Page 5 of Suddenly His Alpha

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Tulla stiffened as he watched the alpha he’d been eyeing all night start heading his way. He was alone in his corner, so there was no one else the man could be heading toward. He brushed something from his lap, trying not to look as if he was paying any attention, even as his heartbeat grew more rapid and his breathing strained.

Tingles of electricity raced over his flesh, leaving goose bumps in their wake. Every nerve in his body was on fire, and he felt like jumping up and twirling fast just to cool himself off.

“Hi.”

Tulla lifted his stare to the man, now draped in as much shadow as he. He’d been able to see some from across the ballroom, but not in fine detail. Closer wasn’t much better without the light to aid him. “Hello.”

“I thought you might be thirsty.” The alpha lifted a cup. “I brought you a drink.”

He took a deep breath before lifting his hands, fearful there would be a tremor. Finally, he reached for the cup. The alpha moved it forward, and it splashed some as it knocked into his hand.

“Damn, I’m sorry,” the alpha said before taking it back a bit. “I didn’t mean to make a mess.”

“It’s fine.” Fortunately, Tulla had a napkin in one hand, a leftover from his stroll along the refreshments earlier that night. He wiped the wetness away… and then lifted his hand to lick some of the stickier bits from his fingers.

And he heard the alpha’s deep inhale.

Tulla’s stare went to the man’s, but in the dark it was hard to see any emotion… yet he couldfeelit. He was being watched as he cleaned his hand… and for some insane reason, helikedbeing watched. Dropping his hand, he cleaned the last of it with the napkin.

“Should we try that again?” the alpha asked, lifting the cup once more.

“Don’t move,” Tulla instructed before taking what was left in the cup. His fingers brushed against the alpha’s, and he felt heat leeching into him. It raced up his arm and hit him straight in the chest.

Want.A drop of slick eased from him, coating his puckered hole.

He could barely breathe from the desire pooling low in his belly.

“Do you mind if I sit for a moment?”

Tulla shook his head before lifting the cup to his lips. He was parched, his mouth as dry as a desert. Thankfully, his knight in shining armor had brought him something to drink.

“You’ve been hiding here in the shadows all night. Are you afraid to show your face?”

Tulla heard the joking tone to the man’s voice and decided to run with it. “I am. I’m ugly. The ugliest omega here.”

“Ah, I see. I’m nothing to look at myself, either.”

A lie. Even from across the room, Tulla had been able to tell he was handsome. And vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t come up with a name or memory of meeting the guy. “No, you’re not all that, are you?”

The alpha chuckled and pushed his glasses up on his nose. The way he did it was endearing somehow. Most alphas he’d seen at the balls he’d attended were all about exuding power and strength. Not showing weakness. The willingness to show a small flaw spoke volumes. And Tulla thought he could continue looking at the man push those glasses up that regal nose for the rest of his years.

What the hell am I thinking?

“I suppose that means you’ve been watching me tonight, if you noticed how unattractive I am.”

Tulla fought a smile. “How could I ignore you? You’ve been staring over here all night.”

The alpha turned his head toward Tulla. “I kept thinking how lucky you were to have this dark corner all to yourself… and how much I wished I was home right now instead of here.”

“Why did you come, then?”

“My parents have been nagging me about finding a mate. So, I decided I’d at least put on a show of it. My cat can live without me for one night, right?”

Tulla grinned. A cat? A very non-alpha pet. “He might be glad to be rid of you for the evening.”

“Probably is,” the alpha replied, and Tulla could hear the smile on his lips. “But then, there’s no one there to give him rubs and food, so he might end up missing me after all.”

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