The Alpha Triangle

Morning Reckoning

When I woke again, sunlight was spilling into the room. I had no idea how long I’d slept this time. Liam was still snoring softly beside me, so it couldn’t have been too long. I nudged him with my elbow, and he stirred awake.

We sat staring at each other for a few long moments before Liam finally spoke.

“Why did you wake me up?”

“What time is it?” I countered instead of answering.

He groaned, rolling over to grab his phone. “Six in the morning, Freya. Go back to bed. That’s what I’m going to do.”

Before he could settle back under the sheets, I yanked them off. “Get up. I’m hungry, and I need backup.”

I headed into the bathroom to freshen up and realized again that I had nothing of my own to wear. Liam’s oversized clothes had worked last night, but I wasn’t about to walk around looking homeless. Not when I still needed to find my mate.

I scraped my hair into a high ponytail and called through the door, “Does your mom have anything I can borrow?”

“My parents are away on pack business for a couple days,” Liam called back. “You’re welcome to dig through her closet. Take whatever you want.”

That perked me up. With a little more spring in my step, I made my way to his parents’ bedroom. Since they were out of town, I knew Alex wouldn’t have a reason to be here, which gave me some relief.

I wasn’t picky, but I had to admit, Liam’s mom had better fashion sense than me. I picked out a pair of skinny jeans with a few intentional rips across the thighs and a light orange crop top. They were a little loose, but still better than his baggy T-shirts. A pair of gray tennis shoes sat at the front of the closet, and after finding socks, I slipped them on.

There was a small mirror on the inside of the closet door. I caught my reflection and sighed. Why couldn’t I look like the pretty girls at school? I tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear, but when my eyes fell to my wrist, my stomach dropped. My bracelet was gone.

Heart hammering, I spun on my heels and sprinted back to Liam’s room. He was in the shower, but I didn’t care.

“Liam!” I yelled.

The sound of him slipping echoed in the bathroom, followed by a heavy thud. “Ow!” he shouted back, water still rushing.

“Where’s my bracelet?” I demanded, ignoring the fact I’d nearly killed him.

The shower cut off. Before he could pull the curtain back, I turned toward the doorway, giving him some privacy.

“You come barging in here, make me fall on my ass, and then you won’t even look at me?” His voice held a sharp edge, but I couldn’t help the giggle that bubbled out.

He sighed, stepping out of the shower. I heard the cupboard open, then the soft sound of a towel wrapping around him. “You can turn around now.”

“Where’s my bracelet?” I repeated, refusing to let it drop.

Another sigh. He brushed past me, opened the top drawer of his nightstand, and placed the bracelet in my palm. “Happy now?” he snapped.

“Yes,” I said with a victorious grin. “Yes, I am.”

“Are you almost ready?” I asked, slipping the bracelet back onto my wrist. “Because I don’t think I can last much longer without food.”

“Give me five minutes.”

“I’ll wait downstairs.” I bounced out of the room, restless. Yesterday I could barely drag myself to Liam’s house; now, energy buzzed through me like wildfire.

I flopped onto the couch, my leg bouncing with anticipation. A few minutes later, Liam stepped out of his room, shutting the door behind him. I popped up immediately, waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

He bounded down two at a time, landing beside me in a blur. Up close, I realized just how handsome he really was. Icy blue eyes, shaggy blond hair, tall and lean but strong. No wonder Madisen had been hung up on him for years. Maybe if I’d seen him this way before,if I’d appreciated what he had to offer, the Moon Goddess might’ve chosen us as mates. Too late now.

“What are you doing?” Liam asked, catching me staring.

Heat flared in my cheeks. “Nothing. Let’s just go before I starve to death.”

The problem was, we didn’t have many options. If we called for a car, Alpha Alex would know exactly where we went. If we headed to the pack house, there was always the risk of running into him. With Liam’s parents out of town, the cupboards at home were bare.

There wasn’t really a right answer.

“Let’s walk to the pack house,” I decided at last.

“Are you sure?” Liam asked, doubt coloring his voice.

“I don’t think we have much choice. Let’s go.”

So we stepped outside and followed the gravel road, the crisp air brushing against my skin. But no matter how hard I tried to focus on food, Alex lingered in the back of my mind.

We walked through the door hand in hand, and I scanned the area quickly. Alpha Alex was nowhere in sight, and my stomach growled in delight.

I stepped up to the food line, where an assortment of yogurts and cereals sat out with little thought to placement. I grabbed a small box of Fruity Pebbles and a vanilla yogurt, then headed to an empty table.

Liam sat down next to me and scooted a small cup of milk in front of me.

“I saw you grab some cereal and figured you’d need this,” he said.

“Thanks,” I replied. “Have you been training while I was in the hospital?”

“Nope,” he said, shrugging. “Alpha Alex called off all training the morning after your shifting ceremony through mindlink. He hasn’t told any of us when we’ll start again.”

This wasn’t something that had ever happened. When the pack was under attack, when the alpha was away on business, or even the day after I was born, training always continued. Minus the one day a month when the pack held shifting ceremonies.

“So, what are we going to do now, boss?” Liam asked, chewing on a mouthful of Cheerios.

“One, don’t talk with your mouth full. That’s disgusting,” I scolded lightly. “And two… I’m not really sure. Before all this craziness, I had a schedule. I’m not sure what it should look like now.”

“You know you can’t hide out forever, right?” Liam said, concern shading his voice.

“I mean, you can stay with my family as long as you need,” he said slowly. “But the pack is uneasy ever since you practically took down the alpha. They need a leader to tell them what to do next. That leader is now you.”

I looked at him in disbelief. It had only been a day since I was released from the pack hospital. I wasn’t sure I could face Alex again in my current state.

“I need a little while to get my strength back,” I admitted.

Liam nodded, still munching on his cereal. His words chewed at the back of my mind. He was right. I couldn’t hide forever. But the thought of facing Alex again made my stomach twist. I didn’t have the courage I’d somehow found that night. Not yet.

We got up from our table, this time with me trailing behind Liam. After placing our trays neatly at the return station, I slipped my hand back into his. I had always found comfort with Liam, and I wasn’t ready to give that up just yet. Obviously, once one of us found our mates this would have to end, but for now, I took advantage of the luxury. He didn’t seem to mind either.

Liam swung the door open, or so I thought. We crashed into something solid.

In an instant, Liam was lifted by the throat and slammed into the wall beside the door. My mind couldn’t keep up, and I froze for a moment, slow to react.

The culprit turned his head and locked eyes with me.

“Hello, love,” he said with a small smile.