Lib Novel Page 71
The idea of having him around all the time makes me feel exhausted just thinking about it.
Noah is still talking. “I don’t know what my father will say, though. He’s quite attached to this place.”
That has me sputtering a little. Alpha Black? Attached to Oakrest? He hasn’t stepped foot in this town since shortly after sending me here nine years ago. Unless he’s attached to a dot on a map, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t give a crap about this place.
I do wonder at times whether Noah and I are talking about the same Alpha.
Noah blinks at my reaction. “You don’t think he’s attached to this town? He handles all the documentation from here himself.”
I shrug. “I haven’t seen him come here in years, Noah. And this isn’t the most thriving area, now, is it?”
“That is true,” he admits. “In which case, I probably will get permission.”
I hold out the bread basket to him. “If you do, what will happen?”
He looks pleased. “We’ll be able to see each other all the time. Well, most of the time. I’ll have to go check the other territories on the weekends, but during the week, I should be here.” He butters a piece of bread before continuing. “By the way, I’ve looked into getting a witch to come down here to see if you have an affinity for magic. She should arrive next week.”
I am pondering this development when my sharp ears detect movement in the woods. I don’t get a chance to react because just then, two men burst into the clearing, looking frantic. I recognize them as members of the pack security team. Noah is on his feet in a heartbeat, his voice a growl. “What is the meaning of this?”
One of them, Tyler, gasps, “The black wolf was spotted near the lake. We had two men following him. He’s already taken out one of them.”
I see the change in Noah’s eyes, and it is a terrifying sight. He looks at me, and there is no longer any trace of warmth in his expression. “I’m afraid I have to go, Sophia. Rain check?”
I nod mutely, my heart thundering. The black wolf? They found him?
Noah runs toward the edge of the clearing and shifts in mid-air into a large, magnificent, brown wolf. The other two men shift as well, but their wolves are a little smaller than Noah’s. Those with Alpha blood in their veins tend to be slightly larger in size. Now that I think about it, when I met the black wolf, he was the same size as Noah, if not a little bit bigger.
What does that mean? Is the black wolf also an Alpha?
I get to my feet, suddenly anxious. My wolf is equally panicked. If they find the black wolf, there’s no doubt they’ll kill him. We have to do something.
I’m about to follow Noah when the server stops me. “I’ll take you home.” His voice is steady, but it sends a shiver down my spine. There’s something off about it.
I look at him more closely now than I did before. He has an unremarkable face, a seemingly very ordinary person, but the hair on the back of my neck rises, and my wolf is baring its teeth, sensing a threat. I don’t know what it is about this guy, but I have a bad feeling about him.
I really don’t want this man knowing where I live. I don’t even want to walk down an empty road with him.
“I can go by myself.” I take a step back. He studies me, and I see a flicker of interest in his eyes. I don’t like that. “You’re not from Oakrest, are you?”
His lips curve. “No. I’m Noah’s assistant, Orlando.”
“I see. I didn’t know he had an assistant. I’ll be heading back now.”
I don’t give him an opportunity to respond. I quickly pick up my bag and hurry out of the clearing. I have no desire to return home, but I have a feeling Orlando might follow me to make sure I go to my apartment. I don’t know why, but it feels like he’s suspicious of me. Then again, it’s not as if I trust him, either.
It takes me twenty minutes to reach my apartment, and as soon as I enter the building, I glance out the window by the entrance. Sure enough, I see Orlando’s figure standing in the trees, watching the door I just closed behind me.
I curse softly. Why is he staying there? He should leave.
But minutes pass, and he remains in the same spot.
I have a feeling Orlando isn’t going anywhere soon, so I’ll have to avoid him. I drop my things in my apartment and use the back door to exit the building. I head straight toward the edge of the forest.
I’ve spent so many years exploring this area that I know the forest like the back of my hand. And if the black wolf has been spotted by the lake, I know how to get there without being detected. My preference has always been to stick to the trees. Since I don’t have a scent that can give my presence away, it’s easy for me to move undetected on the branches, among the foliage.
I hear the security team at one point, and my heart begins to thunder. I look down, and sure enough, there they are. They are clearly chasing somebody. I watch with bated breath, clinging to a tree trunk. I hope none of them look up. While it is incredibly dark, and I am hidden by the leaves, there’s always a risk of being caught. Once they’re out of sight, I stealthily follow them. I can see Noah’s wolf in the distance now, sniffing around the stream.
I find myself smiling. The black wolf must have used the water to escape. But when the scent of blood hits me, my muscles seize up in alarm. If he’s bleeding, he’s going to be caught soon. A few seconds later, the pack security team scatters in different directions. This worries me. I can’t look for the wolf if I don’t know where the security team members are.