not knowing Zayne was up there at the time, had ventured and lingered a little too long by the staircase leading up to the top floor.

A young beautiful, fierce-looking, she wolf had come upon her unexpectedly just as she was craning her neck, looking up the stairs, wondering if to make the trip.

"What are you doing here?" Sacha's voice was reprimanding.

"I, I was wondering if this leads to the Alpha's wing," she admits. Leandra did not know this she-wolf, and this she-wolf did not know her. Plus, this wolf did not know what business Leandra may or may not have with the Alpha either, so she had stood her ground.

And chose to make it look like she was simply looking for the Alpha because she had a few words for him.

"He is asleep right now, but don't get used to it. He is never here." Sacha had said, pointing her fingers up the stairs.

Nevertheless, she shook the moment away and smiled as Zayne lifted an eyebrow. "Ok, ok," she says, rolling her eyes.

"I am a bit shy, ok!" She looks down at the counter as if suddenly it was the most fascinating thing in the world.

Zayne paused, dishing out his food, and looked at her briefly.

"When meeting people at first, I get really nervous." She chuckles, "I know it may seem strange for an Alpha's daughter, but..." She shivers, "My dad ruin that for me."

Shaking it off, she looks up with a bright smile. "Anyways, I have not met many members yet. I was actually now about to stroll out to that beautiful garden we passed on our way in and maybe meet a few members along the way." Leandra explains, cheeks pink with embarrassment.

"Ahh, I see. You don't look like the shy type, though," Zayne responds, now pleased with the portion he dished out on his plate. He got Rice, green beans, caesar salad, and steak.

Leandra blushes, "no, I am not. It's only at the beginning. I am always nervous meeting new people." She then shrugs.

"Ahh, until you warm up to them and vice versa," Zayne says after swallowing a spoon full of food.

Leandra takes another sip of her coffee to hide the smile forming on her lips, then shrugs and says, "hmm. Yeah, something like that."

"I am sure you would not understand or have the slightest idea of what I am speaking about, Mr. Big bad Alpha." She chuckles.

Zayne, already swallowing his meal, had decided he might as well pull up a chair and chit-chat a bit. Leandra made it easy for him.

Looking up at her from his plate, he raises an eyebrow in question.

"You know, meeting people." She says, eyes twinkling a little with mischief.

"Oh, that, I hate it," he says casually.

Her eyes widen, and she says, "no way, you tease me." He is an Alpha. Surely he meets people probably on a daily basis.

He smiles, "yea, I have no problem meeting new people. It has become second nature for me."

"Look, today, for example, I met you guys unexpectedly, and that was normal for me." he shrugs, "so yea, you are right indeed, Ms. Dartwood. I do not share your anxiety about meeting people, though you seem fine here with me."

"Yes, I noticed the same." She realizes she is casually conversing with this handsome Alpha, and just like that, she becomes even more interested.

The moment he had stepped into the office, she wondered 'who was this hunk,' then when she found out that he was the Alpha, she thought 'whatever deal her father was about to make, it would be worth it.

A pity Zayne did not take the deal proposed because he was one Alpha she had met that she did not mind getting to know. She had crossed paths with snobby would-be Alphas or their old washed-up dads.

Or greasy Lead warriors and less than Betas, gross.

"Maybe I will remember how this went when I meet someone new next." She giggles, then says, "you know, remembering how easy it was and reminding myself it is not difficult, but I do realize part of my calmness has to do with you."

Zayne pauses from biting down on the steak and lifts an eyebrow.

"Not everyone is welcoming. Most would see me and automatically put me in a box of the dumb typical Barbie blonde and looks down on me."

Realization dawns on Zayne, and he can honestly understand where she is coming from because he did the same thing when he saw her. Now he realizes she seems to have a head on her shoulder and she was not annoying him to death.

He suddenly felt a little bad for his judgment of hers earlier on. Nodding, he says, "I completely understand, but hey, don't let them deter you. You just be you and continue to be you, and they may see their first judgment of you was wrong."

Then he adds, "give them a chance to know you, and don't simply shut down after the first encounter if it was bad."