The Falcon Ridge Series Book 1 She's Not For You

RIVER

Anna didn't speak to me all day Friday. I felt like an ass, watching her avoid me like the plague.

I know what I said was wrong, but she was overreacting. Cassidy was asking a training question. She may have been flirting, but I certainly didn't notice. Even if I wasn't with Anna, she's not my type.

I just hope I can fix this.

Saturday morning, I pull into her driveway. I'm praying to all the gods that this conversation goes the way I want.

I knock on the door and am unprepared for who answers.

Michael is standing in the doorway with his hands in his pockets, smirking. "What do you want?" He says in a cocky tone.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I squint my eyes at him.

"Consoling a friend whose heart was broken by your dumb ass." He crossed his arms.

I sigh. "Can I talk to her please?"

"I don't think it's a good idea." He shakes his head.

"Just....go ask her." I demand.

He heaves a heavy breath. "Fine. Wait here." He shuts the door and I plant myself on the top step to wait.

I'm leaning on my knees, tapping my finger tips together. Watching the neighborhood walk and drive by. It may have been a few minutes, but it felt like fucking hours. I ran what I was going to say through my head.

I was so engrossed in thought, I didn't hear the door open. All I heard was the soft, beautiful, familiar voice of Anna. "River."

I stood and turned around. "Anna." I breathe. "Hey, Baby."

She stepped out and shut the door. “You had something to say?"

I gave a half smile. Testing the waters. "Besides telling you I miss you like fucking crazy?"

She crossed her arms. "What do you want, River?"

It felt awful being on the other end of that question. In that same tone she used on Michael.

I scratch the back of my head. "Ok. No mood for small talk." I sigh.

I put my hand out to the step offering her to sit. I do and she sits beside me. Both of us are leaning on our knees.

"Look, Anna. I'm sorry I said what I did. I had no right."

"That's right. You don't." She stared at her hands.

I swallowed. "I let my emotions get the better of me...again...but I just get so damn protective that I lose control."

"River, " She sighs, "as much as you hate it, I'm going to socialize with friends. Some you won't like, but that doesn't mean I'm going to mess with them. And yes, I do need to tell that to myself too."

I nod. "I know it's frustrating we can't be more open about us, but I can't always be all hard and standoffish. We still treat you guys like people. That includes relaxed conversation. It really is part of the job. In order to function, were not only a team, but were like friends and family for the most part."

"Is that why you beat the crap out of Michael?" She raised a brow.

I hang my head and huff. "No. That's my emotions getting in the way. It's kind of a weakness, I guess."

She bumps me. "Must be an Alpha thing.” She gives a quick smile.

I sit up. "Well, as my father so eloquently put it, ‘We're Alpha. Means we have more heart than brains’." I say imitating my dad's deep voice.

She gives a quick giggle. "Your dad's a wise man."

I lean to her. "Don't tell him that, we'll never hear the end of it."

She chuckles then we fall silent for moment.

I glance at her. "Anna, I'm sorry. I won't lie. I don't trust Michael as far as I can throw him, but to tell you not to see him, that's effectively telling you I don't trust you. That couldn't be further from the truth, baby girl. I trust you with my life."

She smiles. "I trust you too. I should apologize to you. I overreacted. I guess I must have a little Alpha in me too."

I bump her. "Maybe that's why we get along so well."

She bumps me back.

Silence falls, but this time, it's a calming silence.

I lean to her looking for her eyes. "So am I forgiven?" I say quietly.

She playfully squints her eyes. "I don't know." She says slyly.

I turn to her on the step. "What? You want me to beg?"

She smirks. "Maybe a little."

I get close and start peppering her face with little kisses. "Please." Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. "Please." Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. "Please."

She starts giggling. "Okay! I forgive you!"

I separate, smiling. We go back to leaning on our knees again.

I look down. "Well, since I'm forgiven, I have one burning question."

She turns her head to me. "What's that?"

I turn my gaze to her and give her a mischievous grin. "Are you going to kick him out or can I?" I bounce my brow.

She sits up laughing. "I will."

I pout. "You're no fun."

"You..." She gives me a quick kiss. "Need to go home and grab some things and bring them here for the weekends."

She places her hand on my knee and uses it to push herself up.

I stand too. "What? Are we like, at toothbrush in the bathroom stage?" My eyes widen.

"Why not?" She shrugs. "You're here all weekend anyway. Might as well make some room in my closet. Unless you like David's old clothes."

I shake my head. "As much as I respect the fuck out of the guy, I'd rather my own clothes."

She throws her arms around my neck as I pull her into me by her waist. "I'm so lucky to have two of the most wonderful men in my life." She gazes into my eyes.

I look at her cautiously. "You're talking about me and David right?"

She slaps my chest and separates. Laughing. "Go get your stuff."

I give her a quick kiss. "Be back in an hour. You better be ready when I get back because we aren't leaving that room all weekend." I warn walking to my car.

She giggles. "Hurry up!"

I run to my car and tear out the driveway to head to the pack house.

****

ANNA.

I stand on my porch, shaking my head as River pulls away.

The fight was probably one of the dumbest fights on the planet. I chalk it up to the stress of the situation. Both of us are feeling extremely vulnerable right now. Like we're nothing but mice and the hawks are circling. We have nothing to protect ourselves with. The only thing we can do is trust each other and ourselves to make the right decisions, and communicate our problems.

I walk back into the house and Michael is sitting on my couch.

"Everything ok?" He sits up.

I give a quick smile. "Yeah. Everything's good. We talked. The whole thing was stupid. I think we're just stressed."

He gives a half smile and stands. "Well, good. As long as you're happy." He walks over to me and plants a kiss on my cheek. "I'm glad it worked out."

He didn't sound convincing. He grabbed his coat and headed to the door.

"Thanks for staying with me." I said holding the door.

He turned. "I told you, Anna. No matter what, I'm here for you. I always will be."

I raise my brow. "You alright?"

"I'm fine." He smiles. "See you Monday."

Something was bugging me about his smile. Like he was disappointed that River and I worked out our problems. "See ya."

I closed the door and went upstairs to prepare for River to show up.

An hour later, he's putting overnight bags in my closet.

He slides over and wraps his arms around me. "So..."

"So." I wrap my arms around his neck and play with his hair.

He looked at me with sultry eyes. "What should we do now?"

"Hmm...I can think of a few things." A sly smile finds my lips.

He moves his lips to mine. "Oh, you can, can you?"

He's teasing me, brushing his lips to mine. "Yeah." I quietly breath as the waves of pleasure fill me.

He walks me backwards as he continues to play with my lips.

I feel his hard bulge press against my thigh. "Let's see if they’re the same ideas I got." He grins on my lips as he lowers me onto the bed and kisses me. His soft tongue finding mine and intertwining with it.

His finger hook the hem of my shirt and he slides his hand up to my breast. He kneads it through my bra.

I let out a small moan in his mouth.

He had just found the button to my jeans when his phone rang from the side table.

He stops. "Let it go to voice-mail." He mumbles on my lips.

He continues and his phone rang again.

"You better see who it is." I mumble back.

He growls and reaches for his phone. "It's Zeke." He answers it. "This better be fucking good, Zeke."

"Have you checked your emails?" I hear from the other end.

River furrows his brow. "No."

"Well, check them now." Zeke sounded concerned.

River removed his phone from his ear and opened up his emails.

As he reads, he sits up. "River? What is it?"

"Oh my God." He sits, rubbing his head.

Zeke was still on the line. "They want all leadership in now."

I'm confused. "River, what's going on?"

He looked at me. "The unit was attacked. Karver's escaped."

My eyes widen.

He gets up. "Zeke, I'll see you in an hour." And he hung up.

"I have to go to Caledon. Falcon Ridge is on lock down. " He pulled on his jacket.

I stand up. "I'm coming with you."

He shakes his head. "No, Anna. This is unit business. Only ranking members. I'll call you later."

"River, Karver was mine. I deserve to be in on this hunt." I cross my arms.

He sighs. "That's not my call. You're not border anymore."

"Fine." I scowl.

"I'll let you know what I find out." He gave me a quick kiss and headed out the door.

I couldn't just sit there. I had to do something. So I changed into my leather and peeled out on my bike. Headed to Falcon ridge.