The Alpha's Woman

She's trouble

Dylan took his eyes off the road as he drove to glance at Olivia sitting beside him in the passenger seat. She was fast asleep and her head was carelessly thrown back on the head rest. She looked tired and worn out, but her arms remained firmly and protectively wrapped around the baby. The wind ran through her hair, tossing it about and her small lips were slightly parted as she snored softly. Her small chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm.

Dylan turned back to look at the road. They were driving at minimum speed through a deserted path and there was no other vehicle around. Dylan's head was still spinning in circles, and he still could not wrap his mind around all the information that Olivia had just drowned him in.

What? He had a nephew? Kyle had a son and this woman was his nephew's aunt? How did all this happen? When did it begin? He had no idea, yet here he was. Putting out the fire that his little brother had ignited. He didn't even know that Kyle had a woman! Damn, he had not heard from his little brother in ages! And now, this strange woman shows up at their family bunker, claiming to have been sent by Kyle. And what's more? That baby, that little baby. Was that really his nephew? Did Kyle really have a child now?

Dylan looked away from the road again to take a glance at the baby sleeping soundly against Olivia's chest. It did look like Kyle. The baby had Kyle's eyes and nose and hair. It really could be Kyle's baby!

Dylan sighed as his gaze returned to the road. What was he to do now? If this really was Kyle's baby, what could he do? Of all the women in the world, his little brother had to go find one from the enemies camp of all places. How so like Kyle, to do only things that would cause trouble. And then there was him, who always had to clean up after Kyle. But this time, his little brother could be in real trouble. It wasn't like Kyle didn't know that this particular tribe of witches was an enemy tribe to his clan! He was fully aware of the history they shared with this tribe! Why then did he have to enter their camp like that and disrespect them? Had he been willingly trying to provoke them or did he sincerely not know what he was getting into?

"My sister was next in line to be the priestess of our tribe." Olivia had told him. "It didn't sit well with the elders when they found out that she was carrying the baby of an outsider. They were just angry at first, but when they found out that the stranger was a wolf from your clan, they turned furious and tried to get rid of the child. Susan had to run away with Kyle, and they were in hiding for a long time until they were recently discovered. The hunters tracked them down and tried to destroy the child, but my sister and Kyle stood and fought against them while I ran away with the baby. It was their wish for me to bring their son to safety." She had explained.

"So, were the hunters after your sister and my brother or were they just after the baby?" Dylan had asked.

"They were sent after all of them. My sister was to be retrieved while your brother and the baby were to be destroyed. My sister fought against them to protect her family even though they were not after her." Olivia replied.

"So, are you telling me now that my brother and your sister might be in danger?" Dylan wanted to know.

"I don't know. I left while they were still fighting, I had to get away with the baby. I do not know if they survived or not. All I know is that the hunters are bent on averting the prophesy, and they would kill anyone who gets in their way if they have to. This is why I fear for both my sister and your brother's life."

"Prophesy? What prophesy? You didn't mention th..." Dylan had begun to ask again but Olivia interrupted him.

"Sir, please. Both the child and I are weak and fainting. If you have come to save us, please do. There will be plenty of time to tell you all that you need to know. For now, please get us to safety before I pass out." She pleaded. Dylan was still very confused and curious about a lot of things. He had a lot of questions to ask, but he could see clearly that the little woman was at the edge of fainting at any moment. So he set his questions aside for a later time.

Dylan cast another glance sideways at Olivia, just as she turned her head into an uncomfortable position. He quickly reached out his hands to adjust her neck, but the brief distraction caused the truck to gallop over a dead tree trunk that laid on the side of the road. The sudden jolt of the truck roused Olivia up from sleep and she sharply jerked out of her seat, grabbing the baby even closer to her chest as her eyes went about cautiously, ready to launch an attack. Clearly, she had been having a bad dream, and now she thought that the hunters had come for the baby. Luckily, she had her seatbelt on, if not, she might have as well jumped out of the truck with the force she had come awake with.

"Easy. Easy now!" Dylan hushed her as he put one hand reassuringly on her arms while the other hand remained on the steering. "It's okay now. There is nobody else here, it's just us. You are safe now." He said.

Olivia's gaze remained locked in Dylan's for a moment, then she slowly calmed down. The tension in her arms and shoulders eased up and she slowly relaxed back into the seat. But the horror and distraught in her eyes remained. She looked down at the baby as it cooed and wiggled in her arms. She path his back gently until he relaxed again back into sleep. Then she looked back up at Dylan.

"Where are we now?" She asked.

"Somewhere in the woods, on our way to safety." He said, casting her a quick side glance and a reassuring smile.

"I know you are bringing us to safety, but where are we now?" Olivia asked patiently.

"There are no sign posts here, these paths aren't named. There's no way of telling that now." Dylan smiled, keeping his eyes fixed on the road. Olivia glared at him but he could not see her. She sighed, and choosing to remain calm, she asked him.

"How long have we been driving?"

"Hours. We've been driving for hours." Dylan replied.

"I know we've been driving for hours! But how many hours has it been?" Olivia cried, her voice raised slightly and showing her irritation. Dylan turned to stare at her in surprise, and this only provoked Olivia even more. She couldn't believe that he was being so annoying without even knowing. Or was he just playing dumb? Dylan stared at her cluelessly for a while, then he went on to say gently.

"Several hours." And he returned his eyes to the road.

Olivia's rage boiled over. She visibly shook in her seat, so much that the baby roused again and she had to sooth him back to sleep.

Dylan smirked as his eyes remained on the road. He knew what Olivia was asking for, he had the answers and he could understand why she was getting so annoyed. But for some reason, he could not hold himself back. He was enjoying watching this side of her, watching her boil over with rage too much. He enjoyed it so much that it felt sinful, but he could not help himself.

The way her round eyes blazed, they were supposed to be threatening but all they did was excite him. Earlier on in the bunker, he had thought her eyes were black. Maybe it was because of the shadows. But now, up close as he stared into her eyes, he could see that they were gray. A bluish gray, and they were so beautiful. Dylan wanted to keep staring into her eyes if he didn't have to keep his eyes on the road.

Olivia sighed beside him, then she turned to her side, rolled down the glass and leaned out of the window. The winds danced vehemently through her hair, tossing it wild into the air so that her scent filled the truck and all of Dylan. She was unclean, but it wasn't the stench of her uncleanliness that filled Dylan's nose. It was the scent of her essence, the woman. It was so strong and distracting and painfully sweet. How could a woman smell like flowers even when she had been unclean for several days? Like a wild flower growing on the edge of a mountain, covered in dust. Dylan glanced sideways at her to find her leaning against the frame of the window. She did look like a flower. A small wild flower, out there, fearlessly surviving in the desert. He returned his gaze to the road, and that was when he realized that he had been grinning from ear to ear. Like a fool. Like a big fool.

What are you doing Dylan? He cautioned himself.

This woman had brought along with her a lot of trouble as it stood. For all he knew, his brother was probably dead, at the hands of her tribe. And who knows, the hunters were probably hot on her trails. Those trails were now leading to his place. To his pack. He was bringing the war to his people, and yet, here he was, fantasying over the very woman who was bringing this trouble with her. He was supposed to be protecting his people. If he were wiser, the best thing to do was to get rid of this woman and this baby. If truly the baby was Kyle's, and if it was bringing so much trouble, the wiser thing to do was to get rid of the child and nip this brewing war in it's bud before it blossomed. But then, if Kyle had sacrificed to save this child, then wouldn't he be wasting his brother's sacrifice by letting go of the child?

These were the things he was supposed to worry about, and not the scent of this little woman. He had no right noticing how rosy her lips looked when she pouted, or how bright her eyes blazed or how red the pale skin of her face burned when she raged. He had no business being curious about her scent, he had no business staring at her like that. But once again, he caught himself staring at her.

Dylan wanted to kick himself in the shin. What had come over him? Was this some kind of enchantment? Was she using her craft on him or something? He willed himself to keep his eyes on the road.

"Focus Dylan, focus." He chided himself. And yet somehow, his eyes found their way back to her.

She was sleeping again. Her long eye lashes fell on her face as she relaxed into sleep. He watched her sleeping soundly, his chest tightened but it didn't hurt. It was sweetly painful, it was refreshing. It felt too good to admit.

"Dylan, you are in trouble. This is trouble." He whispered to himself. "She is trouble."