Page 8 of Cruel Alpha Beast
But the person who draws my attention the most is my oldest and best friend, Greg. Just one glance, and I can tell that something is very long. His black hair is long overdue for a cut, hanging low over his forehead. Honestly, he looks like he hasn’t slept in days.
I’ve known him my whole life—we’ve been like brothers since we first met at the playground by the school. He’s been at my side every day, laughing with me, giving me the best advice I’ve ever gotten, even consoling me when the pressure my father laid upon me felt like it was too tough. I’m a better man because of him; a better alpha, even. So, seeing him like this, it hurts my soul.
It’s only happened once before, this despondence. Five years ago, when his sister fled into the woods, never to be seen again.
Gulping down the lump in my throat, I approach Greg in his chair and reach down to clamp my hand on his shoulder. He doesn’t look up, but I can feel him tensing under my grip. He exhales sharply through his nose before I can ask what’s wrong.
“Things are getting bad, Sawyer,” he croaks.
“I know.” I sigh, releasing his shoulder and putting my hands on my hips. “I just broke up a fight between Bruce and Jerry over litter.”
“I can’t think of something worth fighting over more,” Jasper says with a grin.
“They almost killed each other over a gum wrapper,” I point out in a deadly tone. “It would’ve gotten really ugly if I hadn’t walked by at the right time.”
“It’s getting worse,” Greg continues, finally looking at me. “I think we need to get serious about this.”
“We are serious,” Ellis adds. “What else have we been talking about for a year?”
“And we’ve had no results,” Greg snaps at him uncharacteristically. “We’ve done nothing.”
“What do you think we should do, then?” I ask him. “I’m all ears.”
Greg shrugs. “Maybe we should consider seeking outside help.”
“Like from who?” I cock my head to the side. “Who could possibly help us?”
Just then, the floor in the hallway creaks. I whip around to see two figures in the doorway. One, a small girl with chestnut brown hair, the other, a young woman I didn’t think I’d ever see again in my life.
My mouth grows as dry as the rivers in our town as I gaze upon her. Still well-rounded, still stunningly beautiful with her sleek, elbow-length black hair.
“Lacey?”
Chapter 3 - Lacey
As soon as he turns to look at me, my brother’s sorrowful face brightens up. He leaps from the chair, pushing past a stunned Sawyer. I quickly let go of Shea’s hand and rushed to meet him in the middle of the floor, running into his arms. Greg pulls me in closely, his body shaking as he holds me for the first time in I don’t even know how long.
“I was so worried about you, Lace,” he murmurs in my ear.
“Iwas worried aboutyou,” I tell him. “You haven’t picked up your phone in days! I thought you were…”
I can’t even say it. If anything terrible happened to Greg, it would wreck me, real or imagined.
Several pairs of eyes stick to me like glue. I can feel the derision permeating off of Ellis and Jasper, just like how they used to stare at me when I was a proper member of this pack—if you can even say I ever was. And then there’s Sawyer. His hazel eyes are going to dry out if he keeps staring at me like he’s seen a damn ghost.
My heart is swirling with warring emotions as I think about the man. I mostly came back to the valley to make sure that my brother was okay, but a small part of me came to check on Sawyer.
I was honest when I spoke to Danielle last night about him. No matter how horribly he’s treated me in the past, Shea would not be here without him, and that’s a cold, hard fact. So, I will always owe him for that.
After pining over her father for so long, I thought I knew what love was. But now that I have my sweet little daughter, I truly know.
“Why didn’t you call me back?” I beg my brother to answer. “Just a simple text would have made me feel so much better about all of this. I wouldn’t have trudged all the way through the forest for you.”
“I’m sorry,” Greg tells me, and I can see how sorry he really is. “I’ve been so freaked out about everything going on, I haven't even thought about my phone in days. It’s probably dead in my house somewhere.”
I let go of Greg and wiped away the tears welling in my eyes before they had the chance to fall. I need to tell him about my visions, but I don’t know if this is the right time or place. There’s a very dour mood in the air, especially over the spot where my brother stands.
“I saw the flowers on my way into town.” Swallowing hard, I glance around from alpha to alpha, until I reluctantly land upon Sawyer. “They’re all dying.”
