Surreptitious

Chapter 45: Stepping Up

Alaric leaned back in his chair, his right hand curled into a fist against which he rested his chin. His brow was creased in thoughtful contemplation as he eyed Hope closely, but definitely not lightly.

“So…you claimed alpha…not just over the Crescents…but over ALL of the wolves?” He expressed the obvious facts.

Hope swallowed a little and gave a small nod. “Uhh…yes?”

Alaric nodded, the expression on his face unaltered and it was honestly causing Hope to feel awkwardly worried.

“And then you turned my daughter into a wolf?” Alaric asked calmly, but Hope could swear she could see the vein on the side of his neck pulsating at an alarming rate.

“Umm…yes…sir?” Hope swallowed thickly again.

“Do I even want to know how it all happened?” Alaric unclenched his fist in order to rub over his brow with his index and middle fingers.

“Ahhh…probably not. Sir.” Hope smiled sweetly.

Alaric just grit his teeth.

(…)

As soon as Hope spotted Josie meandering through the corridors on her way to her next class, she set in upon her. She was barely a foot away from Josie by the time the younger girl caught sight of her and found herself immediately enveloped in a strong pair of arms. “Hide me.” Hope mumbled into Josie’s collar, her face hidden in the fabric around Josie’s neck.

“Aww baby what’s wrong?” Josie simply wrapped her arms around Hope in return and gave her a warm and comforting hug, loving the fresh scent filling her nostrils as it wafted up from Hope’s hair. Josie would love nothing more than to ditch the rest of her classes and get lost in more than just the scent of Hope’s hair.

“Your dad is a little…upset with me.” Hope mumbled with her face hidden in Josie’s neck still as they clung onto each other, but soon enough Hope pulled back in order to look her mate in the eye.

“Upset about…?” Josie implored with brows arched.

“Oh, you know, the usual. Destroying the entire wolf hierarchy. Turning his daughter into a wolf. Doing other…things to his baby girl in order to turn her into a wolf.” Hope bit her bottom lip as she eyed Josie for a reaction.

Josie just about choked on her own saliva and turned a bright shade of scarlet as her eyes went wide. “You didn’t! You told him… EVERYTHING?”

“I basically told him he does NOT want all of the details… but apparently that was enough to set his imagination running wild.” Hope shrugged, as if there was any way she could have avoided upsetting the father of her mate and her current headmaster. She was really good at pissing him off already anyway. “So yeah, I’m not his favorite right now.”

“GOD this is so embarrassing.” Josie whined and dragged her fingers down her face as if she could wipe the guilt from her features. She knew she wouldn’t have had it any other way. Not only was the unification absolutely insanely amazing, but she had also never felt anything better than running and being free like they had done afterwards. It was definitely her new favorite thing.

“I’m sorry.” Hope sighed as she looked up into those delicious chocolate eyes once more. “But you know what though?”

“Hmmm?” Josie hummed, forgetting for a second all about her discomfort and getting lost in the icy pools of blue before her and the delicious warmth of the body pressed so tightly against her.

“I love you.” Hope uttered softly with a smile and it was all the encouragement Josie needed to lean down and capture those irresistibly pink lips with her own in a soft kiss. After drawing some teasing and some jokes from those around them, Josie pulled back just enough to whisper in return, “I love you too…”