Page 44 of Rise of the Alpha

I grab her, picking her up, and spinning around in a circle. “Be good, Maggie, and remember what I said, Sunday night, or we’re coming for you.” I use my best Terminator impersonation. She laughs as I set her down, and I lean in to kiss her cheek. But she’s pulled abruptly away from me.

“Come on, ya lovesick fools. It’s two days, not a lifetime. Let the woman get going,” Wylla scolds us, laughing. We say our final goodbyes and leave the girls to it. As we make our way to the doorway to the stairwell, I turn and see the girls walking toward the elevator holding hands.Sunday can’t come fast enough.

Magnolia

Thewholeplaneride,I’ve been sick to my stomach. Wylla wanted to accompany me to the airport, but I convinced her it was best for me to go alone, never knowing if someone was watching and reporting.My paranoia is on overload today.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are beginning our descent. Please, put your seats back in the full upright position and fasten your seat belts. We want to thank you for flying with Maltan Airlines today.”The airline attendant's voice rings out through the cabin of the plane from where she stands with the intercom in hand.

Fuck, I feel like I’m going to hurl those pretzels they gave us for the in-flight snack. Doing as directed, I fasten my belt, letting my head fall back against the seat’s headrest, and close my eyes. Taking deep breaths, I try to calm my nerves about seeing my father for the first time since leaving. I was able to cover everything but the nose ring. Wylla would have done a spell but she didn’t want my father or the Alpha to catch a scent of magic on me. Hopefully, he doesn’t flip his lid too badly or demand I take it out. Luckily, he won’t see the others, and they can stay safely intact if I need to remove the septum piercing to appease him. Instead of focusing on what’s to come, I let my mind drift to that kiss with Jude last night, then each of the guys’ and Wylla’s goodbyes to me today. Those memories of them are what’s going to get me through this trip. Thank Goddess, it’s only until Sunday.

After disembarking from the plane, I head straight to baggage claim to get my suitcase, stopping only long enough to use the restroom. I dig my phone out of my purse and power it on. It immediately begins buzzing, alerting me to messages. Opening it, I see a slew of messages from the guys and Wylla telling me how much they miss me and that everything’s going to be okay. They make my heart smile, and I even catch myself cradling my phone against my chest, pretending that it’s them. I make a group chat, including them all, and send them a message that I’m here and okay and I’ll text them later tonight.

I take my time reading their replies, knowing my lollygagging is going to piss my father off. Well, that is until I see his message.

Dad: I’m in a meeting with the Alpha. Get an UBER and head straight to the house. Your mother will be waiting for you. No stopping anywhere else.

Yes, sir!Guess it was too much for his fucking ass to come pick me up. Maybe it’s a good thing he didn’t. It gives me more time before he sees the new me. Gathering up my suitcase when I see it come around the carousel, I head outside and order an Uber to come pick me up.

Once everything is confirmed, the app informs me that Han will be here in fifteen minutes. I open my texts and send one to the group chat for Mom and Dad, letting them know I’ve arrived and I’m waiting on my ride to get here. According to the app, I should be there in about forty minutes. I wonder if I could get there in wolf form faster, but then I have to worry about people who might see me as well as the struggle of having to carry a suitcase in my mouth. Nope, not happening. I’ll just wait for the ride, plus I’m in no hurry to get home, anyway.

I decide to spend my time doing this jigsaw puzzle app I downloaded as I lean against the column in front of the airport. Wylla suggested it last night to help calm my nerves, giving my brain something to focus on. At the moment, it’s working. Let's see if it continues to distract and settle my nerves. True to the app’s notification, Han pulls up in front of me in his black 2020 Toyota Camry. He jumps out of the driver's side, confirming who I am before taking my suitcase and putting it in the trunk. Opening the back passenger door, I slide into the car after thanking him. He’s not bad looking, about five-foot-eight, with shaggy black hair that’s falling into his eyes and dimples in each cheek when he smiles. If I had to guess, I would say he’s in his early twenties and apparently, by the looks he keeps sneaking in the rearview mirror, he likes what he sees. I mentally choke on a laugh, thinking how my guys would react to that.Wait, my guys? Where the hell did that come from?

“So, you from around here?” he casually asks, looking up into the mirror.

“Yeah, just here for the weekend, visiting my family.” I drop my phone in my lap and twiddle my fingers together nervously.

“Oh, do you have plans for the whole weekend? My friend is having a birthday bonfire tomorrow if you’d like to go. I could pick you up; I already got your address.” I wonder if he realizes how stalkerish his words sounded.

“Umm… Thanks, but I’m not sure what my family has planned. So I’d hate to say yes and not be able to,” I say, hoping this stops him from prodding any further.

Coming to a stop at the red light, he picks up his phone and types away. He no sooner returns it to the cradle on the dash, than my phone is pinging with a message. He grins at me mischievously in the mirror as I check the message.It’s fucking him! What the hell!!

He must see the confusion etched on my face. “The app automatically gives us your number in case we need to message you for any reason. Now you have mine if your plans change, or, if you decide to go, just let me know.” He gives me a wide shit-ass grin, putting his perfectly straight white teeth on display for me.

“Oh… thanks.” Shocked by his boldness and honestly, a little fucking creeped out, I don’t know what else to say. He doesn’t smell of wolf, but with my senses not being as strong since I don’t have a designation, it’s harder to be able to detect supernatural beings due to the fucking blocks on me. I can’t honestly say he’s a hundred percent human. If he is a wolf, my address would give off what pack I belong to.

He tries to make small talk for the rest of the ride, and I only nod or smile, giving short answers. For all I know, this is some kind of test from my father, and there is no way in hell I’m going to fail it. We finally make it to my house, and he pulls into the driveway, puts the car in park, and jumps out, heading to the trunk. I exit, pulling the strap of my purse onto my shoulder, and step to the back of the car, taking my suitcase from his hand.

“So just shoot me a text if you decide to go, or even if you just want to chat.” He winks and rushes back to the driver’s side of his car. I take a deep breath and turn, heading inside the prison I call home.

Opening the door, the house is quiet except for the faint sounds of music playing, coming from the kitchen. “Mom, I'm home,” I call out loudly, so she can hear me, something I wouldn’t have done if I knew my father was here.

I hear her scream of delight and the patter of her feet on the linoleum floor. “Magnolia, darling, I’ve missed you so.” She stops dead in her tracks when she sees me, all the color draining from her face as her eyes go large in fright. “Magnolia, no, you have to take that out right now. Your father will be furious when he sees it.”

“I know, Momma, but I can’t. Don’t worry about it. He probably won’t even notice it. What were you doing in the kitchen? Let me put my suitcase away, and I’ll come help.” I quickly try to change the subject, knowing she’s going to keep fretting over the nose piercing.

I head up the stairs, leaving my mom standing there, wringing the dish towel in her hands. Taking the steps two at a time, I make it to the second floor in no time. Moving swiftly down the hall, I take hold of the door handle to my room. I feel a war raging inside me. This was once my escape, the one place I could be by myself, even though I wasn’t who I wanted to be.

Once I step inside I shut the door behind me, taking a moment to look around, noticing everything is just as I had left it. Even my pillow is still lying askew on my bed. Moving over to my bed, I sit my suitcase down on top of it, deciding to unpack later, or maybe I’ll just live out of it for the weekend so that way I don't have to repack it on Sunday.Yeah, that sounds like a plan!

What I really want to do is snatch my mom by the hand and run right back out that door and back to school, but I know I need to face the firing squad, and I’d rather have a few moments of quiet time visiting with my mom before he flips his fucking lid. Heading back downstairs, I come up short, seeing my mom on her hands and knees on the kitchen floor scrubbing it with a fucking sponge. I clear my throat, so she knows I’m there. “Got an extra sponge so I can help you?”

She smiles sweetly at me. “I’ve got this, but if you want to take out the trash, I’d appreciate it. I'm almost done here, anyway.”

“Okay.” I pull the bag out, tie it in a knot, and quickly replace it with a new one before heading outside.

I take a little longer, wanting to prolong having to step back into the house that sucks the life out of me. Opening the door, I hear my mom talking. She must be on the phone because I don’t hear another voice. “Yes, Alpha. I’ll do it now. Goodbye.” That’s all I catch of the actual conversation before she’s hanging up the phone.

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