Page 43 of Alpha's Forbidden Bond

“Okay, fine,” she said. “I’ll let you off the hook for now. But in return, you’re bringing in the coffee tomorrow and we’re going to open an hour late, so you have no excuse not to tell me the whole story. Start to finish. No interruption, just a full-on, truth-spilling session.”

“Absolutely.”

She exhaled heavily. “Alright then. Get some sleep. I guess I’ll get some chores done since it’s not like I’m getting any more rest after this phone call.”

“I love you,” I said, hoping that would smooth things over a bit.

“Yeah, yeah, love you too.” Then she hung up. I smiled down at the phone and then plugged it back in since it still hadn’t charged all the way. I scrolled through Stanley’s Wikipedia a little bit more, just making sure I hadn’t missed anything else important, then closed my laptop and fell back into bed. Within seconds of my head hitting the pillow, my eyelids dropped shut, and I was out like a light.

Chapter 21

Andreas

It was dusk, and I had wandered so far from the compound that I nearly lost my way. Thankfully, my sense of smell, even in human form, was very advanced, and I managed to find the main road after only searching for a short while. I’d been trying to clear my head, to work through some of the emotions and thoughts that plagued me after everything that happened with Diana that night, but really, despite how long I’d been out walking, I didn’t feel any closer to having things figured out. Not to mention, I was so tired now that my feet were dragging a little more with each step, and I had to fight to keep going and not just curl up for a nap in the forest somewhere. But I couldn’t risk being seen by anyone. I wasn’t in wolf form, but a man sleeping on the ground off to the side of the road would raise a few eyebrows as well.

So, I trudged along in the direction of the compound and listened intently for the sound of any oncoming traffic. If someone drove by, they might assume I was lost or needed help and might pull over and ask me questions I didn’t have sufficient answers to. The smart thing to do would be to turn off and take the long way back through the trees, but I wasn’t sure I had it in me to be smart just then. My weariness caused me to make stupid choices.

As I walked, I breathed in the familiar smell of the forested area surrounding me, mixed in with the exhaust from cars that had driven past earlier this morning. There was something else in the air, too—the faintest hint of Diana. She must’ve driven home with the windows down, leaving a trail of her delicious scent behind her as she headed back home on this very same road. I stopped in my tracks and greedily inhaled again, not ready to give up on the memory of last night just yet.

Then—I picked up another scent. The same one I’d smelled the night before. The person who had followed Diana up to the compound, or so I could only assume. It was too strong, however, to have been left over from the stalker’s first getaway.

I took a tentative step in the other direction, and the smell grew stronger.

“Shit,” I muttered.

The stalker didn’t leave last night when I thought he did. He must’ve stuck around, maybe tucked away in his car, so I had a harder time smelling him. Then, he left only after Diana did.

He probably followed her home.

An image of her getting out of her car back at her house and a man jumping out from his own vehicle to attack her flooded my mind, and before I could think better of it, I took off running. She could be in danger. She might need my help, and that was all I needed to know. But it was daylight now, and soon enough, the road would be busy with drivers and people heading up to the construction site. I couldn’t risk shifting. I was going to have to rely on my human legs and human nose to get me there—I just hoped I wasn’t already too late.

Diana’s intoxicating scent brought me to a peaceful-looking neighborhood with white picket fences and lawn ornaments. As I approached a small house with a patch of trees behind it, I spotted Diana’s car. This must be where she lived. I slowed my pace, not wanting to draw too much attention. A few people were out walking their dogs, and one woman across the street was grabbing her mail in a robe and slippers. I smiled and waved, hoping that would be enough to ease anyone’s suspicions for now. Walking up the path towards the front door, however, I could tell Diana’s scent was coming from a different part of the house. After taking a quick moment to make sure nobody was looking, I hung a right and darted around the side of the house. There, I found another door. When I came close to it, my heartbeat raced. Diana was on the other side. I knew it.

So then maybe she was okay. Her car was still in the driveway, and I didn’t see any obvious signs of a struggle. Unless I truly believed that she was behind that door with her captor, that maybe some crazed lunatic had a gun to her head inside, I had no right to barge in. I really shouldn’t have even been there in the first place.

But I couldn’t go back home until I knew for sure she was safe. I noticed a window off to the side and decided to just peer in real quick. I crept closer and then got down on my hands and knees to look in, but the glass was too foggy, and there was a glare from the rising sun.

All of a sudden, the basement door swung open, and Diana ran up to confront me. “I thought we agreed you weren’t?—”

She halted when she saw me.

“Andreas?”

I waved awkwardly. “Uh—hi.”

“What the fuck are you doing here, and why were you looking into my windows? Do you have any idea how much you scared me? I thought Stanley was back, and I was going to have to call the police!”

“Stanley? Who’s?—”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “You’re not the one asking questions right now. I am. Why are you here? Are you trying to, like, give me a taste of my own medicine and show up out of the blue?”

I laughed and stood up straight. “No, that would be very childish. I’m here because…” I rubbed the back of my neck and tried to come up with a viable story but to no avail. “I thought you might be in trouble.”

She folded her arms. She was still wearing the same clothes she had on last night, but now her hair was a mess, and there were dark circles under her eyes. I felt terrible for having woken her up. “Why would you think that?”

“I was out for a walk,” I explained. “And I caught a whiff of your stalker on the road leading back into town. I worried that he might’ve followed you home and that maybe he was going to hurt you. I rushed over here just to make sure you were okay.”

Her expression softened. “For real?”

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