Page 58 of Alpha
“Can I join, too?”
I looked up to see Blake standing beside the empty seat next to Keri.
“Sure,” I said, taken by surprise.
He sat down next to her.
It should have been awkward, but somehow it wasn’t. The conversation flowed easily and a comfortable atmosphere settled over us.
I caught a few looks from Blake’s usual table. They looked as confused as I was, but I wasn’t going to question why Blake had suddenly felt the need to join our table.
By the end of lunch, I walked out of the cafeteria with Cade holding my hand. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as he stopped and turned to face me. He kissed me and I felt my knees weaken.
“I’ll see you later,” he said softly as he turned to leave me standing in front of my next class.
I was still trying to stand on my slightly weakened knees when I saw him turn and smile at me before he disappeared into the crowd of students.
Thoughts of him kept occupying my mind as I tried to concentrate on the rest of my classes. By the end of school, I was looking forward to seeing him again. I walked to my locker and put some books away.
Cade was leaning against his car, talking to Jake and Blake when I walked out of the school. When Cade noticed me, he stepped away from his friends and walked to meet me.
“Hey,” he said, dropping a quick kiss on my lips. It wasn’t a passionate kiss, but it still sent a tingle right through me.
“Hi,” I replied as I handed him my school bag to his outstretched hand. He walked me back to his car.
Suddenly a smell hit me and I stopped. It was so strong and overwhelming—liked burned wood. It was another werewolf.
Cade tensed beside me and then I felt him put his arms around me protectively. Blake and Jake looked alert as they all began to scan the forest beside the school.
Something was wrong.
“Get her back to my house,” Cade instructed Jake as he released me and threw his car keys at him.
“Cade?” I questioned. I felt fear grip me as I held onto his arm.
“You need to go with Jake, now,” he instructed firmly.
“But—” I tried to argue back.
“Don’t argue. Go with Jake, I need you to be safe,” he demanded as he opened the passenger door and put me inside his car.
I didn’t want to leave him. Jake got into the driver’s seat and started up the car.
“Keep her safe,” Cade instructed to Jake as he closed the passenger door.
Jake pulled out of the parking lot and I turned to see members from both packs begin to pour out of the school as they followed Cade and Blake into the forest.
By the time we made it to Cade’s house, I was a nervous wreck. Jake had driven as fast as he could and I’d been too worked up to say anything. As soon as we stopped in front of the house, Jake switched off the car and jogged around to open the door for me.
He steered me firmly into the house.
Safe inside Cade’s house, I began to pace back and forth in front of the window in the formal lounge.
I’d asked Jake what was happening, but all he’d said was that rogues had crossed over into our territory. Cade and the other werewolves were tracking them.
Jake was quiet and tense as he watched me from the doorway of the lounge.
I was so worried about Cade and Blake. A few times I’d tried to close my eyes and hear thoughts from Cade or any of the other members of my pack so that I would know what was going on, but I heard nothing.
