Chapter 8

The entire drive back I had to keep telling Theo that he was not allowed to wolf out on me and go on a killing spree. He desperately wants to make every single person that caused Lizzie any pain pay. Fortunately, he knows when he needs to listen to me and let me drive. Both figuratively and literally. It didn't take long in the car with the music on low for Lizzie to be lulled into sleep. I retrieved a blanket from the backseat and draped it over her up to her neck to keep her warm and comfortable. She looks really small the way she is curled up into the seat.

"It's because she is small." Theo huffs.

"Yeesh, I know that," I tell him with a roll of my eyes.

"She needs to start training soon so she can protect herself."

"I know that too. It's only been a day. I'm trying to take this slow. She's been through a lot." I tell him curtly.

"Don't remind me." He growls back before retreating.

I let him go mope and turn my attention fully back to the road. Luckily, our werewolf side heightens our senses, so tasks like driving safely while distracted by your wolf aren't an issue. It's not long before I see the gates to our pack land in my sights. I slow down my speed until I stop right outside the gate and roll down my window. I punch in a code that grants me access and the gate opens. Clearwater Pack is very well known which also means we get targeted frequently by idiot rogues or random packs looking for power. Whenever I leave pack lands, the security team is instructed by my Alpha voice to lock the gates and only allow those with an access code back in.

I drive carefully up the drive, keeping my eye out for any small children that might be running around. It's the middle of the day at this point which means, the day-to-day activities of the pack are well underway. Warrior wolfs are out training in the training grounds around the back of the main house. Those old enough to be in school, are in school. I don't allow that to be an option. Children not old enough for school are running about playing games and helping their parents with miscellaneous chores or mundane tasks.

"Hey, we're back." I send a mind link to Nathan as soon as I park the car. I turn the engine off and climb out.

"Heading your way." He replies.

"I'm pretty sure she ate herself into a food coma," I tell him as he comes around the side of the house.

"You going to wake her?" He asks.

"No, she seems to finally have a full belly and the overall emotional exhaustion has caught up to her," I explain. I go around to her side of the car and pick her up into my arms. She's out cold. Nathan gently closes the door and goes in front of me up the steps so he can open the main door for me. I stop mid-track though when I hear her whimper a little and snuggle her face into my chest. She clutches at my shirt until she has a firm grip. I smile a little and proceed in following Nathan up the steps and inside.

"You know, your mom and Jess are practically waiting outside your door for you to get home." He tells me quietly enough for no one else to hear. I roll my eyes but my lips twitch into a smile.

"You think they'll approve of her?" I ask him, trying to sound cavalier while hiding my nerves.

"Dude, are you kidding? Everyone including your mom and Jess is going to love her." He says with a chuckle. We opt for the elevator for the four floors since I'm carrying Lizzie. It gives me less of a chance to jostle her awake. The elevator door opens just to the right of the door that leads to our quarters. I take my key out of my pocket with my free hand and toss it to Nathan to unlock the door. He unlocks it for me and turns to give me back the key. I shake my head.

"Just hold on a second. Let me get her into bed then I'll be right out." I whisper to him. He nods and takes up his post to the side of the door. It only takes me a minute or two to take her shoes off for her and tuck her into bed. I close all the curtains on the glass wall to ensure that it stays dark in the room. Once I know she's still out, I tiptoe back out of the room and close the door. Nathan is dutifully still at his post but texting someone on his phone. He's actually a really great Beta. But man, does the guy like the ladies.

"I take it you were able to take care of the testosterone build-up from the last twenty-four hours while we were out." I more or less state it as a fact rather than a question.

"Don't be so judgmental, not all of us are golden boys like you." He remarks back.

"Golden boy? You know I've had my fair share of women." I simply state with a shrug.

"Yeah, only when you actually dated someone, and even then, that never lasted long." He pokes a finger at me.

"I dated because I was lonely, you know that. But I had the occasional one-night stand. I sure get how frustrating it can be to not have your mate at twenty-five." A hint of annoyance in my voice.

"Not yet, I'm only twenty-four." He chuckles.

"Stop sleeping around Nathan. Just because you can't knock up anyone but your mate doesn't mean you can't end up getting an STD." I explain as I pinch the bridge of my nose in irritation. We seem to have this same conversation every week now.

"I always wrap it, I'm not stupid." He practically whines.

"You and I both know that condoms aren't one hundred percent." I snap at him.

"Yeah, yeah." He waves me off as he walks down the hallway.

"Hey! I actually need you to do something for me!" I shout at him. He turns around abruptly.

"I'm at your service. Especially if it includes ripping off someone's head at that pack." He grins evilly.

"No, actually pretty much the opposite. I need you to get Lizzie a cell phone for me. I'm going to take Theo for a run so he doesn't go off on a killing spree."

"Oh! Not a problem. I'll get that taken care of right away." He salutes me and heads off towards his quarters on the floor below.

I head down and out of the house. I jog down the stairs and out the back door and head towards the forest on the right. The beach and ocean can wait this time. Theo needs to burn off some of his steam and built-up anger or someone is certainly going to get hurt. I make sure I'm behind a tree before I peel off my clothes and stash them in a leather bag that I tie around my ankle. Even though nudity is a common thing growing up as a werewolf, I personally like my privacy while I shift. I close my eyes and even out my breathing to let Theo take over. I embrace the snap and lengthening of bones, the pop through the skin of muscles, and my hands and feet mold into giant black paws. When I open my eyes, I'm standing over seven feet tall. The normal size of an Alpha werewolf.

"Just stay on pack lands and don't hurt anyone," I instruct Theo.

"Thanks boss." He quips before taking us both off on a run.

I sit back and let Theo work out all of his anger and frustration. He runs miles of circles, aggressively beating his paws to the dirt in an animalistic rhythm. He yanks apart a few trees and throws them as far as he can. I even let him snarl at some animal life whenever he comes across one. Eventually, he runs out of steam and lies down by the ocean. The crashing of waves soothed his temper.

"You good now?" I ask him.

"Yeah. I needed that." He thanks me as he lets me take control.

Shifting back into human form is less painful and only takes a second. I grab the leather bag that's still tied to my ankle and pull out my clothes. I slip on my pants and yank my t-shirt on. I step into my running shoes and quickly tie up the laces. The glow of the sunset over the ocean catches my eye. Time slipped past me faster than I thought. A small wave of panic rises up as I think of Lizzie waking up without me. Instantly, I take off at a run. All thoughts of exhaustion and muscle aches were pushed aside. I fly through the tree until I see the main house in sight. I slow down enough to where I won't attract any attention. It seems most everyone is settling in for the evening by the looks of things. I take the steps two at a time until I'm standing in front of our door. I fumble for the key and unlock the door before slipping inside.

The sight of her still curled up slightly snoring brings waves of calm that I've never experienced before. I can only imagine how comfortable she must feel being on a real bed after over ten years. I walk into the bathroom to take a quick shower. Once I'm done, I put on some sweats and crawl into bed next to Lizzie. I snuggle her close and spoon her from behind. I gently kiss the top of her head as I feel my entire world click into place. It's only seconds of being surrounded by her scent before I pass out cold for the night with a smile still on my face.