The Hunter's Alpha

26 Semi-Neutral

Amber

I woke up not knowing where I was with the sun shining in the window. It took me a second before everything from the previous day came rushing back. Returning to the pack, finding that he had tried to move on without me, deciding to stay...

It had been a decision, maybe made under duress, but deep down, maybe I had been planning to stay even before I'd gotten back. Had I really come back just to see if I wanted him? After months of dreams, and feeling like a part of me was missing.

I would never like the way the bond compelled me, but I had chosen not to sever it, and that had been a choice. A choice I had made, and a choice I wanted to hide from.

But I couldn't hide in here all day. I had to face him, and everyone else, too. I wondered if his pack was angry with me for everything that he went through while I was gone. I tiptoed to the door, wondering if he was already awake. If he was, would he be waiting for me, or would he have gone off to get work done?

I went into the bathroom, and tried to make myself look as good as I could with the limited things I had to work with. I wondered where my suitcase was, but it wasn't in my room. I'd never before cared that much how I looked except to avoid censure, but now it was different. I didn't want to look bad. Once there was nothing more I could think to do, I pushed open the door, and crept down the hall.

The alpha was already awake and in the small kitchen with the coffee machine running, and my approach did not go unnoticed. He turned around and smiled at me, but there was a tentative edge to the expression. He wasn't sure of himself. That made two of us.

"Good morning," I ventured, flicking my gaze to meet his. His smile grew.

"Good morning," he agreed. There was a moment of awkward silence between us, and then he asked, "Are you hungry?"

It was an excellent way to break the tension. "A little bit."

"I don't usually eat here, so there's not much. Just cereal. We could go to the dining room instead if you want."

"Here's fine."

"Oh, and your things are here." The suitcase Sarah had lent me and bag were sitting by the door. "I didn't want to wake you when they brought them."

"Thanks. I managed fine."

He broke our awkward interaction by turning to the cupboards and listing the three breakfast options available. I didn't care, so I just picked at random, and before long I was sitting at the table across from the alpha.

I needed something to break the silence between us. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Better than in a long time," he said.

I nodded. I'd had the same experience. Again we lapsed into quiet broken only by our spoons clinking on our bowls. I watched him through sneaky glances in his direction. He was tense and still looked more tired and drawn than when I'd known him before, although a good night's sleep had at least taken the edge off.

But he was still different, probably his guilt eating at him. I felt guilty, too, when I looked at the way my absence had worn him down. It wasn't just his fault.

"You don't have to feel bad about everything, Devon."

He inhaled, maybe because I had used just his name, but he had wanted me to before, hadn't he? I hoped I hadn't stepped out of line.

"I mean, Alpha Devon."

"No, don't, Devon is fine."

"All right then, if you're sure. Anyway, I caused a lot of the problems between us, too, by leaving, and because I am what I am."