Piper
I left Willow out in the woods after I collected a basket full of truffles as payment for her always bailing me out of sticky situations. Willow told me to leave the basket on the kitchen counter and she would deal with it once she returned. My clothes from the washing machine were finished. I stuffed them all into her dryer, then slipped on my sneakers and headed for my own personal safe haven—a gym no one ever really used on the borderline with the forest.
It was awesome. Usually, if a pack member wanted to go to the gym, they would see the forest right next to the building and opt for just a run instead. That meant the gym was almost always empty. Levi was nice enough to give me my own key so I could use it anytime without being hounded by the pack's guards. This placed turned out to be a lifeline for me.
With my spare key, I slipped in through the back exit and flicked on all the lights for the indoor pool and changing rooms. The office was locked as always, and I raided the vending machines for something to eat. It was slim pickings, but beggars can't be choosers.
As I stuffed the food inside my bag, I noticed a bread roll that I still hadn't eaten yet and made my way to the changing rooms. I prepacked my bikini because I knew that if I made it to Willow's house, I'd want to come to the gym.
Leaving my bag in the locker I regularly used, I pulled out my towel and made my way to the back area of the building where the pool was. This was the best place to hang out because it had a sound system I could Bluetooth my phone too. The floor-to-ceiling windows pointed directly towards the forest so no one from the street would see the lights on inside.
Once I hooked my phone up and dropped everything on to a bench, I dove into the water.
"COLD!" I screeched when I came back up for air.
It didn't take long to warm up in the water. Willow and I used to come here all the time and race one another, but when she started studying and I started throwing myself into my tracker training, we never had time anymore. Out of everyone I raced, Willow was always the one pushing me to be faster. Sure, I could get her in the freestyle, but she'd destroy me every time with the butterfly.
Very soon, I felt myself tired from just cutting laps constantly and, instead of heading into the weights, I decided to kick back and chill in one of the floating donuts that they still had out near the pool. It was nice. Music from my phone kept me humming along as I just slowly drifted around the pool.
I always selected piano music as I swam to take my mind off everything and just drift away. I floated around in the massive seven-lane lap pool, gazing up at the ceiling and letting my thoughts drift off to my happy place. Right now, life was good, or at least that was what I thought till I heard Willow calling for me and slamming the back door closed.
Uh-oh. Willow's on the war path.
"Piper!" she growled as she spotted me floating in the pool.
"Willow? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be back at home working on your secret magical elixirs?" I teased her, but by the look on her face, she's one pissed medical practitioner.
"How dare you not tell me that Alpha Damian is your mate! I thought we were best friends!" she shouted at me while picking up an inflatable beach ball and tossing it at me.
"What do you mean 'Alpha Damian is my mate'? Who told you that?" I scoffed and paddled to the edge of the pool.
"He did, Piper! When were you going to tell me that the strongest alpha in the west was your mate?" My ears rang out at how loud she shouted at me.
"I didn't tell you because I didn't know." I climbed up and out of the pool, then wrapped myself in my towel.
"How did you not know it was him? You literally jumped right in front of him the other day and you didn't have the slightest clue?"
I rolled my eyes as I made my way up to the locker room with Willow in hot pursuit.
"I had a feeling, but I haven't even looked him in the eye or had a conversation with the male, so I thought it had to be him or one of his subordinates. I just didn't know which one. Honest."
"Come on, Piper! Do you have any clue how much trouble you're in? Perry wants your head on a spike and this other alpha wants you even more than Perry. How on earth are you going to get around now without one or both of them finding you and dragging you back?"
I know the girl's got a point. Taking my time drying myself, I thought on what Willow said and sighed.
"I just want to be free. I just want my own life with my own choices. I don't need wolves constantly trying to keep me in a cage. I can't stand it."
"But you don't know anything about this alpha. Maybe you should give Alpha Damian a chance. If he is your mate, then you two can't live without each other as much as you might think otherwise. There is nothing he would ever do to hurt you. I saw how desperate he was to find you today, and he just about moaned when he walked into my house because of how strong your scent was. I think he will give you that freedom you crave so badly. After all, mates are the counterpart of our souls. Do you really think the moon goddess would put you with someone who isn't your equivalent in every way?"
"I could just go and live in the woods. There isn't a wolf alive who is fast enough to catch me." I grinned at her.
The comment earned me a chop to the back of my head.
"If you become a rogue, then everyone will be after you, dummy! I wouldn't even be allowed to see you or anything." She gave me her puppy dog eyes and clutched my hand.
Deep down, I knew I couldn't ever go rogue. Willow, like me, didn't have any true friends that she could count on. She was awkward but smart as hell when it came to anything she was passionate about, then you had me, the brash and loud dumbass always getting myself into trouble.
"Don't worry. You can't get rid of me so easily." I patted her head.
I finished getting changed as Willow waited for me outside. It was shitty of me to even think of becoming a rogue without thinking of the consequences. A rogue was in constant danger. If you were one and you were captured by an alpha, they could kill you on the spot if you fought back against them. Not to mention you could never see anyone you knew ever again. It's literally leaving your entire world behind.
I stuffed my towel into one of the dryers and found Willow sitting by a table just outside the changing rooms.
"You know there's only one option, right?" She watched me pull out a chair next to her and slumped down into it.
"Yeah, I know." I sighed.
"When will you meet up with the alpha of your dreams? I'm sure he's dying to meet you. I know it for a fact actually." She giggled.
"I will meet him soon enough. I doubt he'll leave the city without me now that he knows I exist."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Willow tried to brighten my mood.
I shrugged.
"What, Pipe? Would you rather marry that crazy arse kid of Alpha Perry's?"
"Fuck no!" I scoffed at her.
"Then what other option do you have? One way or another, you'll end up with Alpha Damian. You can't honestly tell me you're not the least bit interested in him."
I tried to hide my smirk. That's Willow, always able to read me like a book.
"I'm just saying that if you're going to meet the guy of your dreams, then do it under the right circumstances. Not getting one of his men to drag you to him would help."
I nodded and tilted my headback. I couldn't stop thinking about what he would be like or if we would evenget along. I guess I was just nervous and we would have to wait and see ifPrince Charming was really a prince or charming at all.
YOU ARE READING
ALPHAS LITTLE FOX
Werewolf"I will spend the rest of my life fighting to protect you." Piper had been a prisoner in what she called home. She was being forced to marry someone who wasn't her mate-Alpha Perry's son. All her life, she had been plotting ways to escape his wrath...
