Alpha's Protective Pup

9

“Where is your friend?”

Lukas c****d his head to the side. “Oh, you mean Oscar? He’s talking with the pack leader.”

“His father, right?”

He nodded. “Yes. If you stay, you’ll meet him eventually, as he is the one who is the head of the Sabretail Pride.”

I didn’t ask any questions because I had no interest in knowing about the leader of this pack. There was no way I was going to be staying here.

“You all keep saying if I stay. Can’t you see that it’s the last thing I want?” I snapped, though I didn’t mean to bite Lukas’s head off.

The same went for Oscar. They had been nothing but nice to me. Plus, Lukas was the one to bring me here anyway when he thought I might end up dying.

“Yes, and again, you’re not being forced to stay. If you want to leave once you heal, you can,” he explained.

“But?”

Lukas sighed. “But nothing. I am simply hoping you’ll see reason once the shock wears off.”

He lingered for a bit before leaving so I could eat, rest, or just do whatever alone. I could see he almost didn’t want to leave and a part of me wanted him to stay as well. This situation was a lot for me, but I enjoyed the company.

Lukas was a little more subtle where Oscar just blurted out what was on his mind. Both came with their benefits and weaknesses.

It took just two days for me to heal. Sometimes I would see just Lukas or Oscar, and other times, it would be the two of them. When it was both of them, it felt a little tense. The feeling was so faint that I couldn’t tell if it was real or not.

While they might have been friends, the two could have some kind of issue I wasn’t aware of. It was an issue I didn’t wish to be aware of, either. This place was not my home. As soon as I healed, I intended to leave.

After a little over two days of being in the infirmary, I decided it was the time to go. They said I could leave whenever I wanted, but I didn’t believe this was the case. Departing unnoticed by others was the ideal choice for me.

About an hour before I left, I interacted with Margaret. She had checked my leg and deemed it healed.

“If you ever get an injury like that again, expect it to heal even faster than this time.”

I frowned. “I have no intention of getting injured like that again.”

“Hmm, let me guess you are planning to return to your human life?” Margaret inquired.

I stared at her with wide eyes, frozen like a deer in the headlights, before looking away. It was the answer she sought, as I confirmed my plan to leave without words.

She sighed. “Girl, I wouldn’t recommend it, but you are your own wolf, so you can do what you want.”

“Think you can tell me how to get out of here undetected?”

“Sure,” Margaret said, catching me by surprise. “I’ll even tell you the best way to get back here once you get your head out of your ass and realize this is your world now. There is no going back, no matter how much you wish for it.”

I glared at her with narrowed eyes. “God, you are Nurse Ratched.”

“Oh, One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, right? Fantastic movie.”

Her unexpected response caused my eyes to widen with surprise.

“We might be werewolves, but it doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy movies and television like any other person,” Margaret muttered. “You humans think we are savages. Want to know what I think? You all pay much too much attention to those silly movies and shows.”

I would not argue with her because she wasn’t wrong. That had been exactly what I was thinking. As I spent more time with them, it became clear that my preconceived stereotypes were altogether inaccurate.

She eventually turned to leave, but just before she closed the door, I called out to her. “Why tell me how to get out of here?”

Margaret smiled. “To truly know if this is the ideal place for you, you must discover it on your own.”

One would think I’d heed this warning and not run when I had the chance, but I couldn’t stay. This had to be a huge mistake. I wasn’t a werewolf and their noses just smelled something that wasn’t there.

So, I left. I expected someone might see or stop me, but nothing of the sort happened. Near the entrance, I ran into a person who was sitting alone. I burst out of the den, my heart pounding as I left them behind in a cloud of dust.

With a sense of liberation, I embraced the opportunity to resume my everyday life.

CHAPTER 5

LUKAS & OSCAR

Lukas

I

knew something was amiss the moment I got to the infirmary. There was the distinct lack of Isla’s smell, which I had grown accustomed to in the past few days since she was here healing. The first feeling that ran through me was a surge of anger, wondering who had taken her. Then I calmed down upon realizing no one could’ve done it.

She must’ve made good on her promise and left. I wondered when Isla had left, as each passing moment decreased the likelihood of catching up to her. You know, assuming I went after her.

Rushing after Isla might scare her, so I was just going to figure out what had happened and go from there.

However, if anyone was going to run after her, it should’ve been me. I knew the territory inside and out as a scout.

Joseph had assigned me a scout once I reached the age of maturity. Some would grumble about their position in the pack under their breath, but never to the face of the head alpha. He could be quite strict with these things.

It felt right for me to be a scout for the pack, given my abilities and interests. I enjoyed observing and had a patient nature, unlike some of the other pack members. I’d be the first to admit it could get boring, but there was another way to look at it. No excitement meant our territory was safe.