Unclaimed

Chapter Seven

I pushed open the door to Alpha Grady's office quietly. I could hear him talking on the other side and I didn't want to interrupt him. I poked my head through the door and he waved for me to come in, with his other hand holding the phone to his face.

"Yes, I know. Someone just walked into my office, Mom. I gotta go," he said, smiling brightly at me.

I felt my cheeks heat up as I realized I'd stopped his call with his mother. How many things had I messed up for him by monopolizing all his time?

"I love you, too," he said before hanging up. "Come on." He stood up and held his hand out to me, but I wasn't sure.

"That was your mom?" I asked, not moving closer to him.

He dropped his hand back to his side as his face fell. "It was. She remarried in another pack after my dad died, so we mostly do phone calls now."

"And I cut you off?"

He shook his head as he walked around his desk. "You didn't. I talk to my mom every day. You didn't stop me. Come on." He offered his hand to me again, and I took it. The smile returned to his face as he guided me away from all the houses on the property.

"Do you get to see your mom?" I asked, watching his face as we walked.

"A couple times a year we get together and have dinner. Holidays, you know? Have you talked to your mom since you got here?"

I shook my head, scrunching my face up. "No. I'm afraid to get her in trouble with Alpha Evan, since he was in such a hurry to get rid of me."

Alpha Grady sighed. "What about your dad?"

"My dad was killed while hunting when I was thirteen. He went off the property and I guess there were gunshots, but nobody ever heard anything else about him after that."

"The humans got him?"

"I'm not sure. No one really knows. Oh my God! Cows!" I approached the fence line cautiously, so I wouldn't spook them. There were two near us, one black and white, the other brown with a white belly. "Do they have names?"

Alpha Grady met my gaze. "They do, but the pups named them so the brown one is Chocolate, and the other is Dalmation- Dally for short."

I chuckled as I reached for Dally with both hands. She reared her big head up into my hand for just one pat, before she went back to munching the grass along the fence.

"The pigs are this way," Alpha Grady said and pointed to a stable to my right. I followed, feeling awkward that Alpha Grady wasn't holding my hand. "Oh, hey, Bobby."

I peeked around Alpha Grady to see an elderly man throwing fresh hay into one of the stalls.

"This is Charli. Charli, this is Bobby. He's one of the ones that cares for our farm." Alpha Grady stepped back when Bobby removed a work glove and held his hand out to me.

I stepped in front of Alpha Grady and shook his hand. Bobby sniffed the air, and his eyes widened in shock. He looked between Alpha Grady and I. Bobby said, "Oh. I didn't know-"

"Uh, how've the animals been doing?" Alpha Grady said, cutting him off.

"I have to go," I said. I was panicking. I felt like I couldn't breathe. "It was nice to meet you, Bobby." I had to get away from them. I only made it a few feet before Alpha Grady stepped in front of me.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm just really tired. I want to go lay down."

"Charli." Alpha Grady's pained face made me feel sick to my stomach. I was going to ruin everything for him.