The Alpha Triangle

Shifting Sands

Not long after, the door banged open. Liam burst through, breathless.

“You’re alive!” Liam burst out, pulling me into a crushing hug.

Pain shot through my arm as the IV tugged. I flinched.

“Sorry!” he blurted, pulling back instantly. “I’m just so glad you’re back. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

I shook my head, brushing it off, but something about him caught me. His scent. I’d never really noticed it before. Or maybe it was different now. I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply. Sandalwood. And lemon.

When I opened my eyes, his blue gaze locked with mine. My mind was still foggy, but I searched for the word that voice had spoken to me.

I scanned him. Again. Waiting. But the voice stayed silent. The disappointment sank like a stone in my chest. Liam must have noticed, because he gave my hand a small squeeze, his smile gentle, steady.

“It’s okay,” he said quietly. “I knew we weren’t mates the second you shifted.”

Chris stepped to my side, his fingers brushing the IV. “Time to take this out,” he said, voice calm. “I’ll discharge you into Liam’s care.”

Half an hour later, we stepped out the front doors of the pack hospital. The sunlight felt too sharp. My body was heavy, every step an effort. Where was I supposed to go?

Home wasn’t an option. Alex would kill me, and I wasn’t strong enough to fight him. Not yet. My thoughts spun, colliding into each other until my legs gave out. I sank to the gravel, pulling my knees to my chest.

“Freya?” Liam crouched beside me, worry etched on his face. “Do I need to take you back inside?”

I didn’t answer. My head throbbed. I squeezed my eyes shut and saw them again. Blue eyes. I need to find him.

Hands gripped my shoulders, shaking me like I was weightless. My eyes flew open.

“Knock it off!” I snapped, shoving him back weakly. “My head hurts. I just need… a minute. To think. I have nowhere to go, so I might as well do it here.”

“You have me,” Liam said softly. His voice cracked. “You have my home.”

I let out a shaky breath and lifted my hands. He pulled me up easily, steadying me.

“I’m sorry,” I murmured. “I know I have you. But if I go home, Alex will try to kill me. I’ve lost my mom in the crossfire. And now” My voice wavered. “I think I found my mate.”

Liam’s face lit up, almost boyish. “Who is it?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “That’s the problem. When I shifted back, someone wrapped a blanket around me. I looked up and saw blue eyes. A voice inside my head screamed mate. And then I blacked out.”

A quiet chuckle escaped him.

My eyes narrowed. “What’s so funny?”

“That voice,” he said gently, “it’s your wolf.”

“How do I get it to speak back to me?” I asked Liam, urgency sharp in my voice.

“You don’t,” he said simply. “Your wolf reaches out to you first.”

“I need to ask them who my mate is. I need to know everything,” I pressed.

Liam didn’t answer. Instead, he slipped his hand into mine and tugged me forward. We walked together in silence, fingers laced, heading toward his house.

I shut my eyes and reached inward, pouring every ounce of myself into the bond with my wolf. Please, I begged silently. Please give me something. Anything. I need to know who he is.

A warmth stirred inside me, and then, finally, she answered.

All I know is that he has blue eyes.

My chest tightened with disappointment. It was everything I already knew.

But you will sense him the moment you catch his scent, she added gently.

I sighed, the hope I’d been holding slipping just a little. Before she could retreat, I whispered inwardly, Wait… before you leave again! What’s your name?

There was a pause, soft and steady like a heartbeat. Then a single word echoed through me.

Ridley.

When I opened my eyes again, the world felt sharper, more alive. Liam’s hand was still warm around mine. Neither of us spoke the rest of the way, but the silence was full of questions, of secrets, of everything yet to come.

We climbed the front steps hand in hand. Liam twisted the handle, letting the door swing open, and I slipped my fingers free as he stepped gingerly inside. I followed close, every nerve on edge. Alex usually didn’t linger at the beta’s house, but it wasn’t impossible either.

I drew in a deep breath but only Liam’s scent filled the air. Relief loosened the tightness in my chest, and we bounded up the stairs to his room. Once inside, we shut and locked the door behind us.

I hadn’t walked far, but exhaustion weighed me down. I collapsed onto Liam’s bed without a second thought and slipped into darkness the instant my head touched the pillow.

When I woke, the room was cold. Moonlight spilled through the window, silver against the walls. The curtains shifted gently, telling me Liam had cracked the window while I slept. My clothes clung damp against my skin, and my hair felt greasy.

I slipped out of bed quietly and padded into the attached bathroom. The door gave a soft squeak as it closed, and I flipped the light on. My eyes took a moment to adjust before I met my own reflection in the mirror.

I looked as bad as I felt.

Turning on the faucet, I splashed cold water onto my face until my skin tingled. A gray hand towel was waiting, and I patted myself dry before peeling off my clothes and stepping into the small shower.

The first rush of cold water was a relief, washing away the heaviness clinging to me. I glanced down at my body, frowning. In just three days, I’d lost even more weight without trying. Faint bruises bloomed blue and green across my legs and waist, and shallow cuts lined my arms and wrists.

I searched for shampoo but found only Liam’s body wash. It would have to do. I scrubbed until my scalp ached, then dragged the soap across my skin until the cuts stung raw. I watched as the suds spiraled down the drain taking some of the grime with it.

I dug through the cupboards in Liam’s bathroom until I found a thick maroon towel. After drying off, I ran it through my hair before wrapping it tightly around me. Stepping out of the bathroom, I nearly collided with Liam. My breath caught in my throat.

“What are you doing?” I asked, startled.

“I woke up and realized you weren’t in bed. I went looking for you and… well, here we are.”

I took a few steadying breaths. “You scared me,” I muttered. “Do you have some clothes I can borrow? I only have the set I came back with from the pack hospital.”

He nodded, pulling open a dresser drawer. A moment later, he tossed me a pair of shorts and a baggy T-shirt.

“Thanks.” I caught them easily and slipped back into the bathroom to change.

When I returned, Liam was stretched out on the bed again, this time on top of the sheets. He was wearing nothing but boxer shorts, and for some reason, that made me feel uncomfortable. Dirty, even.

“Can you put some clothes on?” I asked.

Liam gave me a look, like I’d lost my mind. “You’ve never had a problem with how I sleep before now.”

He wasn’t wrong. I hadn’t cared before.

Still, I climbed back into bed, pulling the covers around me so I wouldn’t brush against his bare skin. My eyes drifted shut, and sleep took me.