The Alpha and the Mistake novel Chapter 3

Panting, I rested my hands on my knees. They shook as the adrenaline left me. I was dead, so dead. I had threatened Mike's guest and newest partner in crime. If Dean didn't pummel me into the ground, Mike would be happy to do it for him. I swallowed and tried to control my breath. Breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth, I straightened.

I put the silver spray back in my pocket and smooth my clothes. Today had been a bad day, but it was over. Plus, there was a sundae waiting for me at home. Almost tasting the frozen, chocolaty goodness, I smiled and continued home.

"How did it go?" Harry asked as soon as I closed the front door.

Now there was a loaded question. I dropped my backpack on the stairs and headed into the kitchen, plopping down at the table. "Sundae kind of day."

Hope drained from Harry's face. Poor guy, and delusional too, if he thought I wouldn't have to deal with Mike's crap today. With a sigh, Harry opened the freezer and handed me a huge sundae. "What happened?"

I grinned, rubbing my hands together, taking a bite and savoring it before I answered my stepdad. "He wanted me to kneel in front of the new alpha kid, of all things. I refused as a knee-jerk reaction and paid for it."

Harry's eyes flashed bright gold and his face twisted. The expression was an angry, wild thing, and I backed up off the stool, shocked and scared. "Sorry, like I said it was a knee-jerk thing."

Harry ran a hand over his face, taking several deep breaths. "Don't Brook. Don't apologize for defending yourself."

Oh, okay. He was mad for me, not at me. Sweet. "It's cool." I shoveled in another spoonful of ice cream then groaned. "No, not cool Brain freeze." I rubbed my forehead, waiting for it to pass.

Harry looked up at me. His eyes still were a warm gold, but his face didn't have the Better to eat you with my dear expression. Finally, he broke and laughed. "You are something else Brook." His expression turned serious once more. "Did Mike do anything else to you today?"

"Nah." Though, I debated whether to mention how the new kid kept staring at me and stuff. Nope, not now. I didn't want Harry to go all big bad wolf on me again.

"Good, stay on your toes and keep your head down." Harry gave me a light pat on my shoulder. "I have to head back. The alpha is having a big dinner, your mom and I won't get back till late."

"No problem. Have fun." I continued eating my sundae, and when finished, I soaked into a steamy, salt-filled bath. The hot water easing my aches and pains. Afterward, I laid out on my bed with music.

Someone had knocked on the window a second before it slid up. Anna climbed inside with a grace and elegance I thought should be illegal. Though, that was how werewolves rolled. Anna tried to smooth down her frizzy, blonde hair as she sat down on the bed next to me.

I took out my earbuds and sat up. "No invite?" I had expected her to be at that pack thing Harry mentioned.

"Nope, I told my parents I didn't want to go. I'd prefer to study and not get another F in Social Studies again."

I grinned. "And yet here you are with me."

"Yep, aren't you a lucky girl?"

Anna was my only friend in the pack, and then we had to keep it secret. If Mike found out she and I spent time together it wouldn't be pretty.

"Did you see him?"

"Him?"

"The visiting alpha's son, Dean."

"Yeah, I saw him. So?"

"Isn't he just..." Anne made a grotesque drooling noise.

"Ew. Okay, that's disgusting." I gave her a little shove.

"It's the truth. If he was any hotter, we'd have a serious problem with girls combusting in a mass of hormones!"

I couldn't help but laugh with her. Eh, Why not? "Okay. I'll admit his eyes are the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen." What harm was there in appreciating one fine specimen of the male species?

Anna sighed and laid back on my bed with a dreamy expression on her face. "Oh God yes! I almost died when he looked at me in English." She sighed again, but this time it was a more depressed sound. "I tried to talk to him but didn't have much luck. He seemed kind of distracted."

"Really?" I started to tell Anna what happened in class but stopped. The humiliation of today was too raw. If I told Anna about what Dean did, it would make it harder to forget and ignore. "Could be he didn't know how to talk to you?"

Anna snorted, rolling her eyes. "Right. Whatever. I'm not Beth or Tracy."

"I don't want you to do my homework."

"Okay, so what do you want?"

Dean leaned against the locker next to mine and grabbed a piece of my hair. He ran it through his finger and thumb. "How about a late lunch? I heard there are some pretty good places around town."

My stomach felt like it dropped to my feet while my heart tried to climb out of my chest through my throat. "Excuse me?"

"You didn't eat lunch today, and I can't stand the stuff they serve here. So let's go get something to eat," Dean explained as he brushed my hair behind my left ear. His skin was hot against mine and another shiver ran down my back.

My heart continued its escape attempt. Was Dean flirting with me? A silly giddy feeling flooded through me at the thought he might like me.. A millisecond later my brain functioned again. I'm Missy Mistake, and he's Mike's friend. I shoved his hand away from me. "How stupid do you think I am? Is this Mike's idea or are you that much of a pig you believe you can use me? You know what? Go on, tell Mike. I don't care if he beats me so bad he puts me in a coma. Better that than deal with you, Douche."

Snatching my backpack, I ran home, not stopping until home. At the door, I realized I was crying. I hated that it mattered Dean thought so little of me. My head fell back against the door and I closed my eyes, taking a few moments to calm myself down. Mom couldn't see me like this.

Once I was something close to normal, I walked into the house. "Hey Mom, Harry. Not hungry. I'll be in my room."

I sighed and fell on my bed. "F.M.L." Just one more year. One more. Earbuds in and music pouring into my ears, I broke into my secret chocolate stash. This was a comfort food day. I closed my eyes and let the music help me forget everything.

Relaxed, my mood rise when my mother had let herself into my room. She jerked an earbud out of my ear, giving me the evil eye only moms knew how to do. "Did you hear me?" she demanded, and I shook my head. She gave me a chastising glare and huffed. "I said you need to eat something, other than chocolate. Your friend is here."

The chocolate soured on my stomach. No one except Anna came to see me. Mom would've said Anna if it was her. "A friend?" I tried hard to keep my voice cool and calm.

My mother nodded with an mhm. "He's handsome too." She gave me a sly grin.

Again my stomach dropped. This time it went through my feet and through the floor to land in the kitchen below in a nasty splash.

"Come on, don't keep him waiting. I don't understand why you're hiding your friends from me."

This had to be a nightmare. How did Dean know where I live? When I came down, he was talking to Harry, all too comfortable with himself. At least, my stepdad had the decency to appear worried. How is it possible I've met someone worse than Mike?