The Alphas helping hand - If I ever catch you

Chapter three

“Great, “my little helper makes her way over to the bouncer, huffing and puffing. He is still leaning against the diner wall and looks perplexed when she stops in front of him.

“What the hell Dane!“, she grabs his ear and drags it down to her face. Even though she is tall (maybe 5’10, 5’11), he is at least 5-6 inches taller. Ouch, that must hurt. I suppress a chuckle.

“Beat people up in your free time, not at our place of work. Goddess! Not that it was uncalled for, but seriously: I don’t need that kind of sh**, and neither do you.“ He didn’t beat us up and it bothers me that she thinks of it that way. Hell, we are the most substantial pack in North America. We can handle one bear shifter! And we did.

“Listen, dearyyy, I am sorry.“ Dane tries to free his ear, but she just pulls harder.

“No, Dane, you listen. I have enough sh** on my plate, and you do too. Neither of us needs to be fired right now. No need for fights in parking lots or this guy’s blood...“, agitatedly she points at Kyle. "... and the Alphas neck sweat...“, she jabs her finger in my direction. “..on my favorite cardigan!! I am going to cut your lasagna payment for this week. “

She turns to us, taking a deep breath to compose herself. Lasagna? I am starting to fear that she might just be as insane as her colleague tried to make her out to be.

“I hope you feel good enough to drive, Alpha. He shouldn’t have attacked you, but I still think you and your Beta and Gammas should leave now and preferably not come back. “

“How did you know we are high-ranking wolves? I can hardly smell you.“, I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.

What the f**k? Where is this verbal diarrhea coming from? Is it the wolfsbane? She looks directly at me and scrunches up her nose.

“I guess your senses are not as good as you think they are, Alpha.“

Mmmh, can’t decide whether that was rude or not. I will let it slide for now. Turning to her bear friend, she says: “Let’s talk to Sal and then go home.“

‚She is going home with the bear.‘, Gideon spits. For some reason, he doesn’t like the idea of her leaving with the bouncer. Leaving in general.

‚Oh, grow up. Let that girl leave if she wants to.’ But deep down, I agree with him, which makes me uneasy.

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Olivia POV

I stomp into the diner, Dane on my heels. That was a sh**-show. I enjoyed the rush of adrenaline that helping the Alpha gave me. Oh, I missed that a lot. But the whole thing has left me with a weird feeling that I can’t quite place. Why do I want to go out there and talk to him again? Not like he was the most inviting person to talk to. The way he kept staring at me with those cold, steel-grey eyes gave me the creeps… or maybe not? And why was my nose working better all of a sudden? Why could I smell the wolfsbane? Perhaps the potion was wearing off? Shaking my head to get rid of those thoughts, I step closer to Sal, standing behind the counter.

“Sal-

“You are out.“, he points his thick finger at Dane.

“I do not need a bouncer who would rather start a fight than end it. Leave my table cloth. And you...“; moving on to me, his eyes soften, he says: “Take tomorrow off… and we have to talk about changing your schedule. I don’t want you working with Mindy again… tsss, a catfight breaking out in my diner. Hell, take the rest of the week off. I will fix the schedule over the weekend.“

I clench my jaw. The paycheck is what I need to master half of the rent. What am I supposed to do now?

“I am so sorry, Sal. Is there any way I can convince you that I can work as planned? I will avoid Mindy. Keep my head down. I need the paycheck.“

I look at him pleadingly.

“Sorry Ivy, there is nothing I can do. I don’t want that kind of trouble. Go home now. I want to close up. And tell them, boys, to leave as well.“, Sal rubs his face. He looks a lot older all of a sudden.

“Alright, see you in a few days.“, I say lowly on my way out. Dane just grunts and slams the door behind us. Someone must have put it back up.

“So Ivy, is it? What am I supposed to do with your cardigan now?“

Flinching at the fake name, I can hear the smirk in the Alpha’s voice. Stupid wolf hearing.

“Yes, it is. And you can keep the cardigan, Alpha…. “

“Elliot.“, he says with a blank face.

“Since you helped me, I think you are entitled to know my name. And I am happy I know yours now. So, since when are you hiding in my territory? “

Sh**.

“I am not hiding.“

Sure, I am. Using the scent of you and your pack to mask mine further, so my psycho stalker can’t find me. And, of course, I knew his name before. Everyone has heard of him.

“A year ago, I settled down nearby, and I started working here. I have never crossed your territory. Since I am a lone wolf, I thought I posed no threat to you.“

“An introduction would have been appreciated nevertheless.“, the Beta growls.

Dane’s jaw clenches, and I grab his hand and squeeze it slightly. I can see the Alphas Alpha’s hands tighten into fists as he looks at our entwined fingers. Weird. That’s the only word that describes him perfectly.

OK, actually, “handsome “is a better fit; with a capital “H“.

He is by far the best-looking man I have ever seen. With his tall, muscular stature and dark blond hair. But also one that seems specifically entitled.

“My apologies. I hope you can forgive my indiscretions.“

“It’s alright. Since you helped me, I will let it slight. Make sure to come over for dinner, though.“

As I want to decline, Alpha Elliot interrupts me coldly: “That wasn’t a request. You are coming to eat at my house the day after tomorrow. I will send a car.“

“Alpha Elliot... “

“Good Night, Ivy. “

The alpha nods at Dane. My bulky friend just stiffens and growls as their cars speed off.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

“You are not planning on going to the i***t’s house, are you?“

It’s the first time one of us speaks.

So far, we have been driving to my place in silence. Then, about half a mile out, Dane decided to pull over and glare at me.

“Of course not. The Alpha can’t find me by my scent, I am sure of that. He doesn’t even know my name. And I will no longer be working at the diner, apparently.“

For a millisecond, he looks sorry.

“No worries, I have an interview at the school I applied for a job at. It’s tomorrow afternoon. “

“I will drive you.“

With that, Dane puts the car in “drive “and gets back on the road. That’s how it always is with the two of us. Few words, no apologies needed. He understands me, and I get him. Still, the wolfsbane thing bothers me. He could have seriously injured me, and he didn’t seem to care that much. What if I had touched the chair?

I get out in silence once we get to my house. Opening the front door, I check the area. Inside, I put the alarm on right away and checked all the window sensors. The only way I got Leo to agree to put those and the cameras up was by paying for them. My pudding puddle of a roommate is not home yet. He won’t be for a while. I chose him for the same reason I wanted to settle down in the Alpha’s territory: hide my scent. The putrid smell would kill me if my nose wasn’t already close to useless. And the mess he leaves in the living room, kitchen, and his room make it even more worth my while.

Entering my room, I kick off my boots and put the gym bag down. Leo was thrilled when I agreed to take the smaller room with no window, just a narrow terrace door... no balcony or terrace, though, might I add. I turn around to lock my door and put the bolt on. Then I place the combustible that a witch offered me for protection in front of the trim on the floorboards. The terrace door is where my routine takes me next.

Open, close, check the locks and the sensor. Then, looking out, I take a deep breath. I always liked looking at the moon. To me, like any werewolf, it is one of the most beautiful sights imaginable. Out of the corner of my eye, I see some of the bushes in the garden rustle. Squinting, I try to make out what has them shaking. I listen closely, but over the loud wind, all I can hear is the rapid heartbeat of what seems like a rabbit... a raccoon, maybe.

I open the window and sniff the air, even though I know there is no use. Closing the window, I make sure the lock is on, the sensors too, and after I put down the second little bag of the powder already in front of my door, I close the curtain. Check the bookshelf, make sure there is nothing under the bed, and put my hunting knife under the pillow.

It’s silver, so I better be careful with it. I sigh, plopping down on the bed. The bookshelf built around the terrace door, the fairy lights, and the plants everywhere that I use for my tonics and other stuff. This is the dorm room I never had. I sigh and get up to pick my pajamas from the chair on the left side of my bed. Changing, my eyes flicker towards the dragonfly tattoo on my rib cage. I follow the delicate lines with my pinky.

“Did you know that these things first evolved over 300 million years ago?“ Blue eyes looking at me excitedly.

“You just got to be in “awe “of what nature is capable of. Just look at this, look at you. “

A pained smile creeps on my face. Oh, tonight is undoubtedly going to be no fun. I put on the dark blue long-sleeve and look down at my shorts. How am I going to keep the nightmares away? Not left with that much of a choice, I start pacing back and force. I look for my jump rope, and I start skipping as soon as I find it. 1002...1003.... I just have to keep going.

_____________________________

Unknown POV

She is back too early. We have been watching her for a few days now. Sure seems like she doesn’t want to be tight to the same schedule every day. But we saw her arrive at work this morning. And Cole overheard the other b***h complaining about working a double shift till midnight with the “skittish freak. “

I let out a laugh and move from one foot to the other. She indeed is skittish, isn’t she? I can’t blame her. The master wants what he wants, and if he did to you what he put her through, you would be skittish too. I can see her moving closer to the window now and looking in my direction. But, of course, you ain’t seeing me or smelling me. But nice try, girly. I laugh again.

Why is she home, though? My hands ball into fists. I am supposed to be there. Set up. Scare the living hell out of her once she returns. But the Blue Ridge F**kers screwed with the plan. So what? We scratched a few men on patrol, passing through their territory. I was the only one that got away. Spent the last hours with them on my tail. Running in Zick zack patterns through the forest and drinking the potions the master gave me until my stomach couldn’t handle anymore.

There is no use sitting here staring at her changing, though I like the view. Even through the curtain. Still spectacular.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart, I will come back for you. And so will the master. Sweet dreams. “

Grinning, I turn to leave. Once I am done, she will wish she was dead. I know she already does, but I will give her a new incentive to dig into those thoughts. See you soon, Olivia. See. You. Soon.

___________________________

Elliot POV

“We will arrive in a few minutes, Elliot.“

Kyle still looks worried. He insisted on driving, despite his leg.

“Alright, the pack doctor should be waiting for us. Let him know. He has to check you out too.“

He nods.

“I already did. He is prepared and can take a look as soon as we arrive. Heather sat everything up.“

That woman. I don’t give her enough credit for how many of the tasks of a Luna she has taken on since finding out Kyle was her mate about 6 years ago. It was all meant to be temporary, but when I never found my faded one, she just kept going.

I look out the window at the leaves rustling in the wind, the forest pitch black as we pass. Deep brown eyes invade my mind. I smile to myself. Ivy. Feisty one. Seems a little skittish, though. In the parking lot alone, she was looking around and over her shoulder more than at us.

And why couldn’t I smell her wolf the second she got close? Hell, usually, I can sniff out a she-wolf from miles away. Also, because my sight alone seems to send them drooling. I didn’t, however, have the same effect on her. I push down the feeling of annoyance that bubbles up in me. I am not that pathetic.

‚Can you find out where that waitress lives?'

I turn to Ace and Julius in the other car. I would have followed her right away, but that would have seemed a bit stalker-ish.

‘Are you planning on inviting her over? What for? We can go pick up some college girls, there is a lot of she-wolfs in our pack, or if it’s a nurse you want, I heard Johns Hopkins has an excellent training facility. We can get you one there. ', Julius’ voice sounds confused through the mind-link.

‚Just do what I ask you to. Get her address and make sure she comes to dinner the day after tomorrow.‘, I snap at him.

Gideon growls. ‚Prick, who asked for your input? If I want to invite a f*****g waitress, I will request a f**king waitress!'

‚Calm down.‘, I bark.

I cannot handle a headache caused by him shouting profanities at my gamma while my body is still trying to heal the stab wound. Already I can feel the flesh of my stomach healing. At a slower rate than usual, but not as deadly slow as it would have with the wolfsbane still in it. I lift the tissue.

Yup, I was right. Looks good to me. Then again, I am not a professional. I hate that this will definitely leave a scar, thanks to the silver.

‚Little Ivy would know what to do about that. We can ask her at dinner.‘, Gideon purrs.

‚Hush, you ho*n dog.' His weird fixation on her is starting to annoy me, and I kind of regret asking her to come and snapping at my Gamma.

“We are here, Elliot.“

Kyle gets out to open my door.

“Thanks, man.“, I grunt as I try to get up from the lowered sitting position in the sports car. Kyle ushers me inside.

The pack doctor is already waiting in my room.

“Good evening, Alpha. May I take a look at your wound?“

I just give him a short nod and go over to the bed, lifting my shirt over my head. He inspects the gash on my stomach.

“You said the weapon was dipped in wolfsbane?“

I nod yes.

“How is the wound healing so fast then? Why are the edges so smooth? No burning... what’s up with that?“

“Some family recipe.“

He looks at me confused.

“There was a she-wolf lovely enough to help me. She applied some paste to it. Supposedly it draws out the wolfsbane and counteracts the silver of the weapon.“

The doctor’s eyebrows shoot up, and all of a sudden, he looks a lot more interested than just a minute ago.

“Well, then we surely need this recipe. I will clean the wound now and maybe put a few stitches to hold it together nicely. The rest of the healing is already happening.“

He just gets to work, not looking up at me again until he finishes.

“Thanks, doctor, that would be all.“

I stand up to go over to the bathroom as he waves his farewell. Going to take a shower tomorrow as per the doctor’s order. I wash my face and look at the five o’clock shadow on my cheeks.

Back in the bedroom, I pull a pair of pajama bottoms out of the big black dresser. After stripping and putting them on, I lay back down on my bed. I can’t help but think of those big brown eyes. The girls’ scent is still weirding me out. I just don’t get what it is that keeps me going back to that moment I first smelled it.

Her muted wild lavender scent has Gideon and me all riled up, and I don’t know why. The way the hair on my arm stood up, the tingle down my spine. The blue pajama bottoms start to strain just thinking about the minimal contact. I shake my head. This makes me feel weak, the one feeling I hate more than anything else.

‚Layne! Come to my room. Now.‘, I bark through the mind-link.

‚Yes, Alpha.' She sounds giddy.

Way too excited for my liking, but she will do. I need to feel powerful again and forget the weakness on display tonight. I'm in charge. And it wouldn’t hurt to get this massive er***ion taken care of. There is a soft knock on the door. Layne enters seconds later.

“You called on me, Alpha. “She smiles knowingly as her eyes wander over my body. I get up from the bed and cross the short distance between us. Towering over her, I growl: “Kneel. “

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The following day, I wake up to Layne gone, and I am pleased. That means I won’t have to cut her off that soon after all. She still understands that sleeping over will not be tolerated. Strolling into the dining hall of the packhouse, I see a few of the warriors already up.

“Alpha.“, most of them greet me in passing, and I make my way over to fill my plate and take a seat at the table on the far side of the room.

‚Ace, how far have you gotten with that address?’, my voice sounds through the mind-link.

Who am I kidding? Even after Layne finished me off, I couldn’t stop thinking about the brown-eyed skittish she-wolf. Ivy. And slowly but surely, it’s starting to piss me off. Like a splinter that you can’t seem to get rid of… because you cannot locate it. That’s how the lavender scent makes me feel. That’s how she makes me feel.

Ace comes jogging towards the table.

“Alpha, we have tried, but we are somehow unable to follow the she-wolfs scent. It took us an hour to detect it at all, and when we finally did, we lost it in an area where hundreds of humans lived. We just returned to get our best tracker, but I don’t see this working out in your favor. There are tons of units in that part of town. And her scent is muted as it is. We also tried following Fuzzy, but he managed to evade us, and they don’t seem to be living together.“

He was fidgeting with his hands, seeing how unhappy I was.

“What the hell? How is that possible? What kind of wolfs are you?“

I don’t know why, but this makes me more than angry, and there is also the slight feeling of dread building up in the pit of my stomach.

“We will try again, Alpha. I am sure Donavan can help us find her.“

Julius steps forward to come to Ace’s aid, calling over the tracker with a nod.

“Alright, then go.“, I growl at them.

“Don’t you think that was a little uncalled for?“

Kyle sits down to my right.

“Huh.“

I don’t look up from my scrambled eggs.

“Don’t you think it’s a little drastic to want to invite some she-wolf over, just because she helped you out? She should have come once she moved her. But now? If she is that hard to find, maybe it’s just that: she doesn’t want to be found. Why try to drag her out?“

His eyes zero in on mine.

“Just let it go. You have been acting so strange about it since last night. I wouldn’t even say anything, but you got Heather concerned as well. When she heard how you behaved, she was worried. And so am I. If I didn’t know any better, I would say you are acting like a wolf that has found its mate.“, he huffs and shakes his head at the last sentence.

“Oh f**k off, it’s not that. And I don’t see how it’s any of your business.“

I let my ‚alpha ‘radiate through, forcing Kyle to bow his head and expose his neck to me. I usually don’t do that, but this seems to be a sensitive topic for some reason. Kyle growls.

“Sorry, pal.“

I stop and turn back to my plate. We continue eating in silence. I can’t just “let it go”. I can’t.

‚You better not! ‘, Gideon growls.

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Olivia POV

Of course, sleep evaded me for most of the night. Skipping or not, the exhaustion just wasn’t great enough. So I spent the morning running to a gas station two towns over and downing boiling coffee for breakfast. I practiced some kicks and punches on any tree in sight on my way back.

Knuckles bleeding, I made my way home to a slumbering Leo stinking up the living room. He had just come back from his shift and had not been able to make it to his room. After packing my gym bag, I tried to find what to wear for the interview this afternoon. Dane would drop me at the school after we finished at the gym for today.

Now he just pulled over in front of the rainbow-colored gates.

“So, school nurse, huh? It shouldn’t surprise me after last night. There must be some medical training there.“

I just shrug. We have a few minutes left till I have to go in. I still hold somewhat of a grudge. The thing with the trap was not cool, and it made me a little wary around him.

He never told me why he separated from his pack, but it was clear that he didn’t take too well to wolves. Hell, he only helped me because he couldn’t sniff me out at first. That’s how you know I was damaged good. Of course, I am an Alpha, and a simple bear couldn’t tell. Guess even by then, I had tried to suppress it for too long already.

I never even shifted in front of anyone. Sure, my parents knew what my wolf looked like, but the other pack members didn’t. For some reason, Dad kept me away and didn’t want me to mingle with the pack or go to any major functions held by other packs.

When Dane finally realized what I was, he had already seen how broken I was. Not a real threat. Well, that changed. Getting some of my strength back was a start, even though I still couldn’t shift fully. And believe me: I have tried. Now, I am still broken, but at least a little threatening again. So all this combat training is paying off. Or maybe that’s just what I want to tell myself. Running is an extra. Good endurance never hurts.

Dane leans over to change the station on the truck’s radio.

“Fall into me, and I’ll catch you, darling. We’ll dance in the street like nobody’s watching. It’s just you and me, and the song on repeat in my head, playing over and over “ Forest Blakk’s 'Fall into me' seeps out of the speaker. And everything in me freezes.

“Turn that off. “, I press out between clenched teeth.

“I’m drunk on your voice, high on the moment. I’d fall for you twice if that’s what you wanted. I’d give you my life from now till forever. I’m falling in love with you over and over again. “

____________________________________

Someone else is singing that song. A different car. A different me. Same song.

“Until I had met you, there was no sun in my sky. No mirrors for monsters. And no love insight. Then you walked down those stairs, and I knew my heart wasn’t mine. On the day that I met you, my whole world came alive." ; a melodious voice singing along mockingly.

Me slapping an arm.

“Jesus. Ouch, uncalled for.“, they rub their arm. "Dont be such a baby, that wasn't even that hard."

They snort.

“I just don’t get your obsession with these sappy songs.“

I huff at them. I am nervous. I got news. Good ones. Unexpected… for the second time, but still…

And then those eyes turn to look at me.

That smile. And I am not scared anymore. Instead, a deep feeling of safety engulfs me. Nothing can happen to me as long as he is there.

‚Really, nothing?', that cruel little voice in the back of my head chimes in.

________________________________

“Turn it off. TURN IT OFF! TURN IT OFF!“, I scream, my hands going numb, my head feeling fuzzy.

Dane fumbles to quickly turn off the radio.

“What’s the matter, Olivia?“

I hear the confusion in his voice. But I don’t see him. My legs are shaking as I stick my head between them and try to catch my breath.

Breathing laboredly, I wait for the black dots to stop dancing in front of my eyes. Then, leaning over, Dane tries to comfort me by rubbing circles on my back with his big, calloused hand. But it’s anything but comforting.

“I have to get out of here.“, I whisper. And at wolf-speed, I push open the door, not caring that it slams against a signpost and sprint off.

“Olivia!!! “, I hear Dane shout behind me, but I can’t turn around. I keep running until all I can taste in my mouth is blood, and I finally register that my skirt has ripped, passing all those branches and scraping against rocks. As soon as I stop, it all comes back.

Those eyes, that smile. He is back in my mind. I hear his voice listen to him laugh. I want nothing more than him back. Him.Him.Him, HIM. I break down near a tree sobbing. I sure as hell am broken. Once I finally stop crying, I get up and run again. As far as my feet carry me. Back home. To the bolted-up, combustion-trapped safety of my room. I fall back on the bed exhausted, and finally, my eyes close.