Supreme Thy

Supreme Thy Chapter 3

Claire

"Don't make me come after you, little man," Claire jokingly warned. She rested in a half crouch, arms wide and feet more than shoulder's length apart, and watched her little brother closely, ready to chase him when he ran.

Charlie giggled, flour all over him. It was in his hair, along his arms, and even all over his clothes.

Charlie faked right and then sped past Claire. He dashed right out of the kitchen and into the living room, his tiny legs carrying him as fast as he could

до.

If Claire wasn't a shifted wolf, she might not have been able to catch him.

But she was, so catching up to him was easy. She feigned exhaustion and huffed and puffed even though her heart was barely going faster than normal.

"Charlie! I'm gonna get you!" she sang.

Her heart leaped with glee when she heard his trilling laughter. It was so perfect, so completely free of worry, and something she hadn't heard in a while.

"No, Care!" he squeaked, taking a running leap over a stray blanket and heading upstairs. Claire followed right on his heels, leaving her own cloud of flour mixing with the one Charlie left behind.

She beamed. "I've been great. It's just been kind of hectic since you left, you know? I missed you."

Nate couldn't say the same. He'd always hated the way Ashley had latched onto his arm as a kid. He could never shake her off. As they grew up, he figured she'd find someone else to crush on, but no. Still the same painfully obvious crush. That, or it was the power he'd grown into. Female wolves tended to gravitate toward those with dominant traits. Whether they meant to or not, they searched for a mate who could offer protection.

Either way, she was definitely someone he did not miss at all.

"Yeah," he said awkwardly, scratching his head. "I can't imagine how things were while I was gone."

She shrugged her slender shoulders. "It was okay.

Marcus ran a pretty tight ship. But it's great to have you back. It'll be fun to go out on the weekends and be the life of the party." Her smile couldn't be any bigger.

"Uh.." Nate had to break it to her. "Ashley, none of that is going to happen," he said bluntly, ripping off her disillusionment in one big swoop.

Her smile dropped. "What?" she asked sharply, her crystal blue eyes narrowing in confusion and disbelief. "Why?"

"I'm twenty-three. An Alpha. I have duties. I can't go frolicking around as much anymore. This pack needs someone dedicated to keeping things running and people safe. Me going to parties is not going to get that done."

"We're not going to party all weekend, silly." Ashley waved the notion away. "But I do expect us to go out on Fridays, at least."

Nate pressed his lips into a thin line, his patience starting to wear down. "Ashley, you're not getting it."

She shook her head as if shaking away the doubt. "Of course I get it. How are we supposed to be a couple if we never go on a real date?"

He almost burst out laughing. "What?"

Ashley giggled and leaned back in her chair. "Come on, Nate. We all know the real reason why you came back. You came back for me. Just like I said you would."

That was not the reason he'd finally come home.

Although, he'd be lying if he said he hadn't felt a pull to come home. The past year he'd been following a nearly impossible-to-find trail, itching to return to the pack.

Okay. That was it. He had to rip it off like a band-aid

.

"Ashley. We. Are. Not-"

"Nathaniel!" Theresa's voice jumped out from the crowd. His mother showed up next to the table where they sat. "Come on, honey, we have cake."

Without giving him any time to argue, she grabbed his arm and dragged him back into the rush.

#Xenjuu