Christmas with the Grumpy Alpha (Feuding Hearts Christmas)

9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Lena

What the hell am I doing?

What the hell have I gotten myself into?

We’re walking down the stairs, and my mind is undergoing a spiral of its own.

“I’ll borrow some clothes from Daphne. You can go and wait for me in the lobby. I won’t take more than a few minutes.” I tell Tanner.

“Okay. As you wish, milady.” Tanner turns sideways and lets me go back up the stairs toward the floor where Daphne’s room is. I knock gently on the wooden door twice and hope I’m not interrupting any… um, honeymoon-like activities.

“Who is it?” Daphne flings the door open without waiting for an answer. She has curlers in her hair and lipstick on half of her upper lip. “Lena, what’s up?”

“I need to borrow some clothes of yours, Daph,” I tell her. “A tree struck the hotel this morning, and it’s blocking the hallway to my room.”

“Say what?” Daphne’s eyes widen. “Oh God. Are you hurt? Is anyone…”

“Everyone is fine, don’t worry.” I wave away her concerns. “I just need something to wear.” A tiny, mischievous smile crosses my lips. “Like in the old days, remember? You get to play makeover today, I guess.”

Daphne returns my smile with a warmer one of her own. “Of course I—” She suddenly breaks off midsentence and goes utterly still. Her eyes narrow. Her lips pucker.

Oh well. Here we go.

“Lena,” Daphne begins slowly, suspiciously. “What’s that…” Her voice drops as the realization hits. Her eyes turn into saucers. Her jaw falls open. “Tanner!? That’s Tanner’s scent!”

“Quiet!” I hiss, glancing around the empty corridor. “Announce it to the whole world, will you?”

Daphne clamps a hand over her lips. Her eyes are shining, shining with a radiance I’ve never seen in them before.

Without saying another word, she grabs my wrist and yanks me inside, kicking the door shut behind her.

She hauls me to her bed and pushes me to sit on its edge. Then she stands before me, arms crossed, mouth parted into a crazy grin, and eyes alight with curiosity.

“Explain.”

“Uh,” I scratch my head idly, trying to appear nonchalant about the whole thing. “There’s nothing to explain, really. Last night, at the party, we just got to talking and then one thing led to another…”

Daphne gasps softly. “Did you…sleep with him?” She asks.

I nod, unable to keep a girlish grin off my own face. My hands fidget in my lap, threatening to betray my appearance of calmness. “Yes, I did. What’s the big deal? You’re the one who was always telling me to give someone a chance, right? Well, I’ve decided to start with a one-night stand and go from there.”

Daphne lets out a muffled squeal, hands clasped in front of her. “Lena, this is such amazing news!” she exclaims, lunging forward and embracing me. “I’m so glad to finally see you not by yourself, for once! It feels great!”

“Umm, thanks,” I mumble awkwardly into her shoulder, patting her back. “I feel good about it too, but please don’t get your hopes up. Tanner and I are just trying things out, for the moment. There’s nothing there right now, and there might not ever be.”

“Of course, of course.” Daphne withdraws from me and raises her arms in acknowledgment. “I’m not pushing. I’m just happy to see you finally letting your guard down for once. God knows you needed to do it.”

“Yeah, it does feel kind of good,” I admit reluctantly. “Now, can you give me something to wear, please? My boy—Tanner is waiting for me in the lobby downstairs.”

“Oh, right, right. Best not to keep the lucky man waiting.” Daphne rises and goes towards the cupboards, rifling through the dresses hung there. She takes one out after some consideration and brings it over to me.

“How does this one look?”

I grin at her. “Perfect.”

Ten minutes later, I enter the lobby, wrapped in a wintery deep red sweater dress that falls just above my knees. The soft material hugging my curves.

Tanner is sitting on the sofa, toying with a stray thread on the armrest. His eyes catch mine the moment I walk in, and he rises to his feet, his gaze trailing over me with a look that sends warmth rushing through me.

“I didn’t think it was possible to make an improvement over that dress last night,” he notes drily. “But you’ve managed to do it.”

I smile at the compliment. “That’s sweet of you to say, thanks. Now, shall we?”

Tanner offers me his elbow. “Indeed.”

We make our way to the Christmas brunch with Tanner's scent still clinging to me, his woodsy, intoxicating scent that does things to me I can’t explain.

Tanner and I sit at our assigned table and wait for Daphne and Larry to make their entrance. Meanwhile, I can’t shake the growing discomfort gnawing at me.

The banquet hall is buzzing with pack members, family, and friends, all chattering away, their voices echoing off the polished walls.

Every now and then, I catch someone glancing over at us, eyes curious, judgmental, or worse, assuming.

I hate it. The attention. The whispers.

I shift in my seat, tugging at the hem of the dress I managed to borrow from Daphne, grateful that at least I’m not still wrapped up in Tanner’s oversized shirt. This is awkward enough.

I cannot believe I agreed to this fake relationship.

My thoughts are scattered, the brunch a blur of polite small talk and the constant clink of silverware against plates.

I’m barely listening to the conversation, too hyper-aware of the way my skin prickles every time someone glances at us like they know something I don’t.

Like they’re judging me, trying to figure out why I’m sitting here with him.

Tanner notices. His hand slides under the table, and before I can even react, he grabs mine, squeezing it firmly before pulling it into his lap. The gesture is casual, like he does this every day. But for me, it’s anything but.

My breath hitches, and I can’t stop the wave of heat that washes over me. His thumb traces circles on my skin, grounding me in a way I didn’t expect.

The eyes that were once on me shift to him now, the attention is drawn to his casual dominance, and suddenly, the weight of it isn’t so heavy on my shoulders anymore.

I glance at him, my heart doing an awkward little somersault in my chest. He meets my eyes, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips as if he knows exactly what he’s doing.

And damn him, it’s working.

I should pull my hand away. I should tell him off for this public display of whatever this is. But I don’t.

Instead, I let him hold my hand, let the warmth of his touch seep into me, pushing back the discomfort gnawing at my insides.

“You good?” he murmurs, leaning in slightly, his voice low enough that only I can hear.

“Yeah,” I manage to say, though the word is shaky. “I’m fine.”

“Good.” His thumb presses a little harder into my palm, and it takes everything in me not to react to the electric jolt it sends through my body.

Damn him and his stupid ability to make me feel safe and flustered all at once.

The conversation around us continues, people diving into casual discussions about the wedding and holiday plans, but I’m barely listening. My focus is entirely on Tanner—on the way he hasn’t let go of my hand, on the way his scent is still so potent, so... Tanner.

“Lena,” someone says, breaking through my thoughts.

I blink and realize it’s Daphne’s cousin, Clara, sitting across the table with a smug grin on her face. “So... you two seem cozy.”

I can hear the implication in her voice, feel the weight of the question she’s not really asking. My cheeks flush, and before I can stop myself, I blurt out, “We’re just two consenting adults. Nothing wrong with that, right?”

Oh God. Why did I say that?

Now everyone’s looking at me.

Tanner chuckles softly beside me, his hand still firmly holding mine. He leans over, his lips brushing the skin of my wrist, sending a shiver straight up my spine. “Easy, babe,” he says in that smooth, infuriatingly calm voice.

“They’re just curious. Besides...” His eyes flick up to the rest of the table, his voice dropping just enough to make every word drip with intention. “It’s perfectly normal for a man to satisfy his woman before breakfast, right?”

There’s a collective gulp from the table. I’m pretty sure one of Larry’s cousins just choked on his mimosa.

I, on the other hand, am about two seconds away from melting into the floor. My entire body feels like it’s on fire, and it’s not just from embarrassment.

No, it’s the way Tanner’s fingers are still tracing lazy patterns on my wrist, his words... his words doing things to me I can’t explain.

“Tanner,” I whisper, trying to sound scolding, but it comes out far more breathless than I intended.

He just smiles, completely unfazed by the tension he’s created, and finally pulls back, leaving me flustered and far too aware of the heat pooling in my stomach.

Brunch eventually ends, but not without more lingering looks and whispers from the pack members who clearly think there’s more to this “relationship” than we’re letting on. And maybe there is. I don’t know anymore.

All I know is that I’m walking out of this dining hall with Tanner at my side, and I’m not sure how I feel about it.

We’re supposed to be heading to the frozen pond for ice skating next. It’s a tradition for weddings at the lodge, apparently.

Everyone’s bundled up in coats, hats, and gloves, ready to take on the chilly weather.

The thought of trudging out there, surrounded by more watchful eyes, makes me want to crawl back to my room and hide under the covers.

“Maybe I’ll sit this one out,” I say, trying to sound casual as I tug on my gloves. “Ice skating’s never really been my thing.”

Tanner raises an eyebrow, his stormy blue eyes scanning me like he knows exactly what I’m trying to do. “You sure? Could be fun.”

Fun. Right.

It's fun for people who actually enjoy being stared at while they flail around on ice.

I hesitate, but then Tanner shrugs like it’s no big deal and turns to head out without me. My heart does this weird little twist, and I find myself calling after him before I can stop myself.

“Wait,” I say, cursing inwardly at the desperation in my voice. “I’ll come.”

What the hell am I doing?

Tanner turns back, his smirk firmly in place, and I can see the satisfaction in his eyes. “Good. Let’s go, then.”

As we step out into the cold, I can feel my inner wolf prancing around inside of me, practically howling with excitement. It’s ridiculous.

I’ve never felt this... attached to anyone that I have been in a relationship with before, but something about Tanner stirs something primal in me, something I can’t control.

And I’m not sure if that terrifies me or thrills me.

As we walk toward the frozen pond, I glance over at him—at the way his broad shoulders move under his coat, at the way his hands slide into his pockets casually, like he’s completely at ease with the world.

I, on the other hand, feel like I’m on the edge of a cliff, about to fall into something I might not be able to get out of.

And for the first time in a long time, I’m not sure if I want to stop the fall.