Share
34
ASTRID
I wake up groggy again. I don’t know how long I’ve been here, but I’d guess a few days have passed by now. The wolfsbane that they keep injecting me with to keep me weak also has a side effect of making me drowsy, so I feel like I’m constantly drifting in and out of consciousness. I guess I don’t mind, because as long as I’m asleep, I’m not living this nightmare.
I’ve only seen this one room of what I still think is a warehouse. It’s large, piled with boxes and junk that give no clues as to what this place used to be or where it might be located. Kara and Jake take turns sleeping on the dirty couch that’s positioned directly across from Chris and I, and the only time I’m allowed to get up and walk around is when I need to go to the bathroom. Even then, I’m escorted by either Jake or Kara, and they don’t take their eyes off of me the entire time I
Related chapters
Alpha Brock 35
ASTRID “Put this on,” Kara growls, shoving a wadded-up ball of black chiffon at my chest. I’ve been afforded the great pleasure of her company to prepare for the full moon tonight, which so far has consisted of a freezing cold shower in a dirty bathroom and Kara throwing things at me. A towel, a hairbrush, and now this chiffon garment, which I’m assuming is a dress. I hold it up in front of me, turning it around until I can discern what’s right-side-up. Definitely a dress. I slip into it, relishing in the feel of the clean, delicate fabric against my skin. I’ve been living in that disgusting t-shirt for the past three days, so a change of clothes feels like a luxury. Once it’s on, I glance at myself in the mirror, tugging the straps onto my shoulders. I have to admit, the dress is beautiful. It’s simple, but it’s stunning in its simplicity- thin straps, a plunging neckline, and an open back. Somewhat fitted down to the
Alpha Brock 36
BROCK The corners of the room are dark; only the floor in the center is bathed in moonlight. That’s where I find her, lying there in wolf form, honey brown fur soaked in blood. She raises her head weakly, her eyes colliding with mine, and I feel it- the mate bond snaps into place, the strength of it nearly knocking the wind out of me. My adrenaline surges, my hair stands on end- all of my endorphins seem to release at once, bathing me in a feeling of pure euphoria. I found her. My mate. Both of our wolves tuck away almost simultaneously, the air shimmering as we both shift to our human forms- me, still standing on top of the door I knocked down, and Astrid, lying on the concrete floor, struggling to push up on her arms. She’s bleeding, badly injured, but her lips draw into a weak smile as she gazes back at me. “You came,” she whispers hoarsely, and my heart swells in my chest, feeling like it coul
Alpha Brock 37
BROCKDarkness. It’s all-consuming, and it keeps pulling me under. Every time I start to come back into myself, it sucks me into its depths again. Fuck, maybe I’m dying. Maybe this is it for me. Nothing has ever come easily to me, so it’d make sense that death wouldn’t, either. She’s the only thing keeping me anchored. Some part of me can sense that she’s near, and I keep reaching out to tug on the bond between us, trying to pull myself back to her somehow.Peaches. The scent tickles my nose, along with something else- strands of hair, as soft as spun silk. I bury my nose deeper, inhaling her into my lungs, into my soul. My eyes fight to adjust to the light as I blink them open. My limbs feel heavy. I wiggle my fingers and toes, testing their dexterity as my mind slowly clears out the fog, waking up.My left side is cloaked in warmth- Astrid is curled into my side tightly with her head r
Alpha Brock 38
ASTRIDI’m sure Brock’s friends will be anxious to hear that he’s awake and well, but for right now, I want to keep him all to myself for a little while longer. I’ve been waiting all my life for my mate, so I feel like it’s okay to be a bit selfish… and besides, he isn’t exactly clamoring to leave this bed right now, either. Not when we’re both basking in the afterglow of our lovemaking and fresh markings. I can’t remember ever being this happy.Brock holds me close and we both doze off, and by the time I wake again the sun has gone down. I lift my head to see that he’s already awake, just watching me. It would be creepy if it wasn’t for the unbridled adoration in his eyes. Swoon. What is it about a tough guy softening for you that’s just so damn irresistible?When he sees that I’m awake, Brock angles his body toward me, running his han
Alpha Brock 39
BROCK“You glad to be back?” Astrid asks from the passenger seat as we roll back into the six-pack territory a few days later.“Yeah,” I admit, blowing out a breath. ‘Glad’ is an understatement- I’m fucking ecstatic. Relieved. Eager to return to some semblance of normalcy after the roller coaster ride I’ve been strapped into since leaving this place over a week ago. After experiencing the highest highs and the lowest lows, I’ll happily settle into something more mundane.“How about you?” I ask, flicking her a sideways glance. She’s wearing black leggings and her white Estes Park sweatshirt, her hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun. As much as I love when she’s all dressed up, I swear she’s prettiest when she’s casual like this. Her natural beauty is beyond compare.Astrid turns to look at me, her face lighting up with her smile.
Alpha Brock 40
ASTRID Brock’s closet is definitely not big enough for the both of us. I started moving my things in today, and I’ve basically taken over most of the space already. I already knew I owned an exorbitant amount of clothing, but next to Brock’s minimalistic wardrobe, the sheer volume of what I have is a little embarrassing. He hasn’t teased me about it, but I caught a few raised eyebrows and sly glances pass between him and the guys as they lugged all my stuff upstairs. Something I didn’t expect upon returning to the Riverton packhouse is that it already kinda feels like home. I really settled in here over the past month; I’m comfortable in the space and I have a good groove going with all of the guys. That’s not to say I won’t get homesick for Denver at some point, but for now, it has definitely eased the transition. That, and being with Brock- because as long as I’m with him, I’m home. After unpacking, we have dinner wi
Alpha Brock 41
BROCK “Damn, we must be the first ones here,” I say as I pull up to the curb in front of the Stillwater packhouse and cut the engine. True to his word, Gray called a council meeting the day after I returned from Denver. This time, though, we’ve got a few others joining us in addition to the council- Brooke and Quinn, because they’re leading the charge with IT these days, Astrid, because she’s our connection to our Denver allies and has the most information about the shadow pack through her visions, and Fallon, because she wasn’t about to sit this one out while everyone else’s mates participated. Jared’s on the council as my beta, but he had some business to attend to, so he told Astrid and I to go ahead and that he’d meet us here. “Didn’t Gray say six?” Astrid asks, unbuckling her seatbelt. I glance down at the clock on the dashboard, which reads 5:45 p.m. “Yeah, which is more like six thirty in alpha time. Can
Alpha Brock 42
ASTRID Planning a Luna ceremony in the span of a few weeks is no easy feat. Well, I take that back- the ceremony itself is relatively simple; it’s just the pack gathering, me taking my vows, and performing the blood rites that bind me to the pack and their land. It’s an intimate event for pack members only. The celebration afterwards, however, takes a lot of planning and coordination, because it’s like a giant wedding reception complete with cocktails and dinner and dancing and a million little details. Invitations to the post-ceremony celebration are extended to other packs in the area, and my family and friends from Denver are traveling here to celebrate with us. Pulling together an event of this magnitude under a time crunch has been a challenge, to say the least. It’s not like our lives haven’t been crazy enough lately. Preparations for the war with the shadow pack have been nonstop at the squad complex, and it’s all hands
Latest chapter
