Page 3 of Holiday Surprise

Kenneth was the youngest of the Smith brothers. Their father was a raging alcoholic, though doing much better keeping a job, at least for the moment. Oliver had been raising his three brothers since they were just toddlers and he was barely more than a child himself.

“Do you think he’s at Chasity’s again?” I asked. I knew the two were seeing each other and her parents were out of town for the weekend. I should have checked before I went to bed and shooed the boy home. I could still be sleeping if I’d only thought of that last night.

“That’s my guess. He turned his cell phone off again.”

“I know you don’t want to hear this but tell your mate.” He and I both knew that Peyton had this weird way of getting through to the boy when no one else could.

“I know you’re right,” he said, not agreeing, just appeasing me.

I sighed. “Hold on.” I dropped the phone on the bed as I grabbed some jeans and headed for the bathroom. I let Oliver waiting while I got ready. Before walking outside, I picked the phone back up. “You still there?”

“Yeah, I’m here.”

“Alright then.” Chasity’s house was only four doors down from me, but around the corner and out of eyesight. The second I turned towards her place, I saw Kenneth’s bike. “Yeah, looks like he’s here. I see the bike. Want me to wake him up and shoo him on home?”

“Yeah. Can you scare the shit out of him in the process and not let him know I called you?”

I laughed. “Yeah, sure.” Seemed like a good use of my pent-up frustration over being awoken so early.

I banged on the door. A few seconds later the curtain fluttered in the back bedroom. I knew that’s where they’d be and was watching for it.

“Shit! It’s Luke,” I heard Kenneth say.

Chasity opened the door a few minutes later. “Good morning, Luke. Can I help you?”

“Send him out,” I said.

“Who?” she asked innocently.

“We really going to do this? Your parents are out of town. You know they asked me to look in on you. I don’t think your father will appreciate your late-night entertaining anymore than I enjoy coming over here to send his scrawny ass home.”

She rolled her eyes at me. “He’s not here. See for yourself.”

The second I stepped inside I heard the motorcycle crunch across the gravel, and I turned just in time to see Kenneth, in nothing but his boxers, jump on it and fire it up as he rode away.

“Kenneth,” I yelled.

“I’m sorry!” he yelled back over the noise of the engine. “Don’t tell Peyton!”

I let him go with a chuckle. Before I could walk back to my place, Chasity grabbed me by the arm. I whirled around on her and she cowered, baring her neck to me.

“I’m so sorry Alpha. Please don’t tell my pa,” she begged.

I sighed. “Make sure it doesn’t happen again and I’ll overlook it this time. But one more time Chasity and he’ll hear about it. Are we clear?”

She nodded with tears welling up in her big brown eyes. “Thank you, Alpha.”

“Go on back inside,” I said.

I watched the door shut behind her and shook my head as I pulled out my cell to call Oliver back.

“Didn’t get a chance to scare him personally, but he’s on his way home. Little shit snuck out the back door. Get your camera ready, though. He ran out without his clothes begging me not to tell Peyton as he drove off. I could have stopped him, but I think this is probably much better. He’ll be lucky if he makes it home without getting picked up by the local cops for indecent exposure.”

We both laughed and he thanked me again.

Hanging up, I contemplated going back to bed, but who was I kidding? I was already up for the day and it was only a matter of minutes before my phone was ringing with the next pack emergency. Oliver texted later in the day filling me in on the comedic scene of his brother trying to sneak into the house in nothing but his underwear.

The events changed, the crises differed, but overall that was a glimpse into my life as Alpha of Larken Pack. There was not a moment of peace or any time for me, except the lonely nights of eating frozen microwave meals by myself.

---