Page 9 of Claimed By the Alpha Pack

“It means she-wolf…” Andrea’s words hang like a noose around my neck. I remember the look in her father’s eyes. His eyes looked like a wolf, come to think of it.

As realization hits, my breath escapes me. “Oh shit! Is Ashina a monster too?”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Andrea says, looking between myself and my grandmother, puzzled.

Grams is kind enough to catch Andrea up while I come down from my mini meltdown. “I’m sure she’s okay.” Andrea says as she takes my daughter from my grandmother. Oddly enough, she’s not flipping out over being around strangers.

“I hope you’re right.” Sighing, I kill off my coffee and stare down at what few grounds lay at the bottom of the cup.

“Kids are funny. They are their own little people and usually take after whomever shows them the most love and affection.” Andrea says softly as she nuzzles my daughter. I watch her close her eyes as an odd rumble escapes Andrea’s lips. I didn’t know humans can make that kind of noise. Shrugging my shoulders, I dismiss the noise and look back out the window.

“I need to get rid of the car and go into town.” My inner thoughts tumble from my lips as I make a list of things to do.

“Why get rid of a perfectly good car?” Andrea passes back my sleeping daughter to me.

Glancing at my grandmother, then back to Andrea. “I don’t want my crazy ex to find me, that’s all.” Pressing my lips to my daughter’s forehead, I close my eyes, trying to push away the memories of what I had seen with Hunter. The horrors of that night seem to replay every time I close my eyes for too long.

“Understandable. Is it empty?” Andrea leans on the counter nearby as Grams steals my daughter from me.

“Yeah, Grams had arranged for a friend of mine to buy it for me as an escape vehicle.” Raising my gaze, I look out the window at the vehicle in question.

Nodding along, Andrea grabs my hand, tugging me towards the door. “Elinor, I’m taking your grand daughter out for some girl time and get her settled with new threads and ditch the car.”

My eyes feel like they are going to bug out of my head when she made the statement. “Good, get her out. I’ve got the baby. Hunting season starts tomorrow, Gracie.” Grams says with a smile.

The brightest, most brilliant smile graces my lips. My heart thunders at the thought of being able to hunt again. “Excellent … Let’s go shopping!” Darting away from Andrea, I run into my room and grab my purse and shove some of my cash into my wallet. “All set.” The words leave my lips as I close the distance between me and my grandmother. I kiss my daughter goodbye and then my grandmother on her cheek.

Hopping in the beat-up four-door sedan that gave me my freedom, we head towards town. The trip was quiet, but pleasant. It was nice to have a female friend. At least I would believe that Andrea could be a potential new friend. “From what Elinor told me, you were born here, right?” Andrea’s tone hitched as she tilts her head to the side, watching me as I drive.

“Yeah, something spooked my parents and next thing I knew, we moved.” Shrugging my shoulders, I honestly don’t have much of an answer beyond that. Shaking my head, it’s still one of the great mysteries of my life.

“Hmm…” Her hum in response hinted at she knew something I might not.

“Have you lived here long?” I figure this must be the getting to know your portion of our expedition.

Laughing, I see her looking out the window out of the corner of my eye. “Yeah, my entire family, and extended family live here. Kind of like an enormous pack.” Her jovial tone caught me off guard. I guess I got used to how surly Hunter had become. That joy was an oddity to me.

“Grams and Ashina are all I have left.” The melancholy of my tone caught Andrea, and she leans towards me and rests a hand on my arm.

“I’m sorry…” Her voice was almost a whine as she strokes my forearm, trying to soothe me.

Forcing a smile, I remain silent as I make the last turns into the town proper. Not much has changed from what I barely remember. You can still find the corner store with children quickly entering and exiting, buying their treats. The Murphy’s Hardware store is still standing proudly at the end of Main Street. The bar that Andrea works at is one of the new stores.

“Pull in here. Let’s have a snack and a drink to celebrate your arrival.” Andrea’s excitement is electrifying.

Reluctantly, I do as she tells me and pull into the first spot in front of the bar she works at. I straighten out my tee-shirt and grab my purse. Andrea grabs my hand and drags me in behind her. The interior of the bar is dimly lit and had a very earthy scent to it. The strong aroma of pine and earth fills the room, and it soothes something in me. It’s an odd sensation. I feel at peace and relaxed smelling the forest within the room. My sigh rumbled softly, and I double blink, hearing the noise come from myself.

There’s at least a half dozen, almost a dozen locals scattered around the room. Andrea drags me right to a stool and parks me right at the end of the bar. Glancing around again, I study everyone, seeing if I recognize any faces. When none catch my attention, I turn back to Andrea as she mixes whatever concoction she’s mixing. She places a colorful frozen drink in front of me and she smiles. “Welcome home Gracie.” She practically crows and I hear a glass shatter somewhere behind me.

Spinning quickly, I look back into the crowd. A broad-shouldered man with light eyes and a shaved head studies me. He’s handsome. My hind brain wants to climb him like a tree and fuck him until I have a charlie horse in both hips. Shaking my head, I try to clear the thought. I’ve never felt that level of desire come over me. It was like something out of some of the romance novels I’ve read.

“You okay, Gracie?” Andrea said, drawing my attention back to her.

“Yeah, just…” A huffed laugh escapes my lips. “You definitely have some hot guys here.” I motion back to the table where the man once was. Frantically, I search the room, looking for him. But, to my dismay, he was gone.

“I don’t see anyone, hun. These are all locals, so the odds are you’ll see him again.” Andrea’s tone is confident and smooth. Her face betrays the fact I’m sure she knows who I was looking for.

Packing that thought away for a moment, I sip at my drink. The cool sweet flavor coating my tongue and the aromatics of the drink make me think of a beautiful day at the beach. A smile creeps across my lips as I enjoy the moment.

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