Rise of the Alpha
Chapter 30

Magnolia

Stepping into the room, I drop my suitcase to the floor, shutting the door behind me. Lifting my fingers, I let the tips glide along my bottom l*p as thoughts of the k**s from Blaine replay in my mind. Not to f*****g mention how him calling me ‘ good girl’ has my p***y wet and begging for attention.

I’m lost in my thoughts for a moment, well, more like my daydreams of Blaine with his head between my legs as he feasts upon me, my hands gripping his hair when my eyes scan the room, the very empty room.

Thank goddess, I would have been so embarrassed to have been caught in the middle of a s****l daydream. But where is she? I could have sworn she told me she’d be waiting for me. Actually, I was hoping she’d be here; I f*****g missed her. I know some would say it’s only been a couple of days, but I’ve gotten used to seeing her every day.

I begin to panic, fearing that my father and Alpha Johnson sent someone here to hurt her, holding her responsible for my change in appearance. Or even worse, they had somehow discovered my attraction to her. My eyes scan the room again, eagerly looking for any clue that would give me some kind of information about where she is. Then I stop, my gaze lingering on the empty spot on top of her dresser where she keeps her shower caddy. A deep sigh of relief escapes me. She’s just in the shower.

Picking my suitcase up, I carry it over to my bed and lay it down on top of it, debating whether to unpack now or wait until later. Later wins out when I slip my hand in my pants pocket, once again finding the note that I fretted over and read multiple times while on the plane. At this point, I have each and every word memorized, forever committed to my memory. But still, I sit down on the bed, gripping it in my hands as I read it yet again, praying to the Goddess that this time some answer will jump out at me. What is he trying to tell me? Can I trust him or is this just a game?

I’m still scouring my brain, trying to figure it out when Wylla steps back into the room. Her hair is wet, and she’s wearing only a towel. She literally looks like a wet dream come to life. I give her a forced smile because I’m so racked with anxiety I can’t generate a genuine one. “What’s wrong? Did something happen at home? Did the puppy do something to you? I’ll neuter his a*s if he did.” She drops her caddy on the floor and rushes over to me, taking a seat on the bed beside me and wrapping her arms around me.

I can’t hold it back any longer. I burst into tears as she strokes her hand gently up and down my back, whispering soothing words to me. I sob for ten minutes while she holds me until I have no more tears left to shed. Pulling away from her, I just stare at the woman I am so lucky to call my friend. The woman I care for far more than that, though, one I want to call my lover.

“Now tell me, who am I placing a curse on? Who are we sending the house pet after to lure them into a false sense of security before he rips their heart out and feasts upon it? Who is our s*x god depriving of any s****l desire, and who can we sick the puppy on? Whoever did this to you will suffer. I will raise every dead beast I can think of to end their life.” Her eyes are laser-focused on me, and I know for a fact she means every word and these aren’t just mindless threats, but what she will make a reality.

“No, Blaine didn’t do anything, and well, the trip home was more or less what I expected. The Alpha came to dinner at our home Saturday with my intended mates and mandated that one of them would be bringing me to the airport or I would have to change my flight. Jeremiah, the nicest of them, volunteered, and slipped this note into my pocket.” I hand the note over to her, allowing her to read it.

“This is crazy,” she finally says. “What the hell does he mean by this?”

“I don’t know, Wylla. It’s so confusing. Do I take this as the truth and he’s trying to help me, or is this a ploy to see if I f**k up so they can come snatch me? What should I do?” I ask in exasperation, letting out a deep sigh as my shoulders sag.

We just sit there for a moment, her eyes gazing back at me as she chews on her bottom l*p. She keeps opening her mouth to say something, only to clamp it shut again. Slowly standing up, she begins to pace back and forth between my bed and the door. I can almost see the steam escaping from the top of her head as she thinks.

Finally, she stops dead in her tracks and turns abruptly, so she’s facing me. “This is what we’re going to do. You’re going to go along with what he says, but you’re not going to give him too much information. If he asks you something, be vague or avoid answering altogether. We’re going to ride this out and see if he turns out to be a friend or foe.

For all we know, this is a test from your pack’s Alpha to see if you will comply and be obedient to your intended mate. So for now, do nothing. We’ll wait to see what his next step is, let him put his cards on the table, so to say.”

“Okay,” I say meekly, gaining the nerve for the next part. “Wylla, I’ve thought hard about it over the weekend. I don’t want to ever have to go back to my pack. I want to do the spell, to leave my pack and be with you and the guys.

I even want to talk to Blaine about possibly joining his pack once I’m free from the blocks that are on me. Did your grandmother have good news? Did she give you the spell that would do it?” I’m eager and ready to be free of my past, and I want to move toward a future with my new friends, my family.