Filed To Story: Claimed by the Alpha I Hate Book Read Free
“Hard headed?” I pursed my lips, “He said I’m hard headed?”
“Multiple times.” Carter nodded, all business. Mason snickered beside Carter, but averted his eyes when I glared in his direction.
“How.. helpful of him.” I smirked, “I guess we’ll all just patrol together.”
Wade and Carter flanked Mason and I in silence. Mason and I had a running conversation through the mind-link, one that Wade and Carter refused to participate in. Every now and again I would hear a low chuckle from either Wade or Carter, proving they were in fact listening in on our conversation.
The night was quiet, the earth cold and yielding under our paws. Maya was relishing in her freedom, the only thing in her mind was the dull thumps of her paws hitting the earth. The cool breeze rushed through our fur, introducing new scents to our nose. The cool breeze would’ve been cold on my human skin, but it felt like a cool caress through Maya’s fur. The smell of wet earth and tree’s was strong in my nose, but something else lingered in the air. It was the smell of something sweet, like candy or syrup.
The only strange thing was it smelled much too sweet, almost sickeningly sweet.
“Do you smell that?” I murmured to the others.
The four of us stopped in our tracks, Maya’s nose lifted to the sky as we inhaled deeply.
“I don’t smell anything.” Mason’s wolf shook it’s large head.
“All I smell is the earth.” Carter shrugged, but his eyes were analyzing our surroundings carefully.
“You really don’t smell anything?” I frowned, tilting my head.
Mason shook his head while Carter and Wade eyed me suspiciously, “No, nothing out of the normal.”
With a shake of my head, we took off running again.
Patrol ended quickly, and the strange smell faded from mind. It wasn’t completely unusual for campers and backpackers to come into our neck of the woods. Most of the time we’d spot their campsites and avoid them, continuing our patrol as usual. The sweet smell was most likely from a group of campers who left some food behind in the woods. It wouldn’t be the first time it happened.
Mason walked me home that night, giving me one last wave before he jogged down the street towards his house.
I walked in the living room to find my Grandma, and my very disgruntled Dad.
“Something happen while I was gone?” I raised my eyebrow at the two of them.
Grandma was taking a pan of brownies out the oven, a clear sign something had happened. A
puckered frown was on her face, her light eyes flickering over to my Dad.
“Sean left.” Dad’s voice was gruff as he tossed a folded note down on the table.
“He left?” I frowned, “That’s not like him at all.”
“He’s changed a lot in the year you’ve been gone.” Dad grumbled, “I’m not surprised.”
“Grief changes people.” Grandma nodded, her puckered frown seared onto her face. “He probably just needs time to adjust.”
“Him and Kanyon were pretty close.” Dad grumbled, “Closer than he was to me anyway.”
“This isn’t your fault, you know that right?” I frowned, sitting on the couch beside my Dad’s recliner.
“I’m not all innocent in this.” Dad grumbled, “I shut down when your Mom died. I was no good to anyone.”
“You lost your wife, and Sean lost his Mom.” I frowned, reaching out to pat my Dad’s hand. “Everyone grieves differently.”
“I should’ve been there.” Dad grumbled, “Sean found his mate y’know. Never did tell me who it was.”
“He found his mate?” My mouth flopped open. Sean had never told me either. He had become such a private person in the short time I had been gone. Dad was right, Sean definitely had changed.
“Not that he told me.” Dad grumbled, “I figured that bit out on my own. Not entirely dimwitted.” Dad gave a dry chuckle.
Sean had turned eighteen over a year ago, his nineteenth birthday came after. Sean had never mentioned finding his mate before, so I assumed it happened while I was gone. Something was definitely amiss. Sean should be with his mate, and yet none of us knew her identity. My heart ached for my brother, but I learned quickly to mind my business when it came to Sean. Whatever was happening, he needed to deal with it himself. He was very much like Dad in that way.
I picked the note up from the table gingerly, reading Sean’s messy handwriting.
‘Hey guys,
Don’t bother looking for me, I’ll come back when I’m good and ready. If it isn’t obvious, I’m dealing with sh*t. Mom’s d***h messed us all up, but Kanyon was there for me when I needed someone. I promise
I’ll be safe and come back in one piece. Until then, stay safe.
Sean’
I went to bed that night, a detailed dream of Sean filling my head.
He was thundering through the woods, his four paws raking up dirt as he barreled forward. Clumps of grass and earth sprayed out from behind him, tree’s and branches blurred as he ran past. The forest around him was slowing, his senses heightened in his wolf form.
The dream continued like that for some time, simply Sean running through the woods. A few moments later the dream shifted. I was still standing in the woods, but Sean was gone. The same sickeningly sweet scent was lingering in the air. The forest was quiet, unusually quiet. The forest was absent of bugs or creatures. Typically at night, the forest is alive with living creatures. Animals hunted at night, insects chirped and buzzed. There was none of that in my dream forest. Everything was still, inducing a strange sense of anxiety. The feeling of being watched surrounded me, the prickling feeling of eyes running over my skin.
“Daisy.” A deep voice called out, slick like oil.
The bushes shook, and a strange sense of d***h settled over the forest. Thick and almost tangible, this strange shadow-like substance ebbed from all around me. It was black like smoke, lapping the ground as it ebbed closer and closer. Plants wilted under the touch of the strange smoke, urging it to move faster.
I sat from my bed with a startled breath, my dream had been cut short. It wasn’t surprising to have nightmares in times like this. I was merely lucky my nightmares didn’t include Katie or Kanyon’s glassy gaze.
Training without Alpha Nolan was monotonous and almost boring. I sparred with Mason easily, taking him down multiple times. Deep in the back of my mind, I already missed Alpha Nolan. A day without bothering him felt unsuccessful and pointless. I quickly realized how much I longed to see the fire b**n in his eyes as he fought his hidden desires.
After training Breyona and Mason tagged along to my house. The three of us ate lunch, my Grandma supplying Breyona with as many pastries as she could carry.
“Your Grandma is awesome.” Breyona groaned, munching on a brownie as we walked to her house.
“She’s only baking like this cause she’s stressed.” I chuckled.
“I wish my mom stress baked.” Breyona rolled her eyes, “My Mom stress cleans. Won’t even let us touch the kitchen anymore.”
“Mine just watches those spanish soap operas.” Mason shuddered, his eyes widening in fear.
“Is Mason scared of his Mom’s soap opera’s?” Breyona cackled, pelting him with a piece of brownie.
“You act like it’s funny but you’ve never had to sit and endure four hours of it.” Mason shook his head,
“And this is why I’m always out and about.”
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?