Page 7 of Steadfast Alpha

Whew.

“Good afternoon. I was delayed.”

“That’s okay. We were waiting for you. Come on in and get settled.”

When I walked into the large home, I was immediately struck with how beautiful it was. A lovely staircase with a stained glass window. Simple and elegant furniture. Franklin took pride in this home, and it showed.

“Sheppard, this is Locke. He’s staying with us as well.”

I turned to see who Franklin was speaking about and froze in place. Every muscle in my body went rigid, and my breath hitched in my lungs. Locke stepped forward, chuckling a bit, and extended his hand. “I’m Locke. It’s nice to meet you, Sheppard.”

I should’ve listened to my dad and worn my best outfit. Locke wore a button-down shirt with a sweater on top, along with dark-washed jeans and some cute sneakers. Not what I expected but I was definitely not let down. He was gorgeous. When our hands touched, there was a bit of electricity that flowed between us.

He’s a bear. Tell him to take us to his den.

“It’s nice to meet you as well. May I see my room? I smell like the airport and the airplane.”

Locke smiled. “You smell fine to me, omega.”

I ignored that comment. The alpha was just being polite. I shouldn’t read too much into it. People didn’t fall for each other that fast.

“It’s right upstairs,” Franklin answered. “Follow me, please. Both of you.”

It took a few seconds for me to tear my eyes off of Locke with his warm eyes and strong arms that begged for me to bury myself in. Maybe I was reading too much into this. There was always a chance that Fate could throw a wrench in my plans or hers.

We followed Franklin up the stairs. The balcony had a door on either side. “That is yours and this one”—he pointed to the other side—“is Locke’s.”

“Thank you so much. For the opportunity and everything. I really appreciate it.” I opened my door but watched Locke go into his room.

“It’s my pleasure. Really. Dinner is in the oven, so if you’d like to freshen up and come downstairs, I’ll be serving it soon and telling you more about your stay here.”

“I’ll be there.”

I pretended to take my sweet time getting into the room but once the door to my suite was closed, I breathed out and tried to get my composure. I’d looked like a complete slob down there. What a great first impression.

After the quickest shower of my life, I dressed in the jeans my dad bought, along with a blue V-neck sweater my dads said brought out the color of my eyes. A boy I had a few dates with in high school had mentioned my eyes, but I’d had championships in Japan and, when I came back, he had moved on, and I went to the prom alone.

I leaned on the counter of the bathroom and hung my head. This day had been a whirlwind. I was tired. I was hungry. I was agitated with the entire transportation department.

Maybe I was too eager. Locke was gorgeous and fully bear. Grizzly, if my scenting was correct. I had no fear of bears. One of my fathers was one after all. They didn’t know what we would shift into when we were born, but both Jenson and I were rabbits.

Didn’t stop my bear father from raising us like cubs.

The sound of the oven opening downstairs caught my attention. How long had I been standing there, mentally debating if all of this was real? Showing up late to dinner wasn’t the best first impression—or second.

I bounced down the stairs, taking a moment to bask in the light coming through the stained glass window. One peek at the bottom of the stairs revealed a sitting room that led into a library. Fire blazing in the fireplaces. Everything in its place, but not in a hotel-like way. More like a well-loved home.

I followed the sound of conversation, mainly the bass of Locke’s voice. “Am I late?”

“You’re right on time,” he said, taking a platter from Franklin’s hands. Roasted vegetables surrounded a chuck roast that was already making my mouth water.

“How can I help?” I asked.

Franklin handed me the bread basket, along with a bottle of wine and the butter container. “You can take everything into the dining room, and I will be right behind you.”

“Anything else?” Locke put the platter in the center of the wood table. It was set with stoneware and heavy cutlery that suited the rural location. The dining room was surrounded with windows that gave us a view of the countryside. Burnt sienna and golden leaves were scattered along the ground as the trees bid them goodbye for the winter.

“That’s all. Now, let’s sit down and get to know each other.”