Page 24 of Alpha's Second Chance

Finally feeling like smiling, I swept her up into my arms. “Now that is a good idea.”

Eve

After a morning spent contemplating my incinerated house, and the escaped prisoner that wanted us both dead, Owen and I spent a lovely afternoon first in the shower, and then in the bed.

It had become clear to me that I was falling in love with him. Not the kind of love I’d had for him as a teen, where I loved him because of proximity and shared experiences. But a true, adult love, where I respected him.

What was I going to do about it?

I had no idea. It was going to have to be a problem for another day. Making any big declarations in the middle of a crisis was definitely a bad idea.

For now, we needed something to distract ourselves until we had a plan for dealing with Bull. “You have any wood?”

“Of course,” he said. “It’s on the back porch. Want a fire?”

“I’m craving some meat cooked on a real open flame, not a grill.”

On the back porch, Owen gathered an armful of wood and dumped it into what looked like a fire pit. “You’re really embracing this bear life,” he said.

That was the truth. But I also wanted a nice little distraction for the two of us. “Listen. Do you know how many hours I’ve sat in trendy Denver restaurants eating delicate little food that looks pretty but barely fills you up?”

He laughed. “I’m guessing a lot of hours?”

“More than you can count. My friend Melanie is a vegan. Most of our other friends are vegans. Every Friday night, we used to go the hot new restaurant, where they served the most spartan plate you can imagine with kale, chard and asparagus. Then my friends inspected every ingredient, which was usually only salt and pepper. Did you know there’s meat in certain candy? They won’t touch it.”

Owen rifled through an outdoor cabinet and found some matches. “How the hell did you stay quiet during all that?”

“I’d sip my margarita, or my wine, or my fancy microbrew beer.”

He threw some kindling on the pile of wood, and stuck the match. “Must have been a lot of margaritas.”

“Luckily we don’t get drunk easily.”

“Or maybe that made you unlucky.”

I laughed and tried to tackle him but he evaded me. He dodged me and made it back to the freezer. “Hunt for fresh meat or defrost frozen?”

“Defrosting’s fine.” I raised one eyebrow. “This time.”

He flashed a big grin at me, and in that moment, he looked exactly like the boy he’d been at twelve, when we planned a fishing trip without permission. “I have elk, deer, duck and rabbit,” he said. “What’s your pleasure?”

“Deer,” I said, recalling a very similar conversation when we’d been fourteen and gone camping together in a group. Nostalgia for the boy he’d been and the home I’d given up struck me hard. I decided to wade in. “I’ve been wanting to ask about my family.” I bit my lip. “Do you ever see my parents? I mean, other than in large groups?”

“Yes. I see them frequently. At least once a month.” He laid the deer meat on a plate and we headed back out to the fire pit. “They ask about you. I think they’d love to see you.”

I wasn’t so sure. I needed more information, but I wasn’t ready to hear the details yet. We roasted the meat over the open fire, avoiding the topic of my family. Once the meat was cooked just a little, we dug in, relishing our deer steaks when a rap sounded on the front door. We both jumped. “Stay here,” Owen said.

Of course I didn’t stay there. I trailed Owen through the cabin to the front door, where one of his MASK Team members was standing on the front porch.

“We’ve got chatter that Bull is in Keystone,” the shifter said, handing Owen a paper mat with a location marked map.

“What the hell?” Owen held the map up. “Did he stop to ski? Get a hot chocolate? Maybe a fucking massage?” Owen kicked the railing of his cabin, but his teammate didn’t flinch. “Probably wants to blend in with the crowds there.” He dropped the map. “Thank you. Check in with me in four hours, even if there’s nothing new to report.”

“Yes, Alpha,” his teammate said.

Once he was gone, I didn’t try to pretend like I hadn’t listened in. “They call you Alpha?”

“Yes. It’s my title, and a good call sign.”

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