Page 52 of Her Arranged Alpha
"Sweet," Ava said, "We will see you then."
They both headed out, and I finished my meal before heading home. I had a pep in my step as I got home and found Maddox in the kitchen making himself a sandwich. He raised an eyebrow as he spotted me. "You look happy."
"That's because I am," I said as I plopped onto a chair. "Ava and Justiny invited me to go to an art show in Frank's pack this weekend."
He smiled. "Well, that was nice of them. I'm sure you'll be excited for that."
"I am," I said, feeling my smile grow.
He took a bite of his sandwich and offered me another smile. "You seem to be fitting in just fine."
I blushed, my mind traveling back. I couldn't help but notice how easy it was, how comfortable he seemed. Even after I just wanted to step away, he wouldn't let me. I wasn't entirely sure how Maddox felt about me, but he was constantly there for me.
"How has your day been?" I asked, tapping my fingers on the counter.
He shrugged. "Busy. I had a meeting this morning to go over the town's budget. Had a meeting with some store owners and was supposed to have another meeting, but I canceled it because I didn't feel like getting my ass chewed more today."
I frowned. I knew that the Alphas each had a lot of stress, and they were all busy with different tasks. But they also had other duties that the town expected, that the Council expected, and that we as their pack expected.
I rested my chin in my hand and stared at him. "Do you wish you weren't Alpha sometimes?"
He paused mid-bite and raised an eyebrow at me. "Do I look like I do?"
I shrugged. "It's a stressful job and I feel sometimes maybe too much."
He nodded. "It can be, but we were all raised from birth to stand up against a lot of stress."
"But does that allow you to enjoy your everyday life?"
Maddox gave me a smile. "Are you worried I'm not happy?"
"Maybe a little."
He leaned forward. "Is someone starting to care about me?"
I rolled my eyes. "Oh, shut up. It's an honest question. I imagine it's hard for you guys."
He walked over and leaned closer to me. He was in my space, and a shiver ran down my body. He smirked. "Having someone who cares makes all the difference in the world."
I soaked his words in as he took his sandwich and headed outside. I stared at him for a moment, unable to think that maybe I helped.
The weekend came quickly, and I was huddled into a car with the girls heading to Frank's pack. Ava was driving while I sat in the passenger seat. Justiny sat in the back, sprawled out, typing on her computer.
"Could you drive a little calmer?"
I chuckled as Ava glared at her in the rearview mirror. "I'm driving. I'm not purposely trying to hit bumps. And why are you working right now? We're going on a girls' day out."
"I just have to finish a few things."
Ave glanced at me. "Speaking of work, have you decided to go back to work yet?"
I shook my head. "I haven't. I've been doing a lot of landscaping at the house, that's been keeping me busy."
She made a face and nodded her head. "Well, if you ever decide to, it could certainly use an eye for someone who knows how to do that. With all the remodels, the town is lacking that character that says welcome."
I couldn't deny that it was true. The town was stunning, but the more you looked at it, the more you noticed it lacked a lot of natural beauty.
"Maddox offered me to work for the city and do landscaping for them."
