A/N: Thank you so much to all the readers and ESPECIALLY the people who reviewed and added my story to their alerts and their favorites. Honestly, I wasn't really doing much with this story because I didn't get much feedback, but your interest and comments really turned me around! Cyber hugs to virticallychallengedteenager, maile and beautifulmess2005 for adding my story to their alerts. Cyber bear hugs and candy for Trinideanfan, maile and ultrablonde for reviewing my chapter. Thanks a bunch for making my day guys! Enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Alphas, I just dream of being one.

Saber actually grinned at that as he pulled at the shockingly white patch of hair that stuck out like a sore thumb from his pitch black hair. He had started growing it years ago and always wore it in a thin, long, shockingly white braid. In one of his more insane and perhaps drunken moments, he had cut it off and shaved the spot it grew out of right down to the scalp. He had desperately, although ultimately fruitlessly, hoped the damned thing was somehow connected to his alpha abilities. He'd looked like an idiot for two weeks and his powers hadn't left him for even a minute. Gradually he had come to accept the hair, even if it did make him stand out like a sore thumb. One thing was for sure, no question he had learned to accept it more than he accepted his abilities and the limitations they placed on him.

These days he could be depended on to beat the shit out of grown men who were drunk enough, stupid enough or a few sandwiches short of a picnic and decided to make comments about his hair. The thing was, with Gary, you couldn't help but like the kid. It was clear he didn't have a malicious bone in his body. His comments weren't meant to hurt or offend. The kid just spoke his mind, whether or not you appreciated what he had to say. It had taken Saber years to shore up the courage to do that.

"Gary, I'm sorry you don't like the hair but I can't do much about it. It just kinda happened one day when I was about twelve. I've cut it a few times, once I even shaved my head. Crazy as it seems, the dang thing just keeps growing back. Can't figure out if it has anything to do with my abilities, it doesn't seem like it, but one can never really tell with these things can one?" Saber glanced back at Rosen. "You never did find that out did ya, Rosen? I guess you'll want a chance to poke around in my body AND my mind again, huh?"

Gary was nodding, his fingers moving frantically in the air. Then he laughed. "I don't like bald heads. I like your head. Yes. I thought about it and I like your head. You can stay for now. But if Dr. Rosen says you have to go, you can't stay anymore. Dr. Rosen is our boss. We have to listen to him. Even if we don't want to, we still have to listen to him. Sometimes I don't want to listen, but I have to."

At that moment the pusher stepped forward and stuck out her hand. "Nina Theroux. It's nice to meet you. We've all been curious." Saber looked her up and down. She was one hell of a beauty, and she knew it. She was used to using her body as a distraction. Saber was sure most times she probably didn't even need her ability to get what she wanted from most men, and a few women.

Lifting one eyebrow, Saber met her gaze without flinching, never lowering his eyes even as he grasped her hand and gave it a firm shake. "As long as you don't try to get me to do things against my will, we should be fine, Pusher. Other than that …." He squeezed her hand until he was sure she felt pain even though she didn't even flinch. "… proceed at your own risk. However, I would strongly advise against it. I can honestly assure you that few people have forced me to do things against my will, and lived to tell about it."

"You wanna ease up there a little, big guy." Cameron Hicks said as he stood beside Nina staring Saber down.

Saber turned assessing eyes on Hicks, sizing him up. He glanced from Hicks to the Pusher, Nina, and his smile widened as he released her hand and held both his palms up open before him. He didn't move back at all though. There was no way he would let this one think he was the more dominant of the two of them. This little relationship was interesting, very interesting. As far as he knew the old Rosen frowned upon office romances. Perhaps it was just one of many policy changes he had been forced to embrace when he had foolishly outed the Alphas.

"Hmmm….like that is it? Don't worry Champ. I'm not interested, and even if I was, I don't poach on another man's property. Cameron Hicks I presume? "

Hicks nodded and put his arm around the Pusher, who immediately pushed it off and returned to her seat, glaring at them both and massaging her hand.

Next up for an introduction was Bill Harken. "Welcome to the club." He said simply as he took Saber's hand and shook it in his firm grip. "If Rosen thinks you're gonna be an asset to the team, I'm willing to give it a try. Bill Harken. Just Bill."

Saber nodded. "FBI, right? Nice to meet you." He said simply. There was no way he was going to antagonize someone who might have the connections to go poking around his carefully hidden and well-guarded secrets.

The woman who had been standing at the back of the room, as far away from him as she could get without actually leaving the room via the wall or window still hadn't moved. Rachel Pirzad. This was the one that intrigued him the most. Her heart was beating so fast he was surprised she hadn't started hyperventilating and fainted. He was careful not to make any move toward her. He just raised his eyebrows and waved.

"And you would be …"

Dr. Rosen moved forward and started to speak but Saber silenced him with a slash of his hand. "I didn't ask you Rosen. If she's some kind of mute I have no problem with you speaking for her, provided she's also incapable of some form of sign language. However, since I doubt that's the case, maybe you should stop spoiling this chickie. I won't risk my neck if I only have a mute mouse guarding my back."

At first her eyes widened in shock, then darkened in fury even as she sputtered an answer in outrage. "D..don't you talk to him like that! I..I'm… I'm not a mute mouse! And I've held my own and protected my colleagues many times! I hold my own in this team!"

Saber grinned at the shocked looks on everyone's face at Rachel's outburst. Even Rachel looked pretty surprised. She was definitely going to be his favorite member of the team.

"Rachel's mad." Gary said. He seemed puzzled. "Rachel doesn't get mad. Why are you mad at Saber, Rachel?" he asked.

"Gary, I'm not mad." She muttered quickly.

Saber leaned back against the wall and shrugged. "I don't know Gary. I think you're right. She's definitely mad at me. What did I do wrong?"

"I'll ask her later, Saber. I'll find out for you. Rachel talks to me. She likes to talk to me. I'll find out why she's mad at you and then you can apologize."

Saber laughed out loud then at the outraged look on Rachel's face. Maybe this crazy, little alpha club Rosen had put together might amuse him, for a little while at least. Rachel Pirzad was definitely one reason he would put up with Rosen, at least for a little while longer.

Dr. Rosen cleared his throat nervously. "Well now that all of the introductions have been made, I'm going to show Saber around just a little more. Shall we reconvene in about two hours for dinner?"

The members of the team all nodded, though it was clear that Gary was the only one legitimately excited about the thought of dinner and getting to know the new team member better. Bill just looked speculative, Hicks and Nina looked furious and Rachel…Rachel looked downright scared.

As soon as Saber and Dr. Rosen walked out of the door, Bill spoke. "Well, ladies and gentlemen, evaluations of our new colleague if you will. What are our first impressions? Good, bad or do we reserve judgment until we have more interaction? That's where I'm leaning personally. I can't get a feel of him. The fact that I couldn't scare up any info on him has all my spidey senses tingling. As for the man himself . . . " Bill shrugged. ". . . he seems straightforward but …"

"Dangerous." Hicks said succinctly. "He's trouble. You can smell it on him. Those types don't have to go looking for trouble, it comes to get them. I don't like him."

"Nina?" Bill said glancing at where she was sitting beside Hicks, still massaging her hand.

"He certainly made it clear he didn't want me messing with his mind. That's for sure. I wasn't trying to push him, but he looked me dead in the eye and I knew, I just knew that if I tried to push him, he would push right back and I wouldn't like the consequences. Hicks is right. He's a dangerous one, but I think it's only to people who get in his way. He doesn't want trouble."

"But I bet he finds it wherever he goes." Hicks said angrily. "We don't need any more trouble. We got enough, just doing Rosen's dirty work."

"I don't think he likes Dr. Rosen." Gary said suddenly. His one statement grabbed the attention of everyone in the room.

"Why would you say that, Gary?" Rachel asked quietly.

Gary shrugged. "He looks at him angry. The way Bill looked at me when I scratched his car. It was one scratch Bill. You were silly to yell at me. When can I drive your car again Bill? I won't scratch it this time."

"What do you think about him, Rachel?" Nina suddenly asked. "He certainly had a lot to say to you. I don't think he wants to work on the same team as you. He seemed somewhat lacking in enthusiasm."

Rachel frowned. "I think he's a pushy, bully. I don't know why Dr. Rosen thinks he's going to be so good for the team, but I think Hicks is right. He's dangerous and he's trouble." But even as she said the words Rachel remembered the look in his eyes as he spoke to her, as he spoke about her to Dr. Rosen. Curiosity. Interest. She shivered a little when she thought of his intense green eyes, hard, searching eyes that . . . intrigued her.