The Wolf and the Natural ✔️

~•7•~

My stomach growled lightly as we ran hand in hand through the pack territory, and Arlis turned to cringe. "Food. Don't worry, there's a bunch at the pack house. And some in our house."

Our house.

Butterflies erupted in my stomach although in that moment it also could have been hunger, but who knew for sure?

We stopped in front of a medium sized log cabin, a set of stairs led up to the porch where chairs were seated and two glass doors led into a living room. It was an A frame and it looked old, but I could tell some remodeling had been done.

I couldn't help but marvel at the house, my mouth dropping to the ground.

There was a blacktop driveway with a basketball hoop at the end, Sampson and another boy that looked his age were playing basketball.

Both the boys stopped when Arlis and I got to them.

"You must be Luna Barron." The kid next to Sam held his hand out. "My name's Leif." I shake his hand and Arlis growls lowly. Leif pulls his hand back wildly. "I'm nineteen, calm down Alpha A, I'm too young for her." He says, but looks at me apologetically. He probably thought I was Arlis's age, or a hundred and something.

If we were being technical, Leif is closer to my age than Arlis ever was.

"Why are you two boys here?" Arlis asked. "Where's Seymour and your parents?"

Sam and Leif shrugged. "I think Yoda is off training with Leif's parents."

"Training?" I asked.

Leif nodded. "Yeah my mom is the lead trainer here at Sovereign, best trainer there is."

Sam and Arlis nodded in agreement. "Very true." Arlis said. "So why don't you two skidaddle on out of here, yeah?"

Sam bounced the ball one more time. "Only if Luna Barron can make a basket from here." Sam smirked.

Arlis started to reject the request but I held my head high. "Deal!" I yelled, and Arlis gave me a worried look.

"You sure you can do it? We're at like... half court if this was an actual basketball court." He said.

I nodded. "Hell yeah, my high school team went to state three years in a row, would've been four if I stayed."

He looked skeptical but trusted me to make the shot.

"And if Luna Barron misses, we get to stay here." Sam said, smiling to himself smugly.

I ripped the ball from his hands and winked at Arlis. "I got this."

I tossed the ball, jumping up and watched it soar through the air. The ball hit the backboard just right, and went into the net.

I looked back to the gaping group of boys. Even Arlis seemed shocked.

"Did she just..." Sam looked like he couldn't believe it.

Leif grinned. "Luna Barron might be cooler than you, Alpha A."

"Just Kate." I said, proud of myself and my shot.

"Yeah... maybe. A deal is a deal, scam!" Arlis laughed, and the boys rolled their eyes heavily, walking away, pushing and shoving each other.

Arlis swooped me up into his arms, causing me to giggle and scream as he walked up the steps effortlessly like I weighed nothing.

To him I probably didn't.

He held me with one arm as he opened the door, stumbling in and slamming it behind him.

"Here. Now there's no Constance." He said as he dropped me onto my own two feet and pushed me against the wall, his eyes hungry and prowling.