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Chapter 17
Chapter 17
“Why not?” Putting the car in park and shutting off the engine, I get out, following him to
his home.
“I wasn’t expecting company, so it’s a little messy.” Opening the door to his home, he waits
for me to walk in first.
It’s all open concept, everything in one room except the bedrooms and bathroom. It’s clean, modern; the only thing out of place are some big medical books and a guitar on the couch. Some of the sun–ripened vegetables that I brought to the pack gathering are sitting on his table just waiting to be eaten.
“Come, sit.” He pulls out a chair for me at the island. The gas range sits in the middle,
quality.
“Drinks.” He says this to himself as he looks into the fridge.
“I have wine, beer, vodka, pop, water? Whatever you would like.”
“I’ll take a glass of wine.”
He pulls a bottle of blushing pink wine out and pours two glasses. My fingertips brush against him as I take the glass from him. His eyes find mine before he looks away.
high
I notice his deck outside is bigger than his home, layered steps and landings that go all the way to the lake. He notices where my eyes are wandering.
“Would you like to go outside?” He opens the glass doors, letting the hot summer breeze in.
Stepping outside, I see he has canoes, kayaks, and stand–up paddle boards that line the side.
of the deck.
“Wow, you have a lot of stuff.”
“I like the water. Do you kayak?”
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The Alpha’s Greatest Mistake
Chapter 17
“No, I have never been.” He looks surprised.
“I really was never invited, plus my parents don’t live on the water. I always wanted to, but I just didn’t have the opportunity.”
“Well, if you want, I could teach you. Maybe if it’s a nice weekend, you can come over in the afternoon and we can take a little tour of the lake.” He’s looking at the water, not at me. I can tell he’s waiting for an answer.
“That would be fun, thanks.” He lets out a breath with my words.
Sipping my wine, I look out at the lake shimmering in the afternoon sun.
“Beautiful,” he says.
“It is,” I agree, but when I look at him, he’s looking at me.
A light wind from the east pushes the water toward the shore. A loon calls its haunting song
out as it drifts lazily in the hot summer sun. The retreat and advance of water leaves the
sand on the beach wet one minute and dry the next. The bright rays beating down on my
back has me wanting to jump into the cool water.
This week at work was good. I didn’t have anything exciting happen. It allowed me to just concentrate on getting things where I like them. I haven’t felt nor have I seen Clayton since that day. I feel good about that. Out of sight, out of mind. The Luna has even left me alone. On Friday, Dallas approached me to see if I was still interested in a canoe trip on Saturday, and at first, I said I was busy. His reply was that he “understood.” The way he said it was
like he understood it had something to do with him. So I told him I would be there, and here
we are.
There’s a little island in the center of the lake that Dallas is taking us toward. We’ve been out canoeing for at least an hour, and my shoulders are burning with the effort. It doesn’t
look like it would be this hard, but it is.
“You okay?” he questions behind me. “You can stop paddling if you want.”
“No, it’s okay, I’m just not used to this,” I reply, trying to push through the fire my arms are feeling.
“This is called Blueberry Island.” He jumps out of the water, getting his shorts wet, pulling.
The Alpha’s Greatest Mistake
Chapter 17
the canoe toward shore. He puts
his hand out to steady me as I get out. When our hands meet, he looks away. I can’t see his eyes because he’s wearing sunglasses. It feels weird not being able to see wolves‘ eyes. They hold our soul.
I walk into the bushes, and the moss is so thick my feet sink down into the forest floor. Small wild blueberry plants line the sponge–soaked soil, carpeting it in specks of blue. These tiny morsels are so abundant and packed with the taste of deep summer.
Sitting down, gathering the blueberries up, I start gorging on the feast nature is providing. The coolness of the shade and the earth smooths out the mid–day heat.
“Here, take some of mine.” He fills my hand full, watching me eat what he has just given me. He has a small smile gracing his face that makes him look cute.
He’s in a short sleeve shirt that’s loose against his chest, but when he moves, it becomes slightly tighter, showing off muscles hidden by the material. His bicep flexes, peeking out his sleeve as he reaches and bends for more blueberries. Gazing at his forearms, I see something that makes me gasp.
Reaching out my fingertip, I trace the single line that runs from his inner wrist to his elbow.. The scar is raised, more white than pink in color; it’s old. Silver did it. He did this to himself…he meant his death when he did that; only the serious who think they want to meet the moon try to end their own life with that kind of cut. They don’t understand that if you end your own life, you will never meet the moon.
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Chapter 18
Chapter 18
