Stalked by the Alpha

Part 7: Sneaky, Sneaky

I woke up screaming. It was the first time in a long time that I had a nightmare that was that bad. My hands were shaking as I grabbed a glass of water from the table next to my bed and took a calming sip. I breathed in and out for a few moments, closing my eyes and trying to focus on slowing the beating of my heart. The door opened and Gabe strode into the room, shirtless and extremely stressed. He had offered to sleep in the same bed as me but I had politely and nervously refused. I didn't want to make him mad, but he seemed like he understood.  

"Evan, what happened?" he was kneeling next to the bed, wiping the tears and sweat off of my face with his thumb. It left a tingly trail down my cheek, just like when he had helped me back in bed earlier. I felt calmer now, like his presence alone was enough to settle me down. Unfortunately, I was also now incredibly conscious of the fact that he was shirtless and I fought to keep my eyes off of his abs. 

"Nightmare," my voice was hoarse and my throat was dry, like I had spent a day in the desert with no water. I grabbed the glass again, but my hands were shaking so bad I couldn't lift the glass to my lips. Gabe gently grabbed my wrist, sending the fizzy feeling through me again, and lifted the glass for me. I took a big drink, accidentally spilling water down my shirt. 

"Shit," I mumbled under my breath, and to my surprise, I giggled. I forgot what I sounded like when I did that. I felt like it sounded awkward and out of practice. I couldn't remember the last time I had giggled. I looked down at the water on my shirt and said, "I look like an idiot."

Gabe chuckled and said, "I think you look adorable. But I always think that." His emerald eyes were intense and his smile was breathtaking. I knew he was lying, but he seemed so sincere. I couldn't quite match his smile so I just looked away, wringing my hands together in my lap. We sat in silence for a while until he rose like he was going to leave. I didn't want him to leave, but I couldn't have him stay either. I didn't trust him or myself. So I let him walk out of the room after a quiet goodnight that we exchanged and resigned myself to lay awake for the rest of night, missing the calm feeling that he gave me when he was around. I spent the time I should have been asleep trying not to panic about the connection I had with Gabe. I knew that he was some sort of mystical beast, but that strangely wasn't the part that worried me the most. The last time I had felt anything remotely similar to this I had almost died, and what I was feeling with Gabe was so much stronger than that. I needed to protect myself, and I needed space to do that.

I waited as long as I could, sitting alone in the bedroom in the dark, until I couldn't take the pressure anymore. I stood up, gingerly testing out my ankle, which to my surprise felt significantly better. It was now just a dull ache and I could walk with ease. I rummaged through the drawers in the room, pulling them open as quietly as I could until I found a pair of men's basketball shorts and a pair of socks to put on. I had to pull the drawstrings on the pants a lot to make sure they wouldn't fall down, but it worked for the time being.  I bent over to put the socks on, wincing when I stood upright again. My head was throbbing and I had to told onto the dresser for a second to steady myself. Taking a deep breath, I padded over to the door and as gently as I could, opened the door, slipping through the thin crack and closing it behind me. I turned and stole down the hallway, using the socks to quiet my footsteps, flitting between the doorways until I came to the staircase. I hurried down the stairs as quietly as I could, sticking to the sides of the steps to reduce the possible squeak or creak. Thankfully, the bottom floor was silent and dark, giving me a better chance of getting away. I walked around, looking for an open window. They were the easiest to get out of, because doors were too likely to squeak when you opened them. Luckily, there was one right in the front of the house, and I slipped out into the cool air. I started walking as fast as I could without running, because I had learned from previous experience that running was louder than walking and would attract more attention to yourself. I turned onto the main road and started walking in what I hoped was the direction of campus. It was only a 5 minute drive from the campus to the house the night of the party, so I knew I could get back without too much trouble. 

I had been walking for about 20 minutes when I saw the street lights from the campus parking lot appear in my vision. I tried to hurry a little more, but my ankle was strongly opposed to my efforts and I was stuck at one speed. I had just crossed onto the deserted sidewalk in front of Thomason Hall when I heard something behind me that made the hair on the back of my neck raise. A wolf howl pierced the silence, followed by several others in quick succession. I entered the dorm and hurried down the hallway until I got to the stairs. It felt like I had been gone for weeks, when in reality it was only a few days. Climbing the stairs, I realized that I had forgotten my keys and my phone with my car in the motel parking lot. I pressed my luck and knocked on the door but got no response. I walked a few doors down to the RA's room and knocked on the door, arranging my face in what I hoped was a passably embarrassed expression.  A pajama-clad girl opened the door and asked sleepily, "What's up?"

"I'm so sorry to bother you," I started as sweetly as I could, " but I left my keys and my phone in my friend's car and she went over to her boyfriend's house. Could you possibly let me into my room?"

"Sure! This happens to a lot of people in the first week." She disappeared into her room for a second and reappeared with a key ring. I led her down the hall to my room and she unlocked the door. I thanked her and apologized again. 

She smiled, "No problem! Good luck with classes tomorrow! Hey, what happened with your forehead?"

"Oh! Nothing, I'm just a clumsy person," I said, blushing. It was amazing how easy it was to fall into the old lies that I always had to use. She seemed to believe me, just like everyone used to, and returned to her room. I quietly entered the room and pulled the clothes off, throwing them into the garbage can, and started to gather things for my shower. I walked into the bathroom, pausing in front of the mirror. I saw a thin, exhausted girl with a scrape on her forehead and nothing to offer. I pursed my lips and headed to the shower. It took me forever to get the knots out of my hair, but it was worth it. I emerged feeling ten times better, but tired. I checked the clock above the sink and it said that it was almost 5 am. I could get 4 hours of sleep before class in the morning. I returned to my room and climbed into the bed that I hadn't used yet and ignoring thoughts of Gabe, fell asleep almost immediately. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I feel like every chapter ends with her sleeping :) I'm going to try to change that in the coming chapters. If you liked this one, favorite! If you see something you really liked or something I should change, comment! Share with your friends! Thank you!