Chapter 149: Alpha Closed The Distance
Zara
"Well, I was planning on patrol," I smirked, but I was sure he could hear my heartbeat quickening. "Guess I have some free time now that I’m excused."
"Change into something comfortable, I’ll wait here." Alpha Kane smiled, his face softening and his gaze hardening.
I ran up the stairs to the bedroom, stripping off the clothes I’d worn today in exchange for the dress Sophia had lent me. The black fabric, though it covered my important parts, was a bit short. Just in case, I put on matching shorts.
Alpha Kane didn’t move as I went downstairs. His caramel eyes wandered over me, approving. I felt uneasy under his gaze, my skin flushing and burning.
"Black suits you very well," Alpha Kane nodded approvingly. His large hand tugged at the hem of my dress, and a grin spread across his face. "I especially like this dress."
"I wonder why," I snorted, though a blush had crept across my face.
"No point in flaunting Alpha Bran’s loss for him to see." Alpha Kane smirked, his thick arm wrapping around my waist as he led me to the back door.
"Where are we going?" I frowned, following him to the edge of the forest. "Is there really no attack expected?"
"We won’t get far." He assured me, "I have people wandering the forest, and some standing around the house."
I’d never explored the forest around our pack before. I’d followed Marcus to the pool spot countless times, but I’d never ventured out there alone. Marcus refused to train or join the patrol, claiming that my status as the future Luna placed me above everyone else.
Alpha Kane led me into the forest, holding branches and leaves as I walked beside him. His hand found mine, our fingers intertwined. Alpha Kane never made me feel inferior. I’d expressed my opinion to him several times before, and each time, he’d listened.
I didn’t feel like I was following my Alpha into the forest. I was following the boy I loved, the one who valued my body and my opinion.
"Where are we going?" I asked, breaking the comfortable silence between us.
"You’ll see." Alpha Kane gave me a genuine smile that took my breath away. "I enjoy spending time alone, and I found this place shortly after I took over pack leadership."
We emerged into a small clearing, about the size of our bedroom in the hangar. Small flowers, growing in white clusters, were scattered throughout the clearing. The petals were thin, but they seemed to absorb the moonlight pouring down from above. The white petals seemed to glow, attracting the moonlight.
"I think the previous Moon planted them," Alpha Kane muttered. "I never asked."
"She loves gardening, but I never knew that." I nodded, focusing on the glowing flowers dotting the transparent surface. "How... beautiful."
My stomach tightened.
It was then that I felt the presence of a man behind me, gauging my reaction as he looked at the flowers. He had brought me here, to the place where he came to be alone. There were moments when I doubted his feelings for me, but it had to mean something.
Where I was usually bold, something about Alpha Kane made me fall to my knees. I wanted to turn around, confess my feelings to him, and ask if he felt the same. Instead of doing either of those things, I turned and grinned softly.
"I didn’t think you’d like something like this," I chuckled softly, my heart beating faster as he closed the distance between us.
"I’m allowed to appreciate beauty when I see it."
Alpha Kane grinned, looking down at me, his dark eyes glowing as he searched my face. My heart leaped at the meaning of his words. I ran my tongue over my bottom lip, coating the delicate skin with moisture as butterflies fluttered in my stomach.
His gaze caught the movement, following my tongue with a burning intensity. His breath fanned my lips, hovering just above my own. My composure was at its limit. As soon as a low growl escaped his throat, I began to close the distance between us.
"Alpha, there’s a breach in the north part of town, a group of Brown Wolves. The patrol managed to neutralize three, but four slipped through. Sophia’s mother saw them running down her street; it looks like they’re searching for something."
The words echoed between me and Alpha Kane, and the moment between us shattered.
"Father’s house on Sophia Street," I croaked.
"Tell everyone not to leave the house. Send a patrol to Zara’s house; we’re on our way."
"What if they don’t know I moved into the hangar? Dad and Ryan are there."
"They’ll be waiting for you." Alpha Kane frowned, but I had already made up my mind.
Grabbing Alpha Kane’s hand, we ran out of the forest and returned to the palace. Instead of shedding our clothes and assuming wolf form, we jumped into one of Kane’s cars and sped toward my father’s house.
"Remind me to kill Alpha Bran and take his pack for myself when we’re done," Alpha Kane growled, his eyes darkening and murderous as we sped through the narrow city streets.
"Alpha Bran?" I asked.
"If he weren’t content being a damn thorn, his people would be here by now." Alpha Kane growled, "We could easily outnumber them."
"We can defeat them, right?" I asked, trying not to let fear distort my voice.
"I’m confident in my pack." There was a certain confidence in Alpha Kane’s words that filled me with strength. He was so sure of his pack, of its ability to deal with this threat. Like he had performed the winter Gala with such success, he would come out of this trouble calmly.
When we were just a minute away, a wolf’s voice pierced our heads, making my blood run cold.
"Alpha, we’ve had to retreat to the borders. More Brown wolves have appeared, pushing us back, trying to find a hole in our defenses. They’re attacking from the north side of the city, while another group is attacking from the south. It’s a diversion, we know that, but we can’t afford more warriors."
"I need every warrior, everyone who can fight, to go to the northern or southern patrol stations. I wouldn’t ask those of you at home if I had an alternative. Those of you who can fight, who haven’t been wounded in previous battles, go to the northern or southern patrol stations. Let them regret running into our pack," Alpha Kane growled through the mental link, his gaze hardening, his hands gripping the steering wheel tighter.
Alpha Kane’s voice was the voice of a leader, strong and confident amid the chaos. His words awakened something in me that made me stand up and fight.
"We won’t let them harm our family," Nova growled, touched by Alpha Kane’s words.
"You have a plan, yes?" I gasped, my thoughts racing with thoughts of Ryan, my father. I could only hope the brown wolves had passed by Sophia’s house, leaving her to search for me.
