The Adopted Alpha

Spring Break

It was the last day of school before spring break and Clare was anxious for more reasons than one. Well, ever since her big reveal earlier that week, the pack members had been tense around her.

Kind of walking on egg shells around her. She had not thought that her relationship with them could get any more tense but it just did.

Her parents had assured her that the people were merely in shock right now and needed time to process the bomb she had dropped on them.

Another cause of anxiety was that during the spring break, she and her adoptive cousin, Rick Adams would be going together to the

Treis-dynámis regional Tournament together.

They were allowed to bring a plus one since the rooms they would each be given was for two, a privilege created so that mated wolves could come along with their mates.

Clare thought of asking Hunter to accompany her since she had not found hers. Which brought her to her finally cause of anxiety.

Hunter had told her earlier when he drove them to school that he had a late birthday present for her at his house. And he was currently driving her there.

To his house!... She was going to Hunter Pyrros' house!!!

Clare shot a tense glance at Hunter's profile as he maneuvered his way through traffic. She wondered what it was that he wanted to give her that he could not bring to school in the first place.

Maybe it was something big, like a house or a car. Clare smiled to herself, he did seem rich enough, but it was impractical and she could not take something so expensive from him.

Maybe it was something cheesy that he was embarrassed to give her at school. Like a bunch of balloons and a cake?

She glanced at Hunter's profile again. Yh, it was definitely not that. Not his style.

Then what could it be?

Probably something more classy, like a telescope maybe. She was so curious but she knew that he would not tell her. Not when he had said it was a surprise.

"You are awfully quiet." Hunter observed as he pulled up into a house, —a luxurious double story building, and drove into the garage.

"I was just wondering what gift you had for me." She said. "It is not a telescope, is it?"

Hunter shot her a suspicious look, coming down from the vehicle, before shaking his head. "No, I did think of getting you a microscope though."

Clare's eyes widened in mock horror running to catch up with him. "A microscope? Why would I even want that? You did not buy it, did you?"

"I thought of something better."

Clare didn't feel any way relieved to hear that. Like, who the heck even thinks to buy a teenager a microscope for a birthday gift?

And old soul, that's who. Which only cemented her theory that Hunter was a vampire.

Hunter saw her looking around as soon as they got out of the car and headed for the entrance of the house. "What do you think?"

Clare's eyes trailed the neatly trimmed lawn and the the rich brick red coat of the house and it's space. "It is nice, I love it. It's just... I had thought you'd be living in a mansion or something." She confessed.

"That would be much too much for me, don't you think?"

Clare's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. "You stay alone? What about your parents?"

"I have no parents. And yes, I live alone." He rolled his eyes "Well except you count my old Caretaker, Anastasia."

He said and opened the door to let her in.

"Who are you calling old?" A chubby middle aged woman said as soon as Clare stepped in. She gave Hunter an glare above Clare's head. She then smiled sweetly at Clare. "You must be Clare. Come in, come in." She ushered her in and into a super comfy sofa. "This kid was right, you do look a lot like her."

"A lot like who?" Clare asked.

"Like the picture." Hunter blurted out. "It was supposed to be a secret, Anastasia." He narrowed his eyes at her.

She shrugged and turned to leave the room. "I would go make you kids some camomile tea."

"Since the surprise has been ruined, I guess I should just go bring it right now."

Clare stood up and hurried up the stairs after him. "Did you really secretly take a picture of me and frame it?"

Hunter gave her a confused look "ashy would I do that?"

Clare gasped. "No way, you painted a picture of me," He gave her a skeptical look "Or you had my picture painted."

"If you are trying to guess, you are close but not totally right. We're here." He announced and unlocked the door to his room.

Clare straight up forgot the reason she was here just to admire the room. It looked like something straight out of a magazine page for dream bedrooms.

The walls and ceilings were painted grey and The floor was covered in an extra soft coffee brown rug. The king size bed occupied the center OT the wall furthest away from the door and was covered in white bed sheets and a brown duvet.

Everything else looked expensive, from the two bedside tables to the lamps on them.

"Uh... there is even an awesome view." Clare ran to the glass sliding doors that led out of the room to a balcony but before she could step out she heard Hunter Clare his throat behind her.

She turned to see an embroidered image of herself, only she was older and in a beautiful flowing colourful gown in a open field.

Clare's jaw dropped at how beautifully and neatly it was done in several colored threads. It was even lifelike.

"Do you like it?" Hunter asked.

A feeling of Deja Vu washed over her as she saw the uncontrollable laughter in the face if her image. It was like she had seen it before, but that was not possible.

"I love it," She finally answered looking up at Hunter. Why did she suddenly feel teary? She plastered a smile from his benefit "Thank you so much."