Fresh Start

ALLIE

I spend the rest of the weekend in my room, nipping out to get food from the kitchen when I’m sure no one is around.

I can’t face speaking to anyone, going over the events of that night again, being forced to relive what happened.

I’m having trouble coming to terms with the fact that I am a killer.

However much everyone tries to convince me that I acted in self-defense, it doesn’t change the fact that I murdered two people.

I’m used to fighting to defend myself, sure, but there’s a difference between breaking a few bones in a fight and ending someone’s life.

By Monday morning I’m composed enough to attend lectures. I’m hoping that being in the university surrounded by my classmates will take my mind off things.

I wasn’t going to be that lucky.

Just as I reach the gates of the campus, someone shouts my name. I turn to find James standing behind me.

He looks so different. Gone is his usual suit and tie. He’s dressed in jeans and a tight navy blue T-shirt that clings to his muscles. He’s leaning against a red sports car.

There’s no denying that he looks hot.

He walks toward me. “We need to talk about what happened the other night. I thought it would be easier if we got away from here. If we go somewhere quiet. Will you come with me?”

I can sense he’s nervous as he waits for my answer. This is not the confident and controlled alpha that I know. I think I might like this one better.

“Okay,” I say, eager to escape and spend more time in this man’s company.

He leads me to the car. I’m not great with cars, but even I can recognize this is a Porsche. “Nice car.”

He smiles. “It is, but I don’t get to drive it often. It isn’t a suitable vehicle for pack business.”

“Don’t you have leisure time, away from your formal alpha duties?”

“Not really. It hasn’t been easy since I took over the pack. I don’t have much time to myself; I’ve been too busy consolidating my hold on my pack.

“There have been problems with rogues I’ve had to deal with personally, and I’ve had to oversee the assimilation of other, weaker packs who needed our protection.

“A lot of my time has been spent trying to stop the Savage Wolves Pack from attacking other packs.”

“Is their alpha really so bad?” I’m surprised by how much I want an answer to this question.

“Yes. His mission is to destroy all the other packs and to absorb them into his own army of rogues by any means necessary. He doesn’t care who he kills, or who he hurts in the process.”

As he drives us away, we fall silent. I try to take in the implications of his words. I had expected to die when Ryan caught me standing over the dead bodies of his pack members.

His wolves were ferocious and vicious enough to have ended my life without a second thought, but they hadn’t. They had wanted to, but Ryan had stopped them, and I had no clue why.

After twenty minutes, we had left Linton far behind and were traveling through a huge forest. I felt my wolf wake inside me, longing for me to shift so she could explore this new terrain.

James must have guessed what I was thinking. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it? The perfect place to be a wolf.”

“Yes. Do you come here to run in your wolf form?”

“Not as often as I would like,” he says regretfully. “These forests are part of the Silver Fang Pack territory, but I rarely get to spend time here.”

“You’re taking me to your pack?” I ask, panicked at the thought of meeting more of his wolves.

“No. I’m taking you to a lodge in my pack’s territory. There will be no one there apart from us. I just want us to spend time alone, to talk without being interrupted. About us.

“I thought we could have some lunch, get to know each other, and then I’ll take you home. Nothing else, I promise.”

I look into his eyes. I can tell he’s being sincere, and it makes me relax. “Okay. We can talk, and then you can take me home.”

“Good.” He smiles. I’ve never seen him smile properly before. It lights up his whole face, making him look less severe and more handsome.

It gives me a warm glow inside.

Thirty minutes later, we arrive at the lodge, a small, well-maintained wooden building in the middle of a clearing. I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this. It isn’t very big or impressive.

“Not what you were expecting?”

“No, it’s smaller than I thought it would be, less grand,” I admit.

“There is not much use for finery in the forest. This is how we wolves are meant to live.”

“Are all your houses like this?”

“Unfortunately, no. Most of them are probably more in line with what you were expecting. Elaborately decorated mansions with all the modern conveniences.

“They’re the places I’m expected to live, not the ones I want to live in. It’s all part of being the alpha of my pack.

“I brought you here because I wanted to show you the real me.”

“You want me to know the real you?”

“Yes. You’re my mate. I know we got off to a bad start. I was prejudiced against you because you’re a lone wolf.

“You weren’t what I expected for my mate, and it has taken me a while to accept and get used to the idea, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t started to fall in love with you.

“I want this to work, and the only way that is going to happen is if I open up. I’m hoping you’ll grow to care for me too if you get to know me better. At least maybe you can stop hating me.”

“I don’t hate you. I don’t know what these confusing feelings that I have for you are, but they’re not hate.”

“Good. That’s a start.” He smiles that golden smile again.

“Come inside. I’ve asked one of the pack omegas to drop off all the ingredients for lunch. I thought you could sit with me, and we could talk while I prepare our meal.”

“You’re going to cook for me?”

“Yes. Did you think that because I’m an alpha, I wouldn’t be able to cook?” he teases.

“I never thought about it! I don’t know any alphas apart from you. But you just don’t seem like the type of wolf to cook.”

“I don’t get to do it often. Not since I became alpha of my pack. But it’s something I’ve always enjoyed doing.”

He leads me into the cozy lodge.

There are two rooms downstairs, a large living room with comfy sofas and a big open fire that leads to a surprisingly contemporary kitchen with modern appliances.

In the middle of the room is an oak kitchen table that can seat six people, and an island with two stools set beside it.

“Take a seat.” He points to one of the stools. “We can talk while I cook. I’ll even open a bottle of wine.”