Run With Me

Chapter Four

The loud noise from upstairs had all of those standing around the kitchen and dining room sprinting upstairs. Kirk was immediately behind Darren, along with a shifter he had been introduced to as Michael, Darren's younger brother. Everyone had been bonding over coffee when several members of the pack had arrived to help Kayla with tonight's feast and with party planning. As Darren pushed into a bedroom, a yelp of surprise was followed by another crash. Entering the room, Kirk took in four females standing there and one sprawled on the floor. After ascertaining that it was not Terri on the floor, Kirk looked to where she stood.

Swimming in another hoodie several sizes too big for her, his wolf sat up and started to preen. Her scent was overwhelming to his senses and everything else faded into the background. Her hair was still damp from a shower, her face fresh and clean. She looked up from the woman on the floor to stare boldly back at him.

"What the hell is going on?" Darren's voice broke through and Kirk took stock of the others in the room. Terri just snorted and looked over her shoulder at the three women behind her.

"Does it matter?" Her tone indicated that this was something she was accustomed to and Kirk could feel his teeth grinding. This room was hers and from the science posters and number of books all over the place, it looked like it was not a place she invited people on a regular basis.

"We just came up to see Terri," the woman on the floor had gotten to her feet, tears forming in her eyes, "she hardly ever visits and we were excited to spend time with her." Kirk looked back at Terri and saw the eye roll there. His lips twitched slightly at her reaction, but then he frowned. She had been ambushed in her bedroom. This was supposed to be her safe space.

"Everyone downstairs. Now." The power of the alpha was in that command and Kirk felt it. The four women brushed past him as they avoided eye contact. Except for Terri. She leveled a hard gaze at her brother before indicating that she would follow. Kirk stepped back into the hallway and waiting. Darren made his way after his pack mates, since several of them had also followed up the stairs after him. Kirk was waiting patiently for Terri when she finally emerged. She stopped in front of her closed door and just stared at him.

"Hey," he actually felt nervous, considering how irate she had been during their brief encounter the night before, "I just wanted to apologize. I should never have read your notes without your permission." And he meant it. He had barely been able to sleep, playing through all the different scenarios he would have rather had when he first met her. She blinked at him and nodded.

"Thank you," she turned away from him, presenting him her back. Kirk looked down her back and realized that the hoodie hid most of her body. All he could see were her legs below her knee, though they looked different. The pants she wore showed off the shapely right calf, the her left seemed slender, as if it was just a bone. He stood there pondering that until he heard his name being called to the kitchen.

Breakfast was a much more exuberant affair. Kayla had been cooking bacon by the pound, and there were pancakes coming off the griddle as fast as people could eat them. Every available seat was occupied when a plate of food was thrust into Kirk's hands. John grinned at him and ushered him towards the deck.

"Everyone is spread out, I doubt there's an open seat anywhere," John grabbed a mug and led the way, "And I wanted to talk to you about last night." Chairs had been set up with a couple of outdoor heaters. Tonight was supposed to be a larger meal and despite the bite of November, the massive deck was the only place to accommodate the number of people anticipated. Moving to the furthest seats possible, they began to dig into their food.

"Where did you end up wandering off to?" Kirk had been buried in Terri's research notes late into the night and hadn't seen John after they had parted ways.