Page 56 of Ruthless Alpha Beast
Will she mind?
Maybe I should go rinse off in a nearby lake before going in… Or shower at a friend’s house?
I shake my head.
I’m going insane. She’s well used to my stench by now, and I’m heavily acquainted with her smell, which, actually, I can’t scent.
I step inside, and instantly realize that she’s not there.
Oh well.
That’s the thing about schedules; they don’t always hold up.
Might as well take a shower then.
I shower—scrubbing extra hard because for some reason I’m insecure about something I usually couldn’t care less about.
I clean the house a little, prepare some food, eat it, and still—no Tara.
I’m getting antsy, another quality not typical of me.
We’re not technically together, she’s free to do whatever she wants whenever she wants, but I can’t help but worry.
I’m really worried.
It’s like some strange protective instinct that feels even more powerful than your typical concern for a friend, or pack mate, which, as Alpha, is already very strong.
No, this is something else.
Something I feel deep in my core.
My mind flicks through all the possibilities. What if she got attacked? Or kidnapped by another wolf? What if the shadow monsters have her?
But I have to trust my guards to keep the pack safe. If I don’t, I’ll drive myself insane.
I decide that the best thing to do is to wait for her. Without knowing she’s safe, I won’t be able to sleep anyway.
But when the clock strikes midnight and she still hasn’t returned, my patience runs out.
I’ll just scent her, I tell myself, I don’t need to speak to her, but as long as I know where she is, I’ll be able to sleep at least.
Without thinking about it for another second, I get up and leave my cabin before shifting into my wolf.
Easier to smell in this form.
I scour the grounds, and it’s not long before I pick up her scent. I know exactly where she is.
I should have already known this, but it doesn’t hurt to check.
It doesn’t hurt to actually confirm, I tell myself, I’ll just go up to the library window and make sure that she’s okay.
Yeah.
Who knows, maybe she’s fallen asleep again, in which case she might need me to take her home.
Gosh.
I’m such a softie, but I can’t stop.
