Alpha Alec's Redemption by Kathy M

Chapter 268

"Are you ready to go home?" Alec asks softly, his voice breaking through the calm of the cabin's warm interior.

I look around once, then down at my hands. This small cabin has been my sanctuary for the past three days. In it, with Alec by my side, I've felt safe. I was in pain, yes, but I felt at peace in a twisted kind of way.

Now we are going back to the pack and I feel a heavy weight on my chest. I know it was just an illusion of peace, but it was something. For the past three days I haven't thought about the curse, Xena, Kaden or the premonition of my death. I haven't thought about the war that is to come or everything that could go wrong. Now, though, we are going back to all that chaos and I don't know what to do.

"Not really," I admit truthfully. "But I miss Aspen... so much."

Not being able to talk to her has been hard. She has always been my center. My calm. I want her in my arms.

He nods and doesn't say anything else he just walks to the door and opens it, waiting for me to follow. I did.

The cool air hits me the second I step outside, and I inhale deeply. It stings a little, sharp and clean, in my lungs. I close my eyes for a moment and just let things be. I ground myself and try to think about anything except for what is waiting for me in Alec's pack.

My mind tries to circle back to the kiss I shared with Alec. It was good. Really good. So good that it made something inside me ache in a way that scared me. But I shove the memory down. I am not going to let myself go there. Not yet. Not when I couldn't separate what was real from what had been born out of moon heat and longing.

"You good to walk, or should I carry you on my back?" Alec asks, cutting into my spiraling thoughts. Something that I am grateful for, even if he doesn't know it.

I shoot him a look. "I've been sleeping for so long, I need this walk. It'll help get my system back on track."

the walk will also help clear my mind from all my

his eyes familiar now.

I say, already stepping past

as he locks the door behind me. Minutes later, he rushes

forest around us whispers softly, leaves rustling, twigs

calm," Alec suddenly

glance over at him.

I thought she'd be a little more frantic

daughter means she knows I can't always be

on a mission, Aspen had panicked. She had spent the whole time crying for me. I had to cut our mission short because Martha kept calling me. Aspen

explain it to her. Good thing she understood quickly. Yes, she's young, but you have to

missions?" "Hunting," I say simply. "Whenever we got solid information about hybrids, we acted on

together. "How come you and your pack never said anything? About you being the Alpha of the Hope Pack? I would

not like everyone else; I thought you'd have figured that out by now,"

he winks. "I've already

bunch of old, sexist assholes. Do you honestly think they'd take it kindly that the biggest reform pack is run by a

I hated