Page 29 of Alpha Claimed

They stared at each other for a long minute, and Apollo folded his arms over his chest and leaned back against the door.

"Unless you want me to rip the eyes out of my men as well as your darling Lachlan, I suggest you allow me to bring you the food."

River growled. "Ugh! Alphas!"

"Ugh! Omegas!" he teased.

River rolled her eyes. "Fine. T-shirts, jeans, leggings. Nothing formal."

Apollo nodded and opened the door.

"Oh, and I need underwear and a bra," River called. "Does he need to know my sizes?"

Apollo turned to her, his eyes black. "No other man will ever know your sizes but me from this day forward."

She couldn't help but laugh. "Then how do you know what he gets will fit me?"

"I'll make sure he gets you some nice, big, grannie panties." Apollo winked at her.

River was about to tell him he better not dare when he closed the door.

Silas better not return with granny panties because if he did, Apollo would freak when she went commando instead of wearing them.

The outer dooropened ten minutes later, and the smell of coffee and muffins hit her nose. Apollo slid into the room, and she moaned.

"I could eat everything in your hands."

Apollo smiled and walked to the bed. He handed her a tray of assorted pastries. Each looked better than the last, and she didn't know where to start.

Apollo set his cup of coffee on the nightstand, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a bottle of soda.

River smiled. "My hero!"

He chuckled. "If I'd known all it took to win you over was a bottle of soda, I would have brought an entire truck full."

She ripped off the top and took a long, burning drink. She sucked in a huge breath and then burped.

Apollo sat on the bed and touched her cheek. "So gentile."

She looked right at him and burped again.

He chuckled and shook his head. He reached for a Danish, and she swatted at his hand.

"I told you I could eat everything."

"Does that mean you aren't sharing?"

"Hmmmm… Maybe. If you answer a question for me."

"You can ask me anything."

She grabbed a muffin and picked at it, trying to figure out the best way to ask him the question that had been burning inside her for the last two days.

"Why do you and Ares not get along?"

Apollo sat silent for a moment and sipped his coffee. "Ever since we were little, Ares just commanded attention. From our parents. From females. From everyone. I just didn't have the charisma he did. So, everyone gravitated to him. I saw it in people's eyes. Heard the whispers behind my back. They all wanted him to be the Alpha of Alphas. So I lashed out. When he got things he loved, I took them or destroyed them. Soon, it became clear that where people loved Ares, they feared me. And that was enough to keep me in the top position. But then… our parents died, and things just got worse. Where I thought our parents' deaths might bring us closer, it did the total opposite. People thought we would fight for the throne and started picking sides. The problem was, to be king, one of us needed a mate. So we've pretty much separated duties in an uneasy truce of sorts. Until now. I'm better at diplomacy, and he's better as the enforcer."

"Then why didn't you come to New York instead of him?"