Unclaimed

Chapter Six

Just as I was almost asleep, Alpha Grady barged into the bedroom. I sat straight up and stared at him as frustration coursed through me. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I knocked!" He said defensively. "You need to come running with me."

"I haven't slept," I argued.

He grunted, but the sun rose higher and the shadows must've cleared my face because his defenses dropped and worry gripped his face. "You've been crying," he thought out loud. "I didn't know."

I gulped, turning away from him. "I don't want to run today."

"Too bad. Mandatory."

I rolled my eyes at the wall. He wasn't going to give me a break. "Fine. Let me put coffee on. I'll change my clothes and go running with you, since it's mandatory now, and then I'll go back to bed."

"I'll get the coffee, but Grandma requested your attendance at breakfast since she missed you for dinner last night."

My stomach grumbled at the mention of food, even though my throat clenched with nausea. If I hadn't cried out all my tears, I might've cried then, but I didn't have the energy left. I slipped out of bed, and Alpha Grady went back to the kitchen to get the coffee pot brewing.

I pulled on another pair of leggings and a sports bra, but this time I pulled a tank top over it so I wouldn't have to borrow another of Alpha Grady's. I stepped out into the kitchen and Alpha Grady handed me a steaming mug of coffee. My shoulders relaxed as I softened.

As angry as I wanted to be with him, he hadn't done anything wrong. He had welcomed me into his pack, offered me a permanent home, and taken me seriously when I told him my story. He'd given me more than anyone in my life had. He made me comfortable enough to trust him with my story. That was the true reason it had all come out with Lily's spell.

I sipped at the coffee and smiled at Alpha Grady. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have spoken to you like that."

He waved away my apology. "I didn't know you hadn't slept. I knew you wanted to be alone last night. If I'd known you were still in so much pain..." His words died on his tongue. There was nothing he could've done.

I shrugged. "I needed to grieve it. I think I'll feel better now that I have. I missed out on a lot because I was marked."

Silence hung in the air as we drank our coffee, but it wasn't uncomfortable. My eyes noticed the veins on Alpha Grady's hand that wrapped around his mug, following them up his forearm. He wore another cut up hoodie, exposing the muscles in his arms to the world. I met his eyes for a second to see if he'd been watching me checking him out, then looked back down into my coffee cup.

The smirk on his face suggested he had caught me. I drank the rest quickly and put my cup in the sink. "Ready?" I asked. I was still tired, but the caffeine was starting to make me feel stir crazy.

Alpha Grady put his cup next to mine and nodded. "Lets go." His hand was so warm on mine that for a moment I wanted to melt, to be held in his lap again so he could rock me to sleep. Instead, I shook the thoughts away and followed him out the door.

**

I settled in the same seat as the day before as Grandma Alpha turned to greet Alpha Grady. "Oh, hi!" she said, grinning brightly, until her face morphed into one of concern. "Oh, sweetheart. You look so sad. Are you okay?"

I matched her smile. "I'm fine. I had a rough night, that's all."

Alpha Grady nudged me with his elbow, drawing my attention. "You don't have to pretend to be okay if you're not."