The Alpha's Runaway

Chapter Five

Once we reached the third floor, everyone separated, agreeing to meet in the loft in an hour. 

Grant stopped me before I went into my room.

“You three are Alpha-born.”

I nodded. All Alpha-born males had black fur in their wolf forms, while the females had white fur.

“I’m sorry. That must make losing your old pack that much harder.”

I looked at the ground. Even after all this time, I felt like I abandoned them. While my father wasn’t as cruel to his pack members as he was to his children, he also wasn’t the greatest Alpha.

“You have no idea.” I sighed unhappily, finally responding.

“What’s that mark on your wolf’s shoulder? I noticed Viv and Cameron have it as well.”

“I honestly don’t know. We’ve had it ever since we first shifted but we never got the chance to figure out what it is. Why?”

“Just curious.” He shrugged, “You did good today. I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks.” I smiled shyly.

He reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear before he pulled me closer, kissing me gently.

I pulled away slightly, “Grant, we have to get ready. We have less than an hour.”

He looked down at me and smirked, “You know, we could save water if you join me.” He said suggestively. Moving my hair, he planted a trail of kisses on my neck.

I was certain my face was beet-red and I pushed him away, “Already you want to go there?”

“It’s not like we haven’t already seen each other naked.”

“That was different. We were training, and it was only for a few seconds after shifting before we put clothes on.”

“Still, can you blame me? Like I said, you are breathtaking.” He murmured seductively.

I closed my eyes as if to gather strength, placed a hand on his chest, and pushed him further away, “Just… go.”

“You’re not fun.” He curled his lip in a fake pout. He ducked his head and pressed his lips against mine before finally letting me go and walking away. Kleio whined at the loss of contact.

I pressed a hand against my pounding heart, taking deep breaths and trying to slow it. I’d never felt this way before. Life on the run didn’t exactly leave much time for romance.

Get a grip, Addie. I told myself, You’ve only known him for a day. He shouldn’t be able to affect you like this.

Still, as my heartbeat returned to normal, I could hear Grant’s voice in my head. Don’t hold back.

Shaking my head to clear it, I disappeared into my room and headed for my closet. I ended up grabbing the white floral top and a pair of jeans. If we were celebrating, I probably shouldn’t wear a t-shirt.

I showered quickly, blushing anew as I remembered Grant’s comment. I shoved the thought from my head and got dressed, drying and brushing my hair before doing a side braid. After one more glance in the mirror, I left the room to meet the others.

~Grant Wyndham~

Laura was quiet when we ran into each other in the hallway and I wondered if I pushed her too far. I caught her stealing looks at me, only for her eyes to dart away the second I noticed.

She had made progress in the hours since we first met, however small. She was still wary and distrustful, but she didn’t push me away. I hated to think I ruined this relationship before it truly began.

As she headed toward the loft, I caught her hand and pulled her into my embrace. Her arms immediately wrapped around my waist.

“I’m sorry if I pushed you too far. I hope you know I would never intentionally do anything to make you uncomfortable.”

She sighed, “No, I know. It’s not that. I just… Everything is so confusing right now. In less than twenty-four hours, everything changed so drastically. And realized just how strong my feelings for you have become in such a short time… It’s a lot. I just need time. The last person I trusted… It didn’t work out…”

“Okay. Take all the time you need. You’re someone worth waiting for.” I told her, kissing her gently.

“Thank you.” She smiled softly, taking my hand as we walked out of the room to meet the others.

We reached the loft just in time to see Charlie and Gwen walking down the opposite hall, heading toward us. Lance, Vivian, and Cameron were already waiting.

“Where’s Will tonight?” I asked Charlie and Gwen as we walked down the stairs.

“With my mother.” Gwen responded, “I told her we’d be back around 11.”

“Who’s Will?” Viv asked curiously.

“Our son, William. He’s six months old.” Gwen pulled out her phone and showed Viv and Laura pictures.

“Oh my gosh, he’s so adorable!” Viv squealed.

“He looks just like Charlie!” Laura exclaimed.

“I spent nine months growing this kid inside me and he had the audacity to come out looking like a carbon copy of his father.” Gwen shook her head, smiling.

Charlie shot me and Lance a look of long-suffering, “You two better hope your kids at least sort of look like your mates. Otherwise, you’ll never hear the end of it.”

Cameron coughed awkwardly and I glanced back to see Laura and Viv blush and look away.

“I… don’t think we’ll have to worry about that for a while.” I said awkwardly as Lance murmured his agreement.

“So, when did your father create that challenge?” Cameron asked, changing the subject.

“Four years ago, when I was twenty. It started as a way for me to prove I was ready to take over and lead the pack. When I beat the challenge and became Alpha a year later, it became a way to encourage the pack to become stronger.”

“So you, Lance, and Charlie are the only ones to beat it so far?”

“So far. We have pack members attempting the challenge every day. As they get stronger, more wolves will be able to beat it.”

“Lance, when did you complete the challenge?” Laura asked.

“About a month ago. It was actually the same day Grant first caught your scent.”

“I’m still positive that’s why Lance beat the challenge so quickly.” Charlie teased, “Grant was distracted.”

“Grant was focused enough to stop everyone else who tried to beat it in the past month. If anything, I think he was harder on everyone who attempted.” Lance smirked.

I smiled sheepishly, “My wolf was going crazy. I had all of this pent up energy. I needed to do something.”

When we reached the garage, I grabbed the keys to one of the larger cars and unlocked it for the others before I caught Cameron’s arm, “Hold on. I wanted to talk to you alone for a sec.”

“What is it?” He asked warily.

“I wanted to know if you’d be willing to become a trainer. We need someone to help with the evening sessions. It’ll be an official position within the pack, and it’ll allow you to live comfortably without having to rely on others.”

Cameron scowled, “I don’t need charity. The only reason I am here is for my sisters. I won’t take a position I haven’t earned.”

“This isn’t charity. I truly believe having you train our people will help the pack. I’ve seen the way you and your sisters fight. Your training was much different from ours. I think it can be an asset. As for earning it, you were one of the last humans standing during training today. I have no doubt we’ve only seen a fraction of what you can do.”

“So, why not ask Laura or Viv?”

“You’re stronger than them. You lasted longer sparring against a wolf than either of your sisters.”

“Grant, I’m not even sure how long we’re staying here. I know you and Lance are my sisters’ mates, but as much as we want to stay, that might not be an option.”

“What do you mean?” I asked before it hit me, and I paused, “Laura said you guys were refugees when I asked about your old pack. Whoever destroyed your pack is still after you, aren’t they?”

My wolf, Theseus, growled at the thought. He wanted to find whoever was chasing them and rip them to shreds.

Cameron looked at me in surprise. His expression instantly became guarded and he nodded once.

“Take the position, even if it’s on a temporary basis. I know I have no idea what you and your sisters have been through but for what it’s worth, we will protect you. We’re the strongest pack in the region and we have powerful allies. We want you to stay.”

His expression softened somewhat, “Okay. I’ll take the position. For as long as we’re here.”

“Good. Thank you.” I shook his hand.

When we got into the car, Laura glanced back and forth between us before her eyes glazed over and she mindlinked Cameron. After a few minutes, her gaze cleared and she looked at me, her eyes shining with newfound respect.

Thank you. She mouthed.

No problem. I mouthed back, shrugging. It was nothing.

Cameron seemed more relaxed when we reached the city, and got along well with Charlie. My Third’s easy going personality worked well with Cameron’s cautious nature. He and Laura were incredibly similar. Both were observant and hypervigilant, their eyes tracking the movements of everyone in the restaurant where we ate. For the most part, they were both very guarded. In contrast, Vivian was open and relaxed. It was hard to believe she spent years on the run like Laura and Cameron. She laughed freely and smiled the entire night.

When we got back home, I mindlinked Lance and Charlie, 'Meet in my office in five minutes. We need to talk.'

Laura and I went to her room, and I gave her a quick kiss, “I need to meet with Lance and Charlie about some pack business. You should get some rest.”

“Right. Sleep.” She nodded, kissing me one more time, “Good night.”

“Good night.” I replied, watching her walk into her room and close the door.

I walked back down to the first floor and headed toward my office. After a few minutes, Lance and Charlie joined me.

“What is it?” Lance asked, sitting in the chair across from me.

“The Daniels. They’re keeping secrets. When I asked about her pack, she said they were alone, but they weren’t rogues. More like refugees. Henry confirmed that whoever attacked their pack is still after them. All of their wolves are marked with a triple spiral connected at the center. In training, they’re holding themselves back. They’re matching everyone else’s pace and throwing the matches so they end around the same time as the others. They’re good. I almost didn’t catch it.”

“Why would they do that? It doesn’t make any sense.” Lance shook his head.

“It doesn’t.” Charlie agreed, “But it’s happening. Grant’s right. They’re holding back.”

“When you asked Viv her name, it was almost as if she was about to say something different.” I added, looking at Lance, “Has she said anything about their situation?”

Lance shook his head, “She told me they’ve been on their own since they first shifted, and that they’ve never stayed in one place for too long. That’s about it. She didn’t tell me why. Viv startles easily though. She tries to hide it, but I’ve seen her flinch at loud noises and sudden movements.”

“So, what do you want to do?”

“I still want them to join our pack. We can protect them. I told Cameron that we would protect them if whoever is chasing them finds them.”

“If you already told Cameron, then what are we doing here? You want us to tell you if you made the right choice?” Lance asked, “It doesn’t matter what we think. The decision has already been made. You need to stop second-guessing yourself.” He paused, “For what it’s worth, I think you made the right call.”

“I agree.” Charlie added, “Even if Laura and Vivian weren’t your mates, we can’t turn away wolves in need. Living on the run isn’t a life. They deserve better.”

“We’ll keep a close eye on them, to make sure they stay safe. Hopefully, someday they’ll be able to tell us what happened and why they hold themselves back.”

The others nodded, and we made our way back to our rooms wearily. I collapsed onto the bed, wishing I had Laura next to me. I turned onto my back, staring at the ceiling, and eventually drifted off to sleep.