Alpha Grayson

Lexia

“You look beautiful, by the way,” Adrian murmurs as he helps me out of the car.

Ignoring him, I smooth out my dress, gazing around at the beautiful view. Isaiah, the Alpha of Passion, is hosting this party.

Despite his Pack not being in the best condition, he still holds the most lavish party every year.

“You don’t mind, do you?” I ask anxiously, still looking at Isaiah’s estate.

People are milling around, finding their way in at their own pace. Guards stand post in nearly every shadow.

I glance at them, and all of them are watching us with careful eyes.

“Mind what?”

“What I have to do tonight?” I say, folding my arms across my chest.

Looking around, I take in what a shame it is that Alpha Isaiah’s Pack went rogue a few years ago.

Every one of them rebelled, and he has had a hard time trying to rein them back in.

Hence, the collaboration with the Alpha of Discipline.

“It’s fine, Lexia. It’s work, and it’s not like we are dating anyway,” he assures me.

I glance down, staring at how the silver of my dress glimmers under the moonlight. Adrian reaches out, handing me my ticket.

“Try not to get distracted. Get to Alpha Noah, find out what you need to know, and get out of there,” Adrian instructs.

I nod, affirming I know the plan.

Twisting around, I walk alone towards the double doors of Isaiah’s estate.

The gritty smell of the sea is present, as is the sound of waves lapping on the shore. The Passion Pack is the only coastal Pack, and I am not used to it.

The Vengeance Pack is one of the cooler Packs, to the South, while this Pack is up North where it is tropical.

I make it into the party without too much hassle. No one bothers asking who I am, and I slip through the crowd unnoticed.

I have a mild backstory just in case someone decides to approach me.

I doubt I will have to use it since everyone is distracted by the presence of Alphas.

I swerve my way through people on the dance floor, mumbling ‘excuse me’ and ‘sorry’ as I go.

The crowd begins to thin out, and my eyes scan the area. I try not to get distracted by the extravagant outfits people are wearing.

My goal is to find Alpha Noah. Turns out, Alpha Noah is tucked in a corner talking to two very official-looking people in suits.

Annoyed, I wade my way back onto the busy dance floor, keeping my eye on him the entire time.

Like most Alphas, he is naturally handsome. His blond hair is thick, contrasting with his naturally tan skin.

His eyes are similar to mine, but so much different; a much lighter, glowing green that sparks as he assesses the man in front of him.

Suddenly, as I blindly walk, keeping my attention fixed on Noah, I smack straight into someone’s back.

Stumbling backward, I blink a few times, having managed to lose my bearings.

The man whom I smacked my forehead into didn’t even turn around. In fact, he continued to talk to the lovely women in front of him.

Scowling at the back of his black suit, I resist the urge to punch him.

Sure, I should have been looking where I was going, but he could have at least excused himself.

I tap his broad shoulder, not being able to smother the glare on my face. Instantly, it melts away as he turns around.

Here I stand, facing one of the most beautiful men I have ever laid my eyes on. Definitely an Alpha.

“May I help you?” he questions.

His voice is so smooth and sensual it caresses my skin, forcing me to suppress a shiver.

Eyes of deep-set, swirling violet and ebony dance across my entire body, observing me silently.

Eyes so illusory and mystical I find myself questioning if he is real.

“Sorry,” I mutter, retreating a few steps in a mixture of awe and fear.

Shadowy wisps of dark hair scatter across his sun-kissed forehead, almost covering those deceptive eyes.

I am not sure if it is the lights or my eyes, but his black hair seems to have a violet tint, but only a trace.

I expect him to turn around again, especially since he is occupied with women exceptionally more beautiful than I am.

Instead, the elusive man reaches out with long arms, grabbing my forearms between his soft hands. I’m trapped.

Not because I can’t move from his grip, but because his gaze has me pinned to the spot.

“Why are you sorry? You requested my attention and I am obliging,” he says as he raises a dark eyebrow.

I can’t stop staring at him. Whoever he is, he is an Alpha and I can’t think which one.

“Did you not feel me run into you?” I question, salvaging my voice from the ruins of embarrassment I just created.

He frowns, his smooth forehead creasing in confusion. By the look on his face, he didn’t feel my entire head rebound off his spine.

As if my words triggered something in the universe, someone hits me in the back. I lurch forward, stumbling toward the man in front of me.

His grip on me only tightens as he swings me to his side. I am suddenly facing the other person.

It is a drunk man who winks at me before wandering off into the crowd.

“We should expect nothing less being on the dance floor,” the Alpha muses, easily casting a fleeting gaze across the room with his height.

Of course, he is right, but this had been my best vantage point of Noah.

Suddenly, remembering my mission, I look over to see if Noah is where I last saw him.

“You interrupted my time with those ladies. I believe you owe me a dance,” the Alpha proclaims, gazing at me through the tendrils of his dark hair.

I cock my head, taken by surprise at his sudden proposal.

His words seem to insinuate the start of a new song, the lyrics sung in foreign words and carried by the sweetest melody.

His hand swings out from behind his back, all bare and inviting.

On a whim, I slide my hand into his, enticed by music, his violet eyes, and the atmosphere.

He leads me deeper into the crowd, immersing us in the moment.

As he glides so exquisitely among the people, going unnoticed by them despite his stand-alone beauty, I follow.

I am enchanted by his peculiar spell, especially as he sweeps me into a common waltzing embrace, consuming me with just one flicker of a smile.

“Who are you?” My voice seems loud between us.

Whoever he is, he has cast magic upon me, and there is no way I can escape. If I could, I am not sure I would want to.

For a moment, he doesn’t answer. Swaying to the sound of music, I concentrate on him.

Perhaps if I wasn’t drunk on the moment, I would pay more attention to the shadows that seem to surround us.

He brings me closer to him and whispers in my ear, “Jasper.”

“The Alpha of Devotion?” I ask breathlessly. It strikes me that I don’t doubt it, but I should. It should be impossible that I am dancing in his arms right now.

“You’re clever,” he says. “But the Alpha of Devotion has been missing for years.”

Alpha Jasper disappeared into the darkness and never came back. Rumors were that he was kidnapped and murdered by Phantom Wolves, but here he stands.

Beautifully dressed and staring down at me with those unique-colored eyes.

“Am I?” Jasper asks, amused. The weight of his hand on my waist suddenly becomes apparent.

“If you’re really Jasper, then why isn’t everyone celebrating your return?” I decide to ask.

He tilts his head and takes my hand in his. He spins me in a tight circle as the music changes. As the turn ends, he captures me in his arms again.

He shrugs. “Maybe I never left.”

“What do you mean?” I ask curiously. We sidestep another couple as they laugh and stumble around like idiots drunk on love.

“I think this is a conversation for another time, Lexia,” he says softly.

I flinch, retreating a few steps, slipping from his grip.

Instead of me being worried by the fact that he knows my name, he grins at me with a careless half-smile, but his cunning eyes suggest he knows exactly what he is doing.

He takes another step forward, but I match it back.

“How do you know my name?” I demand, a sudden fear sparking inside me.

The enchantment I was enraptured in is extinguished.

Instead of answering me, Jasper glances over his shoulder. I follow his gaze to see Grayson shouldering his way through the crowd.

“I shall see you later tonight, Lexia,” Jasper says quickly before strolling casually past me.

I twist around to witness him go, only to see he has vanished without a trace into the mass of people.

“Lexia? What the hell are you doing here?” I feel a hand on my shoulder, making me turn.

Grayson stands directly in front of me, looking handsome as ever. His dark suit makes him look so dazzling, as well as his tie and paper-thin gloves.

He runs his gaze over me, not bothering to keep his observations to himself.

“I was just with Jasper,” I find myself saying. Grayson furrows his brow in confusion.

Seeing him standing in front of me, all dressed up, is overwhelming, as is the urge to touch him.

I brush the thought away, trying to concentrate on what he is saying.

“Jasper is gone and he isn’t coming back,” Grayson tells me.

Now, it’s my time to be confused. I definitely didn’t imagine Jasper here moments ago, even though it felt unreal. I am positive I saw Grayson look straight at us.

“He and I were literally just dancing together,” I insist, running a hand down my face in bitter annoyance.

Grayson grabs my bare arm, his soft glove being the only thing between us. “You’d better not be drunk, Lexia.”

I gape at him in disbelief. I am not sure if I should waste my time on lecturing him about me being drunk.

Frankly, it is none of his business if I was drinking anyway. That isn't what is worrying me.

He didn’t see Jasper, but I did…