The Alphas Daughter

Home sweet home

I’ve been driving for 4 hours and have another hour to go, thankfully Elliott has slept most of the way… good luck to me getting him to sleep tonight. The last hour of the drive goes by so quickly, all I can think about is my poor dad. As I start to see familiar land marks that I haven’t seen in 3 years reappear panic starts to set in.

“How do I explain Elliot” I think. Can I say I adopted him?

“Oh yeah because a mateless run away is stable enough to adopt a child at 21 years old” I think to myself.

“Just tell them” Romy shouts in my head. Since leaving the pack she’s been so frustrated. She doesn’t have a mate and she’s only been out twice since we left. It’s a bit tricky to let a wolf run wild in a human town. Maybe once I’m back at the pack I should let Romy go for a long run. She would thank me that’s for sure.

As I enter the pack land I can hear the wolfs that’s are guarding the grounds linking each other, I guess Mark forgot to inform them I was coming for a visit. I can hear the anger about my presence “an unannounced presence” I hear them repeat, and I can see at least 3 wolves running either side of the car easily matching my speed. I turn left and start making my way down the gravel entrance of the pack house. I forgot how beautiful the house was. I really have missed it.

Waiting for me at the entrance is at least 6 wolves turning back into their human forms. The same one who were just chasing my car. And I recognise the leader instantly… James.

“Run the fucker over” Romy laughs.

“No” I say firmly.

I bring the car to an abrupt stop right in-front of them. He clearly hasn’t noticed me.

I’ve changed since leaving but not that much, motherhood has given me curvier hips and grey hair… so I’m now blonde thanks to Zak’s hidden talents as a hairdresser!

I get out the car abruptly and I stare at the young wolf worriers stood infront of me, completely ignoring James and I shout “you lot finished with your wolf show yet, if you wake my son up there will be hell to pay!!” and I carefully pick a sleeping Elliott up out of my car and that’s when it hits me. The scent of vanilla and fresh linen. And I know he can smell me. And that’s when I hear his voice for the first time in 3 years “Riley, you’ve come home”

I don’t look up I just reply with “yeah, can you get your little dogs to get my bags. I don’t appreciate being greeted that way in my own f*****g house, especially with these circumstances” I say angry at James for still being James. And then I see the fear in the worriers eyes, they realise who I am.

“Did you just say son?” James asks

I ignore him and ask him to take me to Mark

“Riley, you have a son?” he ask again.

No James, I just found him on the way here, thought he would be a good souvenir to remind me of this fun little trip” I say sarcastically.

And reality seems to hit James “I’m sorry about your dad Ri” he says sympathetically.

“You don’t have the right to call me Ri, it’s Riley. Take me to Mark… now!” I can feel myself getting angry. All the pain that I have managed to bury for the last two years is retuning and I don’t think I can handle it right now.

As we are walking I can see James starting at Elliot. I can see the cogs turning in his small mind and I think he’s putting two and two together. f**k. Not what I wanted. But I guess it’s not hard to figure out.

James takes me to my fathers old office which is now Marks office. Nothing has changed, not a single thing, yet it all still looks brand new. James knocks on the door with me stood behind him, he’s treating me as if I don’t know my way around. As if I’m just a visitor… well I guess I am. Mark shouts for us to enter and as James goes in first,I follow, and when I see Mark I start to well up, he’s aged a lot in three years. His eyes instantly fall on Elliott who’s sleeping peacefully on my shoulder and he glared at me.

“Riley, please tell me that’s not yours” he says in a low tone

I stare at him blankly and say “that” is called Elliott feeling heat rise from my feet upwards.

“And it’s yours” he asks

“Yes. HE is mine.” I say proudly

Mark looks at my like he’s going to kill me.

I can see his breathing increase and I know he’s trying to contain his wolf

“You had a child when you didn’t have a mate” he bellows scaring the life out of El who has now sat bolt upright with fear in his eyes wondering what’s going on.

“No. I was blessed like the virgin f*****g Mary” I reply feeling pure anger. I guess Mark didn’t find the funny side of my joke.

“So this is why you was hiding, because you was ashamed, because you have brought shame upon your family he screams”

Elliott is now full blown sobbing and I’m past the point of pissed off. Forgetting completely James is still in the office, who is also looking slightly pissed off at Mark I scream

“How f*****g dare you, you called me and asked me to come, I told you I couldn’t, remember? That’s when you decided to call me some foul names, I didn’t want to come back to this f*****g hell hole Mark, but funnily enough you gave me with no choice. And no I didn’t run away out of shame, I ran away because the thought of you gloating about how f*****g perfect you are makes me feel sick.” At this point I’m crying, Elliot’s uncontrollably crying and Mark knows he’s crossed the line.

I leave the office. I head to my car; I’m going home. I know my poor father will die without seeing me, but Elliott is my priority and I’m not putting him through this.

I’m walking as fast as I can towards the entrance trying to console my poor son, and that’s when I feel a spark through my arm and I realise James is trying to stop me.

I stop- rooted to the spot staring at him blankly, my cheeks wet from the tears my brother had caused.

“He shouldn’t of said that” he says quietly

“Yeah well, always been a bit of a prick” I say wiping my face. I feel embarrassed that James is seeing me crying… again.

“Riley, don’t go” he says looking straight into my eyes

“I can’t stay James, this place brings me nothing but pain.” I state. He knew straight away I was referring to him and my arse if a brother

“Talk to him Riley, go and see your dad, spend some time in the pool. You loved the pool, at least leave with things off of your chest and a clear mind” James replies

“He made my son cry James” I say -pure anger in my voice

James looks down at my son, who’s now hiccuping from the crying and he’s hiding his face in the crook of my neck in fear, and I can see something in his eyes? Is it love or panic? Whatever it is, I’ve seen it before

And before he can ask about Elliott, I turn to walk away. I’m not ready for that yet, I’m not ready for my son to be part of this world, or for James to become part of mine again.