The Alpha's Last Chance: Wounds of the Past

CHAPTER 1 A New Place, A New Name I leaned my head against the window, letting the warm sun hit my face. It was barely ten in the morning, but the sun was already way up in the sky. That was one thing I liked about this place. The summers felt endless. The car made a sharp turn onto a smaller road, and up ahead, a big metal gate came into view. Even though my stomach was tight with nerves, a small smile pulled at my lips. I didn’t know this place, didn’t know what would happen here, but something about it felt like a fresh start. A guard stepped up as the car rolled to a stop. “Name?” I cleared my throat. “Ciara Byrne.” In seconds, the gate opened without another word. I glanced out the window. On one side, there was a thick wall of trees, tall and dark. On the other, a line of houses stretched out, all bigger than I was used to. Back home, there were a few small houses on our pack’s land, besides the main house. Here, everything was bigger. Of course it was. This was the Connacht Pack. I’d heard of them before. One of the oldest, largest packs in the country. Their land had to be huge. The car stopped, and the driver hopped out to get my bags. I opened the door and stepped into the fresh air. It smelled different. Not bad. New. A mix of pine, damp earth, and something sweet I couldn’t name. I scrunched my nose. Guess I’d get used to it. I turned my head, taking it all in. There was a wide path leading right into the woods. The driver pulled my bags from the trunk and left them beside me. So, this is home now? Weird to call it that. I barely had time to finish the thought before a sound made me jump. “Didn’t mean to startle you.” I spun around. A tall man stood a few steps away, hand outstretched. “Must be Dr. Byrne.” “Yeah… that’s me.” I reached out, shaking his hand. His grip was firm, easy, like he wasn’t trying too hard. “Sorry, sometimes I get jumpy. New places and all.” He chuckled. “Eoin Kavanagh. I’m the Beta around here.” “Oh. Nice to meet you. So you’re the welcome party?” “Just me.” The driver dipped his head and got back in the car. We both watched it drive off. “Want me to show you to your place, Doc?” “Please. And call me Ciara. ‘Doctor’ sounds too stiff. Unless you want me to start calling you Beta all the time.” He laughed. “Fair enough, Ciara.” Someone called his name in the distance. He waved it off and turned back to me. “You’ll fit in fine. Our last doc wasn’t much of a people person.” “You mean Doctor Cillian? Heard he passed a few weeks ago.” “That’s the one.” “I actually met him once. At a conference back in school. One of the few wolves there. He spent most of it arguing with people.” Eoin snorted. “Sounds right. No filter on that guy. If he thought you were wrong, he let you know. Loudly.” We both laughed as we headed toward a big house with double doors. It wasn’t the main house, but it was way bigger than a normal house. “This here’s the clinic,” Eoin said, climbing the steps two at a time. “You’ll be in charge. Your rooms are in the back, upstairs.” He reached into his pocket and handed me a key. “This is yours. Keep track of it. I’ve got a spare, but let’s not make losing keys a habit.” I nodded, slipping it into my pocket. We stepped inside. The place was spotless. Light poured through huge windows. The floors shone. Eoin pointed out patient rooms, a break room, and the supply closet as we moved along. “Room’s down that hallway,” he said, nodding toward the back. He dropped my bags in front of a white door. “Thanks, Eoin. Really.” “No problem. Get settled.” He started to leave, then turned back. “Hey, you’re coming to dinner tonight. My place. It’s already set up. Good way to meet everyone.” “Yeah?” “Yeah. And don’t worry, I’ll send directions. It’s easy to get turned around the first couple days.” “Alright. Sounds good.” He headed off, calling goodbye over his shoulder. I turned to the door. Took a breath. Slid the key into the lock and pushed it open. Wow. I wasn’t expecting much, but this… it was huge. A sitting area with shelves and a couch. A small desk. A bed in the next room. Fresh wood and something sharp, like eucalyptus, filled the air. Okay, Ciara. New place, new life. No backing out now. I set my bags down and crossed to the window. Kids were laughing somewhere in the distance. The trees swayed in the breeze. My chest tightened, but I wasn’t sure why. A knock at the door. “Yeah?” An older woman peeked in. “Sorry, love. Just bringing some towels.” “Thanks.” She set them on the dresser, smiling. “Name’s Mags. I help out around the clinic sometimes.” “Good to meet you, Mags.” “Well, I’ll leave you to it. Holler if you need anything. And I’ll see you at dinner.” “See you then.” She left, and the room went quiet again. I dropped onto the bed. Stared up at the ceiling. So far, so good. I hadn’t gotten lost. No one hated me. I had dinner plans. It could be worse. A lot worse.