Christmas with the Grumpy Alpha (Feuding Hearts Christmas)

8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Tanner

This woman, I swear to God.

She’ll drive me crazy.

It’s been five minutes since Lena angrily stormed out of my room, and now she’s back, knocking on my door once again. I can’t see her, but I know it’s her without a shadow of a doubt.

Her presence sends everything within me into a frenzy every time she’s near, and right now, I can feel that tingle beginning to snake its way through my stomach.

Sighing in exasperation, I rise from bed and head over to open the door. Sure enough, it’s her. She was as miffed and sexy as she had looked minutes before, except that now there was a hint of embarrassment showing on her face.

Hmmm. Interesting.

This should be good.

“Yes?” I ask, wondering what could possibly have called her back to my doorstep. “You already back for round two of last night? I’m a bit tired right now, so you’ll have to take a rain check.”

Lena’s face reddens. She gives me a look of helpless fury, as if she wants to throttle me where I stand but can’t, for some reason.

“I—uh, my room is…blocked, actually,” she says in a voice that is grudgingly requesting.

My left eyebrow arches. “Pardon? You’ll have to be a bit more specific than that, dearie.”

Lena clears her throat. “A tree fell onto the hotel, but luckily, no one was hurt,” she says, looking at me and then averting her gaze a moment later. “I…the hotel manager told me to share a room with someone else until they clean up the damage.”

Oh, universe. Sometimes your sense of humor is just spot-on.

“Ahh,” I say, doing my best to keep the gloating out of my voice. There are more entertaining ways to play this. “So, you came back to grab something you left in my room? Something you clearly need before you head to a new room, right?”

Lena’s face reddens further.

Her jaw clenches, and I can tell she’s gritting her teeth.

She wants to kill me, I’m sure of it. But she can’t because she needs me.

“No,” Lena answers thickly. She pauses, swallowing again, trying to get the words past her throat, trying to make her request. “I actually, uh, wanted to ask if I could share your room with you until the problem is fixed.”

This might be one of the most glorious moments of my life.

“Ahh,” I say again, thoroughly enjoying myself now. “So, you're asking me to do you the favor of sharing my room with you?”

Lena nods her head like it’s a block of concrete and crosses her arms in frustration.

I think of how this could play out, this could really work for me. If I fake a relationship with her and everyone here sees it, it will get my parents and all their pressure of finding a mate off my back.

“Hmmm.” I pretend to think it over. “Sure. Of course, I can.”

“Great,” Lena exhales, looking relieved that the worst is over. She begins to move forward. “I’m sure it’ll only be for a short —”

“On one condition, though,” I interrupt her, still standing blocking the doorway, my hands on either side of it.

“Condition?” Lena regards me warily. “What?”

I give her my best and most charming smile. “Nothing you won’t like. Come inside, we can talk there. It’s not good to discuss business out in the open.”

I walk back into my room, hearing the door closing behind me. A moment later, Lena appeared, arms crossed defensively over her chest, with a stony expression.

“Business? What do you want?” She asks.

I pause and consider what I’m about to say.

Is it the right thing? Fuck yes, it is.

“You need to do me a favor in return. I want you to pretend to be my girlfriend,” I tell Lena.

“Huh?” Lena’s eyebrows jut up in surprise. “What? Why?”

I shrug. “Why not? We’re both here single, and there are all these post-wedding activities. Going as a couple might actually make them bearable.

Who knows, we might even end up having some fun.”

Lena sniffs. She upturns her nose at me slightly with distaste. “What makes you think I would even be able to bear being in a fake relationship with you?” she asks bluntly.

I let out a chuckle, “You know, the way I see it, we got along pretty well last night, and I have no problem supplying you with more earth-shattering orgasms along the way.”

I leave the sentence hanging, knowing it’ll be enough to cause damage. And I’m right.

Lena’s face turns beet red. A scarlet flush travels down her neck, even staining her collarbones. She flashes me an icy glare.

“You haven’t answered my question,” she growls.

I throw my hands up, exasperation creeping into my voice.

“Look, okay. All jokes aside, what I’m proposing is a good deal. Think about it. We’re stuck here at the hotel for the next few days, surrounded by people, sharing a room anyway. If we fake being a couple, it will make things easier. No more awkward fights, no tension. Don’t you want that?”

Lena crosses her arms, glaring at me, but I can see the hesitation creeping in.

I lean in, pushing the advantage. “And let’s be real—I know Daphne’s already on your back about finding someone. You think she will let up if we keep at each other’s throats like this?”

I smirk. “If we pretend, you know she’ll leave you alone. You can finally enjoy the vacation instead of dodging her questions.”

She shifts, but still doesn’t say anything.

So, I go in for the final push, lowering my voice. “And honestly, do you even have it in you to be nice to me for a few days? I mean, I can fake it. But you?”

I raise an eyebrow, my smile turning smug. “I bet you can’t go a whole day without snapping at me.”

Her jaw tightens.

She hates being challenged, and I know it.

“I mean, come on, Lena. You can’t stand me,” I add, taunting her. “You’d never be able to pull it off. Too much history, right? Besides, it’s easier to fight with me than to actually try something different.”

Her eyes flash with annoyance, and I can practically see the gears turning in her head.

I grin, pushing further. “Unless, of course, you’re up for the challenge. But let’s be honest, faking this relationship would probably be too hard for you, wouldn’t it?”

The challenge is out there, hanging between us. I can see her biting back a retort, but I know she’s thinking about it.

“So, what’s it going to be?” I lean back, my tone casual. “Keep fighting the whole time and let Daphne stay on your case, or give it a shot and prove me wrong? You want to prove me wrong, don’t you?”

Lena stands there, eyes narrowing as she considers my offer.

I can see she is thinking it all over, but she’s not giving anything away. She’s quiet for a long moment, too long, and I almost think she’s going to walk out. Then, she surprises me.

“How on earth would anyone believe you’d actually date a pathetic rogue wolf?” she snaps, her voice sharp. “Everyone knows how you feel about rogues, Tanner. You made that pretty clear the first time we met.”

Her words hit like a cold wind, but I can’t deny them.

I did look down on her back then. Hell, I looked down on all rogues. I wince, but I hold her gaze.

“You’re right,” I say, my voice steady. “I was ignorant when we first met. I thought rogues were beneath us, that they didn’t deserve a place among pack wolves. But I was wrong.”

She crosses her arms, clearly not expecting me to admit it so easily, but I press on.

“Since I’ve become Alpha, I’ve realized that every wolf has worth. The pack isn’t just made up of those who follow orders, who play by the rules.

There’s strength in all of us—rogue or not. It’s about what you bring to the table, and I’ve seen firsthand how much a rogue can offer.

So, yeah, I apologize for how I treated you. I was arrogant, and I shouldn’t have judged you without knowing your story.”

Lena blinks, caught off guard by my words.

I see the shift in her expression, the faint softening of her stance, even though she’s still holding those walls up around her. It’s not much, but it’s something.

She looks away for a moment, her arms still crossed, before she slowly meets my eyes again. “Well... that’s new,” she mutters, clearly unsure of how to respond.

But the fire in her voice is dimmer now, like she’s processing what I said and isn’t ready to let her guard down just yet.

I stand up and take a step toward her, careful not to push too hard. “I meant it, Lena. I don’t see you the way I used to. You’re strong, independent, and you’ve been through things I can’t even imagine. I see that now.”

She stares at me for a beat, the tension between us shifting into something quieter, more reflective.

I can tell she’s not ready to forgive me completely—she’s still wary, still keeping me at arm’s length—but at least the door’s not completely shut anymore.

Her arms drop to her sides, and she lets out a slow breath. “Fine,” she finally says, her voice still guarded. “But don’t think this changes anything. I’m not just going to forget everything you’ve said and done.”

I clap my hands briefly. “Great. Welcome to my room, then. Or our room, should I say, baby cakes.”

“Fuck me, I really need a shower,” Lena says, running a hand through her hair. “Do you have any clothes I can borrow for now? I will stop and get something from Daphne before we head to the Christmas brunch, I just don’t want to bother her this early.”

I nod, heading over to my dresser. “Sure, I’ve got something for you.” I rummage through my drawer and pull out a soft T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, tossing them her way. “These should do the trick.”

“Thanks,” she says, catching the clothes easily before heading toward the bathroom. “I’ll be quick.”

“Take your time,” I call after her, grinning to myself. The door shuts with a soft thud, and I can’t help but chuckle. This whole situation is so ridiculous, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t entertaining.

Twenty minutes later, Lena reemerges from the bathroom, her hair still damp and clinging to her neck. My T-shirt hangs loosely on her, the fabric draping over her frame in a way that somehow manages to look both casual and sexy.

The sweatpants are too big, tied at the waist, but the whole look suits her—comfortably thrown together, yet effortlessly stunning.

Suddenly, I don’t ever want her wearing another man’s clothes. I don’t know where this thought has come from, but it’s dominating my mind.

Jesus, Tanner, you’ve only begun fake dating, and you’re already getting protective.

It’s true, I am.

I’m feeling a fierce protectiveness towards Lena right now, fierce enough that it makes me uncomfortable too.

To avoid facing this strange feeling, I rise quickly from bed, averting my eyes.

“Feel better?” I ask, leaning against the dresser with a smirk.

“Much,” she mutters, glancing down at herself. “Though I look ridiculous.”

“Nah,” I say, my eyes lingering on her just a second longer than necessary. “You look good.”

She narrows her eyes at me. “I have just one question—how exactly are we supposed to fake this relationship? How are we going to convince people we’re together?”

“That’s easy,” I say, picking up another shirt I’d tossed on the couch. “You’ve got my clothes on now, so you’ll have my scent all over you. That’ll be enough to tip off everyone, plus the majority of the guests will figure it out when we walk in together holding hands.”

Lena sighs, clearly not thrilled with the plan but unwilling to argue.

She rolls her eyes. “Come on,” she says to me. “Let’s go make our first social visit as a couple.”

A grin creases my lips. “I’m feeling excited about this. Are you?”

She says nothing and just rolls her eyes at me.

We begin heading down the corridor together, towards the stairs which will lead us to Daphne’s room.

Mate, my wolf grunts happily, as I walk.

For now, I answer. Enjoy it while it lasts buddy.