The Alphas' Daughter (Alpha Eyes: Book 2)

Chapter 11

I stepped out of the house and pulled the sliding door shut behind me. My dedicated mate had left some hours earlier for a meeting, but he sweetly left a note on my nightstand with instructions on where to meet him. He'd texted me a short 'meeting done. See you soon?' message awhile ago, so now I was heading off to do just that.

It had been odd to wake up alone in our room. Sure, we'd only been together for a couple weeks, but I was already used to our routines. Crazy as it sounded, I felt a little lost without him next to me. Gah... If I was going to be a strong luna, I couldn't get mopey if my mate was gone. He had responsibilities that would take him away from me. He had a whole pack sector. He was a lycan too. Babysitting me was not on his to-do list.

I trotted across the back lawn towards the woods. Lucas had shown me a secluded place where he often went to "think," and that's where we were to meet. I'd been stewing on some ideas of how to make the place more of a hideaway or oasis—a hanging bed or swing, maybe a little cabin someday—but I didn't want to completely uproot his life with all my changes. We'd eventually get there. For now, his spot was "ours."

The moment I entered the woods, my instincts went into high gear. Being the daughter of a werewolf super duo, you grow up with a certain level of awareness. Even when you think you've turned it off, you're still on alert. Finding out my mate was a lycan hadn't changed that. If anything, the lycan traits slowly transitioning into my genetics made me more aware of everything.

The woods hummed around me as I started to jog. Not humming with bugs or birds, like I normally heard. This was different. Without using my enhanced senses, I could trace where the hum came from: the ground, the plants, the trees. They had no voice, but I could still hear their warnings.

Danger.

Stranger.

Unknown presence.

Unfriendly.

I listened to each one, finding the common link as the hair on the back of my neck rose. Of course... Dad had taught me these signs years ago. I never needed to know them until now. It was so clear.

Someone was watching and/or following me.

Not wanting to expose our meeting place, I veered off to the side. The path was less worn, but at least it was leading away from Lucas. My wolf whimpered as I continued jogging farther away, but I knew she understood me. A smart wolf would assess the threat before running towards anyone else. Sometimes protecting the pack meant running solo.

A branch cracked off to my right, an unintentional alert from my stalker. Based off the sound, I guessed he or she was about 20-25 feet off my path. If they were angling to intercept me while matching my speed, there'd be an introduction in a matter of seconds. From there, who knows.

"Your people skills clearly need some work," I growled loud enough for anyone close by to hear. "Surely you were taught that stalking is rude as well as illegal."

Just as I'd hoped, a werewolf stepped onto the path a few yards ahead. He was decked in forest green and brown, a travel-sized crossbow hanging from a harness strapped across his chest along with several knives. My skin prickled as I stopped. This was an espionage, straight out of a child's fairytale book if there was one. My dad had told me about these hired hitmen, but not even he thought they were still used.

I planted my feet and crossed my arms. "All right. I see you; you see me. What happens now?"

A sneering smile pulled at his lips. "Now I kill you."

Many of my dad's lessons and warnings were coming back to me. Whether or not it applied to a situation like this, one in particular came to mind.

'If you need a few extra seconds to assess your surroundings, stall with a comment or question.'