The Alpha And Her Tinkerer

9_My Safe Place

Reeva POV

I silently sit in the passenger seat as Hayden drives us to Goddess knows where. I concentrate on my breathing, fighting my anger and frustration.

It is an absolute shitty feeling when you know you are wrong for being irrationally mad at people who have done nothing but help. I know I am wrong, but I cannot help it. Anger is seething through me, and I wish it did not.

“Where are we going?” I ask in a desperate attempt to distract myself from my feelings.

“To my safe space,” he replies. “I found it as a kid, and I’ve never taken anyone there before. Don’t worry, they won’t find us there.”

“I’m not worried,” I snap.

“I’m sorry,” I reply immediately, taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling. “I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

“It’s okay,” he shrugs, looks at me and smiles. “We all have off days.”

“Would you please stop being so nice?” I explode, unable to control my anger any longer.

“No,” he replies nonchalantly. “I don’t want to.”

“Are you implying I want to be miserable and angry?” I growl.

“No, but I will say you’re looking for a fight,” he answers.

I shut up, cross my arms, and stare out of the window. He is right, I am looking for a fight, a release for this anger, but I am not ready to admit that he nailed it.

“Look,” he sighs. “Obviously, you’ve been through a lot, and ...”

“And how would you know?” I cut him off, glaring at him.

“I found you abandoned in a cemetery,” he snorts. “It’s a given.”

Right … again.

“Reeva, I’m not being condescending,” he says patiently. “I’ll give you all the space you need, but I’m not going to change for you or anyone else.”

I ignore him and continue staring out the window, even though I do not register anything. This day started so good, but it is getting worse by the minute. All thanks to me and my raging anger.

I do not need a psychiatrist to tell me why I am this angry. It is obvious. I lost a child, my pack, my love, my life. I have multiple reasons to be angry, and I am taking it out on the people surrounding me instead of the people who deserve it. But I swear to the Goddess, I will nurture this anger until I see them again, and then they will feel my wrath.

“Here we are,” Hayden announces, and for the first time, I pay attention to our surroundings.

We are in the middle of the woods with a breathtakingly beautiful lake and waterfall, but I do not see a cabin or any kind of structure where we could reside. I do not question Hayden as he gets out and opens the back door for Pudding. I have embarrassed myself enough for one day with my mood. If he says we arrived, then we did.

I take the backpack he hands to me and follow him towards the lake. He light-foot jumps from rock to rock, and I follow him.

“How is it possible for you to trip over nothing indoors and not fall when you leap around on rocks?” I ask, amused.

“Hey, you’re not mad anymore,” he laughs, and I come to a halt when I realise, he is right.

“Must be the fresh air,” I reply. “And you’re avoiding my question.”

“Muscle memory, I guess,” he replies. “I’ve been doing this since I was twelve. And yes, I often fell into the lake.”

That makes me smile, and I close my eyes, deeply inhaling the fresh air. It feels good to no longer be angry.

“Come on, slowpoke,” Hayden shouts, and I open my eyes.

“Where are we going?” I ask, leaping to the next rock and catching up with him.

“You’ll see,” he grins mischievously.

I follow him until we reach the waterfall, and my jaw drops in surprise when he disappears behind the water. Curious, I follow and burst out laughing when I see a secret entrance in the rocks. I enter the darkness and follow the dim light until I end in a massive cave.

“Oh, my Goddess,” I whisper in awe as I slowly turn around, admiring everything.

The cave is completely concealed by the waterfall, and Hayden has equipped the cave with everything we might need. There is a small table with two chairs next to a basin and cupboards. There is a luxurious couch and a shelf filled with books. There is even a double bed. In the back is a divider, and when I peek around it, I find a portable toilet and a bathtub.

“You have plumbing?” I ask, stunned.

“No,” he chuckles. “I boil water on the gas stove and pour it into the tub. But only on rare occasions because it’s quite a mission.”

“I can only imagine,” I say softly, still examining the place. Every time I look, I notice something else. Like a mirror against the wall and oil lamps.

“This is amazing, Hayden,” I say, dropping the backpack. “I can’t believe you did all of this.”

“Let me show you the best part,” he grins, kicking off his shoes and taking off his shirt.

“Are you going to demonstrate the tub?” I laugh.

“Better,” he says, wiggling his eyebrows, and taking off his pants.

“What are you doing?” I shout and step towards him when he runs to the waterfall.

He does not answer, and I gasp when he drives through the waterfall. Quickly, I run through the tunnel and stop at the edge, looking down at the lake. Hayden is lying on his back, gently kicking himself towards the shore.

“Are you insane?” I shout as loud as I can.

“Not that I know of,” he replies, climbing out of the water. “Are you coming or what?”

“I’m coming,” I laugh, and walk back to the cave. This man is an enigma. He cannot stand up for himself against the pack’s bullies, but he is brave enough to dive thirty feet into a lake.