Page 41 of An Omega for the Lycan Prince
It saddens me that I will leave it all behind soon. Liam is my mate, and soon I will need to call another pack my home. Thinking about it makes me nervous. I’m not as scared as I was before though.
Now that a few weeks have passed, I’m also weirdly curious, a bit expectant of what awaits me in the future.
Realizing how my feelings and thoughts have developed surprises me.
I delve into my feelings for a bit longer before I continue walking through the pack grounds. I can hear Stevie before he comes. As always.
Grinning, I prepare myself to be tackled any second. “I can’t believe it,” Steve blurts out while wrapping his big arms around me. He bulked up even further from the last time I saw him.
“Stevie,” I giggle, smacking his upper arm to make him let go. “You are suffocating me.”
“Well deserved,” he blurts out. “You were gone for too long!”
“Two weeks!”
“Too long,” he complains. “Annie,” he whines. “I missed you. And you didn’t even call before visiting.”
I finally manage to free myself from his grip. “Thought it would be nice to surprise you!” I take a step back to check him from head to toe. He grew a bit – again! – Ever since he shifted on his sixteenth birthday, he is getting stronger and taller every day. He will probably be one of the tallest guys in the pack. Also, he is strong. He has that rough, confident strength of youth that pushes him forward. I stretch, not only a bit but a lot, to pat his head. He generously decides to help me by bending down a bit.
“Do Mom and Dad know?” he slings my bag on his shoulder like it’s nothing before grabbing my hand to pull me along.
“I called Mom yesterday,” I explain.
“Will you stay the night?” When I nod, he beams happily, showing me his infamous lopsided grin. He will always remain my sweet, silly little brother, no matter how much he grows. “We definitely need to go for a run later,” he suggests. “Let’s let our wolves out.”
My eyes widen. I haven’t done that in forever. Life at college is great, but it pretty much puts Leah into a cage. We are not as free as we usually are. “Great idea,” I nod eagerly. “Harmony should come too.”
“Yes,” he grins. “Let’s make it a sibling event.”
We continue to chat, catching up on what we’ve missed. At one point, when we pass one of the bigger packhouses, the one with the training grounds, I notice a few glances. It makes me smile instantly. A few of the younger she-wolves are obviously undressing Steve with their eyes. “Your fan club?” I tease once we leave them behind.
“Huh?” he blinks.
“The girls!” My eyes widen. “Jeez, Stevie, don’t tell me you didn’t notice.”
He spins around to check our surroundings. “You think they like me?” he asks in surprise.
I roll my eyes. “It’s pretty obvious.”
“Hm,” he grunts, sounding skeptical. “Never noticed.” He grins. “Not important, though. Having you around is better! Let’s hurry!”
I allow him to tug me along, feeling touched by how happy he is to see me. Once we reach our family’s house, he slows down. Our house is surrounded by a garden – my mother’s hobby – and a few trees, giving us privacy as a family although we are surrounded by our pack. It seems like Mom has been preparing the garden for spring; the first early blooming flowers are already budding. Dad has a high position in the pack, so money was never really an issue, although we are not really rich either. In general, we always lived a rather normal, yet comfortable life.
“Annie!” Harmony appears at the front door and hugs me immediately once she sees me. She tugs me inside to the dining table. There is cake and coffee prepared for me. “Mom told me this morning that you would visit this weekend. I am so happy!”
“So, I was the only one who didn’t know,” Steve pouts.
“That’s because you were so eager to go for a swim at 5 AM that none of us had the chance to tell you anything,” Harmony teases. She makes me sit down and prepares a cup of coffee for me.
“5 AM?” I raise my eyebrows, taking a piece of cake for myself and Steve. He adds three more to his plate before sitting down. “You are really taking your training seriously.”
He blushes. Normally so confident, but compliments from his family always make him blush. “I have fun with it.”
“It shows,” I nod, feeling amazed by his obvious progress.
“Yeah, it does,” Harmony nods. Harmony herself is with the elite warriors already, so her words of approval really mean a lot. “But the same goes for you, Annie. Do you work out?”
“I’m just hitting the college gym,” I mutter, embarrassed that she caught on.
