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44. Escape

MIKO

It is one in the morning and just about everyone in the motel is sleeping after a long day of training. The only ones that remained awake is the leader of the wolf pack, who hasn't left the training grounds since this morning, and myself, who couldn't get sleep because my mind was stuck on the alpha herself.

I drove from the motel to the conversation area of Red Rocks, and hiked all the way to the usual training spot of the Gaia pack. I found the silhouette of Ivy, sitting on the edge of a rock formation with her back against a boulder behind her. I stayed at my current distant spot for a moment to admire the view.

Being away from the infinite bright lights of Vegas had the endless stars over us much more visible. The full moon shines down on the lone wolf, who kept her gaze ahead, to the vast of brown-red rocks surrounding us. Her dark brown hair danced behind her shoulders as cold wind passes by, though she kept her jacket on the ground, unaffected by the low temperature of the place.

I've always thought she looked like a queen, or some sort of powerful deity. When I first met her, I actually thought she was. Her presence, her actions, her voice, everything held power. I thought women like her only existed in fictional stories. Every second I spent with her felt like an adventure that I never want to end. When we met, suddenly, the world was so much more than just a place with fixed rules. There's endless possibilities. There's so much more out there and I want to explore it all, with her.

I'm smart enough to keep all my thoughts to myself. Or at least, I try to suppress as much of them as I could. I have to remind myself that Ivy has a soulmate. There's someone out there who is lucky enough to spend their life with Ivy.

I just hope that whoever it is will take good care of Ivy. She always takes care of everyone except herself. Within the times I've spent with her, I noticed that she puts everyone first, that she forgets to take care of herself too. Ivy deserves someone that looks out for her the same way she looks out for everyone she cares about.

"Are you just going to stand there the whole time and watch me, Chemist?"

Blinking out of my thoughts, I realized that I stopped moving once I was only a few feet behind Ivy. She hasn't even turned back to look at me. Of course, she would know if someone tries to sneak up on her. She's a werewolf. An alpha werewolf, most of all.

"I wasn't watching you." I huffed, stomping the rest of my way towards her. "I was just observing rocks for science purposes and you were in the way."

She rolled her orange eyes, which seemed to be darker than usual. It must adjust based on her surroundings. Although the stars and the moon are giving us light, it's still quite dark overall. "My apologies, then."

"Have you heard of this fun little activity called Sleep?" I asked, studying the werewolf. "You should try it sometime. It does amazing things to your body." I'm wearing a hoodie and a long sleeve under and I'm trying not to shiver right now. Meanwhile, Ivy is only wearing a slightly oversize black shirt to match her black jeans, with rips on them, and she seems to be enjoying the breeze.

"If that's the case, why are you here, lecturing me about sleeping instead of actually sleeping?" She raised a brow.

I shot her a small glare. "This isn't about me. This is about your stubborn ass staying way past your bed time."

"Can't sleep."

"Why not?"

She shrugged. "Not tired."

"Stubborn, as I said." I shook my head. "You need to take a rest. You've been training nonstop ever since you came back from Starfield."

"I have to make sure I'm strong enough." She replied. "To beat Aquila. To protect everyone."