The Hidden Alpha (Stryders #4) - HOLD

Chapter 16: Peace of Mind

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My life until this point has been relatively easy. Until now. I could do many things, and rock climbing was not on the list. In fact, it was so far down the list it didn't even make it to last place on things I didn't know I needed to ever do.

I tried to not let my nerves show on my face as I looked all the way up in what we had to climb to get to the waterfall. From this area, you could hear the roar and there were only small streams trickling downward next to us.

Opal's small little pouch of soap and shampoo I took from her was wrapped securely around my waist, but it wouldn't inhibit my ability to climb. Like a really poorly made fanny pack.

"You can go first." Being polite did have its perks sometime. At least, I hope that's what Callum thought I was being. Nice. Instead of deathly afraid.  I stand back, gesturing up at the cliff. 

I meet Callum's intense gaze. Just thinking about him watching me struggle up those rocks.'

Yeah, no thanks. I'm out.

"You won't fall." Callum's voice holds that assured confidence I wasn't having right now. My lips pursed at his confidence in me. 

"Well out of the two of us, you seem to have a habit of falling." I raised an eyebrow.

"Out of the two of us, you seem to be getting in the most trouble."

"Puh-lease," I waved that off, crossing my arms. "I can totally climb." Not. "It takes perseverance, skill and strength." All which I don't possess. 

Reverse psychology worked, and I am on the forefront to go. Taking in a deep breath, I walk forward, looking up. "Alright. Here goes nothing. If I plummet to my death, it's on you. I will forever haunt you, and my family will come after you."

I wasn't going to tell him my family is worse than the mafia.

Getting my foot right, I hoisted myself up the first rock, my feet brushing the dirt as I made the first move. I was moving so slowly and did not care. Callum's choice to put me first. We might even take a week for me to get up the first step.

Unable to look down at whether or not Callum was laughing at me or even behind me, I slowly grappled the next open space to move. It became a pattern to move slowly and climb up. My upper body strength I didn't know I possessed helped me.

Once did my hands slip, but I positioned myself upright.

The higher I got, the louder the waterfall got. Almost there, I kept telling myself, closing my eyes briefly. Thinking of good things. The newest heels I would treat myself with. I deserved some major retail therapy after this.

Reggie would be so proud of me. He never gave out praise freely unless you truly earned it, so it was always a reward if he even gave you a nod.

Next thing I'm going to do is tell Reggie to put on rock climbing in his training regimen.

Huffing loudly by accident, Callum asked me if I was okay. No, I wasn't okay. Sweat gleamed on my forehead. I knew my hair was sticking to my head and it looked like seaweed. Looking worse for wear was something new to me, but this was survival.

"That isn't so bad," I tried to even out my breathing so Callum doesn't hear how out of shape I turned out to be. 

In the last boulder, I hurled myself upward, and stretched my arms out in the ground like a starfish.