Alpha Knyte

HARLOW POV

I furrow my brow and groan as I am pulled out of my dreams by what sounds like nails on a damn chalkboard. I pull my sheet up over my head and try to hide from the sound. Suddenly, I hear a deep and raspy chuckle. There is only one person I know who sounds like that.

"Please, Uncle Jax. Let me be!" I grumble at him while pouting.

"Not today, birthday girl. Come on, it's time to get up. If you don't, I'll let Jaz take your baby for a ride." He threatens as he jingles keys in his hand.

I bolt up in my bed and glare at him. "You wouldn't dare. You know she is the last person who should be driving anything."

Smirking like he's won, he says, "Got you up, didn't it?" Then he winks and turns around, but before he fully closes the door, he adds, "Better hurry up HQ, or you'll miss out on your birthday surprise."

As the door closes, I huff and run my hands through my dark chestnut hair. It can be a hassle at times, but I keep the right side shaved and back around my ear, which helps control the unruly thickness it would have since I like having the waves cascade down just past my shoulder blades.

Sighing, I get up and open the top drawer of my dresser. Still groggy, I simply grab the first shirt I touch, not even caring what it is. Closing that drawer, I open the next and pull out a black pair of jeans. Tossing both the jeans and shirt onto my bed, I grab my brush off the top of my dresser and run it through my hair. Once done, I pulled off my oversized tee that belonged to my mother and then shimmy off my boxer shorts.

"I wonder what uncle has for a surprise this year." I mumble to myself as I pull on my jeans and white tee that is tight on my body. It has a grey wolf with piercing ice blue eyes on it. To be quite honest, it's one of my favorite shirts. I have always been fascinated with wolves.

My mother, who was killed in a car accident, when I was 13 years old, was a park ranger. She and I would go camping a lot during the summer, I loved it. I still miss her every day, but it doesn't hurt as much as it used to. If it wasn't for my Uncle Jax and my best friend Jaz, I would have most likely taken my own life. Uncle Jax took me in and made sure I stayed in school. He always refused to let me get a job.

Chuckling to myself at the memories, I slip into my black leather boots and grab my black leather jacket off the back of my door as I open it. I don't bother closing the door behind me. The only person who refuses to allow me any sort of privacy is Jaz, but I have just accepted it because she is who she is.

Coming down the stairs and into the back hallway to my uncles biker bar, yes, he is part of a biker gang, I can hear him talking but not loud enough for me to hear what he says.

I peek around the corner and break into an ear to ear grin. "Auntie June!" I exclaim excitedly as I nearly tackle her in a hug.

Smiling and chuckling, she hugs me back. "Heya, birthday girl. How have you been?" She asks as she sets me back down on my feet.

Pulling away slightly, I smile up at her. "Oh, you know, just making sure Uncle here doesn't get into too much trouble."

"Oh, yes. Gotta be careful with this one." She smiles and winks at my uncle.

I laugh and turn to my uncle to see his reaction, but he just smiles at us and shakes his head. "You two," he points between June and I. "Are the ones I gotta keep outta trouble all the time. You both and that wild one you call a best friend." He raises an eyebrow at me.

I blush slightly and duck my head, trying to hide my embarrassment.

"Alright, alright, you can stop embarrassing me now." I huff at my uncle.

"I suppose I could, but where's the fun in that?" He quips back.

I shake my head, smiling. "I love you too, uncle. Now, since you've gotten me up at this ungodly hour, what's my surprise?"

June chuckles, and I can see the mischievous look in her eyes. "You know what it is, don't you, auntie? Please, please, please tell me!" I exclaim, giving her my best puppy dog eyes. I've been told that my deep forest green eyes are nearly impossible to say no to.

Quickly covering her eyes and shaking her head, she responds. "Nope," she pops the 'p'. "I'm not falling for those damn eyes again. Got me stuck behind the bar for a week AND the bathrooms!"

I bit my bottom lip, trying to hide my smirk. "I know, I know. I'm sorry!"

My uncle pats me on the back lightly and holds out the keys to my bike that he and I spent two years rebuilding. I grin and take them from him. "Not that I don't enjoy going out for a ride, but where are we going?"

"That's for me to know, and you to find out." He sticks his tongue out at me and boops me on the nose.

I crinkle my nose. "I swear, sometimes it's like I'm the adult here." I playfully push his shoulder.

"Oh, so now that you're 18, you think that you're an adult?" He smirks and raises an eyebrow.

"Pffff. The day I claim to be an adult is the day Jaz becomes a model driver." All three of us burst into laughter.

"Alright, I'll give you that." My uncle replies as he heads for the door. "You want your surprise or not?"

I quickly hug Auntie and then rush after him. "So, where are we headed?" I ask as I catch up to him.

"You'll see when we get there. Stop being so impatient." He laughs as he slings his leg over his harley and slips his helmet on.

Sighing, I get on my rebuilt Indian bike. It is almost identical to the bike my mother had. Only she had her gas tank that was custom painted.

"Do you think mom would appreciate it if I got this done to look like hers did?" I ask my uncle as I stare at the tank under my pale and slender fingers.

"Maybe, but I think she would want you to have something on it that meant something to you or something you love. Perhaps something with wolves?" He responds before starting his bike.

"Yeah, I suppose that's true." I murmur to myself before starting up my bike.

I follow my uncle out of the alleyway. We turn left and head south towards the end of town where my favorite Café is. They have the best breakfast sandwiches. I do hope we stop for food, I'm always hungry, and I get grumpy if I don't eat enough.

My uncle slows and stops next to the café causing me to smile as I park next to him.

He pulls off his helmet and smirks at me as he turns off his bike. "No, this is not your surprise. I just don't wanna anger that beast you call a stomach before you see it." He states as he gets off his bike and hangs his helmet off the handlebar.

"And you know, just the place to go to tame it." I laugh as I turn off my bike and get off.

"Go ahead and grab a table, I'll get our orders." He says as he walks towards the door.

I set my helmet on my handlebar and take a seat at the first table I come to. I take a slow, deep breath just thinking about the years since my mother died. She was my best friend. I would tell her everything. I was so scared to tell her I liked girls because I thought she wouldn't want me anymore.

-FLASHBACK-

"Hey, baby, what's wrong?" My mother asks as she finds me crying on the front porch of our small house.

Looking up at her, I fidget with my fingers. "Please don't hate me, Mommy. I promise, I didn't mean for this to happen, but it did. I'm so sorry." I cry harder.

She scoops me up and holds me tight in her arms. "Honey, mommy could never hate you or stop loving you. you are my whole world, and I will never let you go. No matter what." She rubs my back and kisses my forehead. "Now, tell me what has gotten you so upset."

I sniffle and wipe the tears off my face. "I really, really like my friend Jazlyn. She's so pretty and nice to me. She's my only friend but I like her as more than that." I look down at my fingers.

Chuckling, she says. "Oh, baby, just because you like girls doesn't mean I would love you any less. Besides, you're not the only one in this house who likes girls."

Wide-eyed, I look up at her. "What do you mean? I don't ever remember seeing you kissing a girl."

"I know, but that doesn't matter. Neither does you wanting to date girls. I will love you regardless of what gender you love." She smiles and wipes my cheeks.

Hugging her tight, I tell her. "I love you too, mom."

-END FLASHBACK-

Uncle comes back out and sets down our coffees as well as a French toast breakfast sandwich. It is a French toast bagel with pepper jack cheese, bacon, egg, and sausage.

my stomach growls loudly as the smell hits my nose, which causes my uncle to laugh and me to blush slightly.

I quickly grab the sandwich and take a big bite to hide my embarrassment.

"As soon as you're done, we will head over to your surprise." He stated with an amused smile.

I simply nod my head as I eat, wanting to know what it is as soon as possible.

We dump our empty coffee cups into the trash and get back onto our bikes. My uncle heads farther south, which is odd to me because there really isn't much left before you end up headed to the highway.

I wonder where he's taking me as he takes a left and starts to slow to a stop outside an almost empty block. I furrow my brow as I park next to him and turn my bike off.

"Why are we here? There's nothing here." I look at him confused.

"Just hold your horses. You'll see. Now close your eyes and I'll guide you to your surprise." He says, chuckling.

I get off my bike and close my eyes as I huff. "Okay, where to boss man?" I say.

Uncle Jax lightly holds my shoulders from behind and guides me forward. I didn't see anything here but an empty lot. Was there something across the other side? Was I even paying attention? What could he possibly have as a surprise out here?