QUINN
I whip my little blue car into the parking lot of the squad complex, steering into a spot and slamming it in park. It’s my first day and I’m already late- what a great first impression.
I hate being late for anything; it gives me major anxiety. Dad drew out our goodbye, like he didn’t want to let me go, and while I knew it was going to make me late, I didn’t have the heart to rush it. For the past five years, it has just been the two of us at the packhouse- this new chapter is definitely going to be an adjustment for us both.
And speaking of new chapters and fresh starts, what a way to begin mine!
I don’t even bother grabbing my bags- I can get those later. My only concern right now is getting in there. I’m only ten minutes late, so hopefully I’m not the last to arrive.
I toss my keys into a tote that I sling over my shoulder, climbing out of my car. At least I’m already dressed for training in leggings, a cropped t-shirt, and a pair of gym shoes. My hair’s still down, but I’ve got a hair tie on my wrist just in case. I jog around the side of the building, approaching the gate of the complex. I’ve never been here before, but Brooke described it really well when she was in Summervale over the weekend.
Things have been pretty crazy on that front lately- Brooke, one of my closest friends from high school, is my brother’s mate! I did not see that one coming, but I can’t say I’m disappointed. The two of them actually seem great together, and Brooke will be even more like a sister to me now. She’s promised that I’m going to love it up here at the complex, so I’m holding her to it…
I’m relieved when I jog through the gate to find that people are still filing in; the field is packed with people, and it doesn’t look like anything has started yet. I heave a sigh for the bullet I dodged, sliding my tote off of my shoulder and looking around for familiar faces. I’m looking for Brooke, Theo, Kyla, or…
I swear my heart stops beating in my chest. I wasn’t looking for him- but it’s him, right? Sexy stranger. He’s standing twenty yards from me, and though he looks a little different in the light of day, dressed causally in his workout gear, I know it’s him; I’d recognize him anywhere. He’s chatting with someone happily, flashing that dazzling smile. Smoothing back that unkempt wavy dark-blonde hair. It’s him.
“Quinn!” a voice calls out, and I realize that Theo’s standing right near sexy stranger, waving an arm at me. I don’t even have time to process what’s happening- Theo starts to walk over to me and I plaster on a big ol’ smile.
“Hey, big bro,” I breathe as he approaches.
He wraps his burly arms around me, pulling me in for a hug. Before he releases me, he ruffles the top of my hair with a hand. Ugh- he’s been doing that to me since I was a kid and I fucking hate it.
“Glad you made it,” Theo beams as I scowl and run my fingers through my now disheveled hair. “C’mon, I want you to meet the guys.”
He throws an arm over my shoulder, leading me back in the direction he came from. Back toward sexy stranger.
I start panicking. Does Theo know? That’s stupid- how could he know? We didn’t even exchange names and I haven’t seen the guy since. But then who is he to Theo? Is he one of ‘the guys’? What the hell have I gotten myself into?
We’re almost upon sexy stranger and the cluster of dudes around him when he looks up, his eyes meeting mine. Within a few seconds, it’s like a host of emotions passes through his eyes- first, recognition, then amusement, and then, when his eyes flit between Theo and I, dread. I wonder if I’ve got the same look of absolute panic in my eyes as he does.
He looks away quickly, and I’ve got a few seconds to take in the people around him- I recognize Alpha Gray and Alpha Reid, as they’ve been to the packhouse for council meetings before. The twins are standing with them, who I went to high school with- Fallon is mated to Alpha Gray, while Brooke is mated to my brother. This must mean the other two guys, my sexy stranger and the dude next to him who looks like Jason Momoa, they must be…
No fucking way. I’ll bet they’re the sons of the other six-pack alphas. Theo’s best friends. Holy shit.
I feel bile rise in my throat. What are the fucking odds?
“Quinn!” Brooke squeals, breaking away from the little group and giving me a big hug in greeting. “I’m so glad you’re here!”
My throat feels like sandpaper. “Glad to be here,” I say hoarsely, forcing a smile. I’m still trying to process this whole situation.
Theo slides his arm around my shoulders again. “Guys, this is my little sister, Quinn.”
All of them give me warm smiles- except sexy stranger. He’s still avoiding eye contact. Is he freaking the fuck out as much as I am?
“Quinn, this is Gray, Brock, Reid, and Jax,” Theo continues, pointing out each guy.
Theo slips his arm off of my shoulders and moves beside Jax, tossing it over his shoulders instead. “You’re gonna get to know this guy real well,” he chuckles. “He’s one of my best friends but he’ll be your worst enemy for the next month. He’s gonna be heading up recruit training so be prepared for him to work you over.”
I nearly choke. Oh, he’s worked me over alright…
Sexy stranger- err, Jax- looks up at me, offering me a faint smile. “Quinn,” he repeats, like he’s trying out how it feels on his tongue.
I’ve gotta get my shit together before Theo picks up on this weirdness between us. I put all thoughts of that night out of my head, straightening and plastering on a fake smile. I stick out my arm confidently, offering him a handshake. “Nice to meet you, Jax. Is that short for something?”
“Jaxon,” he says as he takes my hand in his. I swear I feel a zing of electricity when he touches me- like there’s a lingering spark between us.
I nod. The name suits him. “Jaxon… I like that,” I say, unable to hold back the hint of a smirk as I pull my hand away. He still looks profoundly uncomfortable- he’s not playing this off as well as I am. We’re still just staring at each other.
“It’s just Jax,” Theo corrects, and I’m reminded that he’s right here and how fucked this situation is. Jax can’t be my sexy stranger anymore, not when there’s so much at stake here- his friendship with Theo, my relationship with my brother. Theo would probably kill Jax if he found out what we did. I don’t really know the guy, but I’d prefer him breathing.
“We can probably go ahead and get started,” Gray suggests, looking to the other guys.
There’s my cue. “For sure, you guys… do your thing,” I say, backing away. “I’m just gonna blend in with the other recruits.”
Jax’s eyes are still fixed on me, and his gaze is so goddamn heavy. I feel like I’m being crushed under the weight of it. Dude needs to play it way cooler if we’re going to get away with keeping our secret.
I spin around, taking a few steps away to lose myself in the crowd. I still feel his eyes on me, though.
“Quinn!” Kyla greets, rushing up to me with Tony in tow. “Oh my gosh, this is wild, isn’t it?!” She looks around, gesturing.
“Yeah,” I laugh. “I’m so glad to see you, girl. There’s…”
“Holy shit,” Kyla interrupts, peering over my shoulder. “Is that…?!”
“Shhh!” I hiss, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her closer. “Don’t say a word.”
Kyla wrinkles her nose in confusion. “What? Why? Isn’t that…?”
“Yes,” I whisper harshly. “And he’s a friend of my brother’s.”
Understanding washes over Kyla’s features, then amusement. She realizes how fucked I am.
“Got it,” she chirps, smirking as she drags her fingers across her lips to imitate a zipper. After a beat, she looks back to Jax, then at me again, arching a brow. “Does he…?”
“Yeah,” I grind out. “He knows who I am.”
Kyla lets out a laugh, doubling over. “Oh fuck, this is too good.”
“Would you quit?” I whine, folding my arms over my chest indignantly. I can’t help but crack a smile, though. As ridiculous as this situation is, it’s a little amusing.
I’ve had one one-night stand in my entire life. I thought the guy was a complete stranger and we maintained anonymity by not even exchanging names. And now it turns out that he’s not only a six-pack alpha, but he’s one of my brother’s closest friends.
A laugh escapes my lips as I think it all over, because honestly, it’s so ridiculous that it’s comical.
What are the fucking odds?
Hope you're enjoying Alpha Jax so far! My update schedule for this book will be the same as the last- one new chapter each weekday, Monday - Friday, with the potential for a bonus chapter over the weekend if I have time to write. Thanks for reading!
JAX I’m still in shock. My mouth is dry, my pulse is racing, and I feel like my stomach is gonna fall out of my butt. The search for my mystery girl is over, but it turns out that she’s the one single female in the six-pack who is off-limits: my best friend’s little sister. I can’t help but wonder whether the universe is playing some twisted joke on me right now. I knew there was something familiar about her that night, but I couldn’t quite place it. Seeing her standing next to her brother today, though, I wonder how the hell I could’ve been so blind- the family resemblance is striking. This is the sister I knew Theo had, but never met. The one he asked me to look out for just last week. Of course, when I agreed to that, I had no idea I’d already broken bro code in the worst way… Fucking hell, when I was telling Theo about my mystery girl that day, I was telling him about his own sister! In graphic fuc
QUINN I’m shoving the last of my clothes into a drawer when I hear a knock, glancing in the direction of the open door of the room in the squad dorms where I’m getting settled in. Brooke’s there leaning against the doorframe, dressed in ripped up jeans and a Journey t-shirt, a bright smile on her face. “Hey, stranger,” she greets when I turn to look at her, adjusting her black framed glasses on the bridge of her nose. “How are you settling in?” “Good,” I breathe, closing the open dresser drawer with my hip. I’ve already filled the dresser with all of the clothes I brought along. I straighten, waving Brooke inside with a hand. “Come on in!” She does, crossing the room and sinking down onto the edge of the bed, looking around. “This used to be my room, you know,” she says fondly. “Really?” I stride over to join her on the bed, perching on the edge beside her. I’ve still got my leggings and sports
JAX Okay, so here’s the thing. I know Quinn’s off limits. I know I royally fucked up by hooking up with her once, and I can never do it again. But there’s no harm in just looking at her, right? I mean, it’s still my job to train her with the other recruits, and the least I can do is honor my promise to Theo to watch over her for the next few weeks. I’ve gotta look at her to do those things, so looking can’t be off limits. At least that’s what I’ve been telling myself all morning, because I couldn’t keep my fucking eyes off of Quinn if I tried. She’s wearing a little pair of black workout shorts and a red sports bra, and the red bra immediately conjures up the image of that lacy red lingerie she was wearing the night we hooked up. I’m a creep- a total fucking creep- because I just kept watching her tits bounce in her sports bra as she was doing warmup laps around the track, and I was popping a semi by the time warmups
QUINN“How much farther?” Kyla groans, tossing her head back exaggeratedly.“Oh, c’mon,” Fallon urges, coming up beside Kyla and linking arms with her. “We’re almost there.”“She’s just being dramatic,” I laugh, following behind the two of them.“If I’d known we had to hike to get to this bar, I would’ve thought twice about wearing sky-high heels!” Kyla laments. “Carry me, Quinn?”I wrinkle my nose, shaking my head. “Nuh uh, you aren’t the only one in heels!”“It’s harder for us short girls,” Vienna says as she comes up on the other side of Kyla, giving her a little smile in solidarity. “We’ve gotta take two steps for every one of yours!”I just met Vienna tonight, but I already like her. She’s a spunky little Latina who seems to have a
JAX“I’m just sayin’, if you two didn’t already have mates, you’d be all for it,” I say, pointing my beer bottle between Gray and Theo.“I never said I wasn’t for it,” Gray clarifies. “I just think the full moon runs are primarily for pack bonding. And besides, one of the cornerstones of the alliance is that the packs remain separate and autonomous, so wouldn’t doing a run with all of the packs would blur those lines?”“Or would it make the six-pack alliance stronger?” I challenge.“It’s a nice idea Jax,” Reid sighs, leaning back on his barstool and raising his beer to his lips. “But I don’t think it’s gonna happen.”“Especially not if we’d have to get Anders, Damian, and Vaughn on board,” Brock adds.Reid grunts in agreement. Now that Brock has stepped into hi
QUINN “Hey, there she is,” Brooke calls as she looks up to see me standing in the doorway of the IT hub on Monday afternoon. She smiles warmly, striding over to the door to greet me. “I was beginning to wonder if you were standing us up!” “Had to catch a shower,” I say apologetically, smoothing my damp hair over a shoulder. “Training was a doozy this morning.” “No worries,” she chirps, taking my hand and tugging me further into the hub. “C’mon, I want you to meet everyone!” Brooke spends the next ten minutes taking me around and introducing me to the rest of the IT staff. There are thirteen of them in total- apparently there were nine originally, and I’m one of five newbies. Theo’s hanging around, too, even though the girl he was replacing just returned from her maternity leave. Everyone I meet seems really nice, with the exception of some lanky girl named Carly who appears to have beef with me for no reason. I
JAX Those eyes get me every time. They always seem to be seeking mine, and mine, them. I quickly catch myself and look away, back to Brock seated across from me, but I don’t hear much of what he’s saying now that Quinn’s in my proximity. I get all mixed up when she’s around- I don’t know if it’s because I suck at keeping secrets and the two of us are harboring a big fucking secret, or if it’s something about just being in her presence that throws me off kilter. Today has been all sorts of fucked up- Gray came and pulled me out of training this afternoon, called in Brock and Reid, and he and Theo held a meeting to catch us up on what IT discovered through Brooke’s program. Though everything is up in the air at this point as far as whether an attack is actually imminent or not, we spent a couple of hours discussing options and strategy for handling the shadow pack threat. Afterwards, Theo went back to IT for his girl while the r
QUINNEverything. That one word, spoken in that deep, gravelly voice, has sent my entire world into a tailspin. It was all fun and games when I was just trying to get a rise out of Jax, making him suffer a little bit for saying he regretted our night together. Now that I know it was special to him, too, all bets are off.It doesn’t seem fair that he’s suddenly the Romeo to my Juliet, the two of us tragically star-crossed and unable to explore this connection we seem to have, neither of us willing to sacrifice our relationship with Theo to see what this thing between us could be. It’s probably for the best- relationships only lead to heartache, after all- but that forbidden fruit is looking awfully appealing right now. I totally get why Adam and Eve gave in and ate the apple.A little flirting never hurt anybody, though… right? Is it so wrong that I want to keep flirting with Jax even if it