The Code of The Alpha

Chapter Twenty-Six - Together in Isolation

"We've got to stop."

I leaned against a boulder, trying to catch my breath.

"How much farther?" I asked breathlessly.

Luca turned to me from where he stood a few feet in front of me on the trail, thumbs tucked under his backpack straps.

"Less than half a mile," he answered. "C'mon, we can rest at the top."

I could tell he was annoyed.

Clearly, I didn't have the stamina to climb a mountain in less than an hour, much less keep up with someone who did.

"I hate hiking," I admitted, taking a gulp from my water bottle.

"That would have been nice to know before we got more than halfway up a mountain," he said sarcastically.

"I was just trying to be a good sport," I admitted, standing straight to continue walking.

"You've done a terrible job at it," he laughed, walking next to me. "I could still see where we parked the truck behind you when you started complaining."

"This view better be spectacular," I wheezed, feeling my side cramp.

"It'll be worth it."

Luca took my hand in his and basically dragged me up the trail the rest of the way. When we finally came to the boulders that were perched at the peak of the mountain, I plopped down.

"Isn't it beautiful?" He asked me, standing near the edge as he peered out over the land beneath us.

"Yes, the trees are wonderful," I mumbled, laying on my back.

"You're not even looking."

"I can visualize a tree."

Luca sat down next to me and pulled his backpack around him to unzip it.

"Do you want beef jerky or a protein bar?" He asked.

"What about a chocolate chip cookie? Who packed this healthy shit?"

"You did. You're the one who went grocery shopping, remember?"

I groaned as I took a protein bar from him and sat up to eat it. He handed me another water bottle and I drank it with enthusiasm.

I hugged the sweatshirt Luca had given me around my body, wishing the sun would come out from behind the dark clouds that floated overhead. I was mildly underdressed in gym shorts and a t-shirt under his sweatshirt.

I reached into his backpack to pull out two Advil, finishing my water as I swallowed the pills.

The headache from my hangover still wasn't gone.

"Do we have to go back down the mountain?" I whined.

"Unless you want to stay up here for the rest of your life," Luca answered.

Maybe that wouldn't be so bad, I thought, finally taking a look around us.

The mountainous terrain was overgrown with trees at the base, the stone and rock taking over the top half of the mountains where snow was still visible on the taller ones.