I'm The Alpha's Challenge

45

The snap of the door closing wakened me a little bit, and soon I was aware of another pair of lungs breathing. I opened my eyes, catching sight of a big black lump in the bed in front of me. Without thinking, I snuggled up towards him, burying my fingers in his fur and laying my head next to his. His ear flickered as my breath ran through his fur and he sighed deeply, visibly relaxing.

"And yer sure she's…" Peter's voice trailed off as I strained to hear it.

Josh growled. "Yes. I'm positive. Why wouldn't I be?" he replied.

Peter sighed. "I've heard a situations where wolves are so desperate ta find a mate that the first vulnerable girl they see, they think's their mate." He explained. I frowned, pulling the covers up to my chin. Did I really strike people as vulnerable? I wasn't vulnerable…was I? I shivered involuntarily.

Josh growled again, loudly. "I wasn't desperate. And don't call her vulnerable." He snarled. "She's very… lively… once you get ta know her. She's independent, such a flirt, actually, and beautiful. Gosh, she's so beautiful." He said, his voice softening by the end. I blushed at his compliments, biting my lip.

He laughed slightly. "Good. Now, I would go talk ta her, and please keep her from running out a here screamin', alright?"

Josh chuckled. "I'll try." He said, and soon the door opened. I opened my eyes, peeking out at him from under the blankets. I frowned as I saw his bare chest wrapped in huge white bandage centered on his shoulder. His right arm hung in a sling, his fingers curled around it, useless. "You look horrible," he laughed, smiling as he made his way over to the bed.

"I could say the same thing about you." I coughed, my eyes narrowing as another blush covered my cheeks.

He sat on the bed cross-legged, sighing. "Danny, I have ta talk ta you."

I swallowed a smart comment, sitting up. "Yea. So do I." I glanced towards the closed door, gulping.

He gazed at me, for the first time, fear swirled in his eyes. He let out a shaky breath, smoothing the sheets by him. "Do I scare you?" he whispered.

I stared at my entwined fingers. "At first you did, yes. Both times, I might add." I said, sending him a glare. "But now… I… I don't think so."

He chuckled. "Good. First off, how're ya feelin'?"

I shrugged. "Better. I threw up like a thousand times last night even after your Mom got me medicine. By the way, could you thank them for me? I've never been taken care of before. It felt really nice." I said, smiling. "But I think it was just a one-day thing. Thank goodness."

He growled lowly, grinding his teeth. "I'm glad ya finally know what it's like ta finally have a mother." He sighed, frowning. "Second off, do ya have any…uh… questions?" he asked, shifting uncomfortably.

I brushed my bangs behind my ear. "Are we, uh… are we still…dating?" I asked, red painting my cheeks as I looked away.

His face fell. "Of course!" He exclaimed. He opened his arms—well… free arm. "Com'ere, baby." He said, making my breath catch in my throat at the nickname. I smiled, surrendering and crawling into his lap. He wrapped his arm around me, burying his face in the crown of my hair.

"Any more questions?" he murmured.

"Why did you say you weren't J?" I asked, leaning into his shoulder and playing with his useless fingers.

He sighed. "I just… I didn't think it was the right time ta tell ya. I mean, what would ya have done if I had said yes? Honestly, what would ya have said?"

I shrugged. "I probably wouldn't have believed you. And the whole Alpha thing…?"

"I am the youth alpha, and Coffeeblue was jokin' with me then." He explained.

"When do you get the whole…uh…pack?" I asked, peering up at him.

"When my father steps down or dies." He replied. "Speakin' a the whole alpha thing… do you, uh… do ya know what mates are?"

My nose scrunched up as I thought. "I…um… think so. They're kinda like spouses for wolves, right?" I tilted my head up towards him and he took the opportunity to kiss me lightly, chuckling.

"Kinda, I guess, for real wolves. My mother is my father's mate, and my father is my mother's mate. Either way it works. Wolves almost always have that one person that they're meant ta spend their whole life together with—that one person that ya can't wait to see every day right there beside ya. The person that ya love no matter what happens." He sighed happily, smiling, shaking his head. "I guess what I'm tryin' ta say is that…" He took a deep breath, but I cut him off.

I gulped. "You're my mate." I breathed.

His smile widened. "I am yours, and you are mine."

"How did you know?" I asked, biting my lip.

His eyes sparkled. "The first time I saw you, I had this overwhelmin' urge ta protect ya from anythin' and everythin'—includin' my own pack. And then ya started talkin' ta me, in my head, I didn't know what the heck was happenin', but I knew I had ta protect our secret, so I left as quickly as I could. The next day, when I first saw ya in class, it was like I had just woken up for the first time, and I just…" he shrugged, smiling. "I just knew."

I didn't smile, but instead a long sigh escaped my lips. "And you're the alpha?" I whispered.

He eyed me strangely. "Yes," he replied. "Soon to be."

I felt my face drain of color. "I, uh, I've gotta go," my breath stuck in my throat as I slinked off his lap.

"What?" he said behind me, his arms reaching out uselessly to stop me. I leapt off the bed, snatching my stuff off the desk, but stopped briefly at the door.

Josh stared at me from his spot on the sheets, his mouth forming a circle. Still, he hadn't moved, and was frozen in shock. "I have ta go," I whispered before turning and rushing down the stairs.

"Wait!" Josh called. "Danny, please!"

I ignored him, and my breath began coming in short, shallow gasps. I was the alpha's mate. I would be the alpha female. I couldn't do that! I didn't have the power to do that! No one would ever take me seriously!

How was I supposed to protect a whole pack? I couldn't even protect myself.

A hand suddenly grabbed my arm; the arm that grasped the doorknob. "Danny, wait." Josh said, exasperated, spinning me around to face him. He released my arm and instead trapped me in between his arms—well, arm and shoulder. I backed against the door as he leaned in closely. He was still bare-chested save for the bandage around his shoulder. "I can't let ya leave, Danny. I won't let ya go home."

My heart was pounding in my chest, my vision tunneling. My head was spinning and my legs shaking. I blinked, trying to clear my vision, trying to keep my mind from wavering. But I was no longer with Josh; I was somewhere far away. I don't know how long we stood there like that, but Josh soon realized something was wrong.

I flinched as his fingers brushed my face. A scream rose in my throat, but never escaped. "Danny?" he whispered. "Danny, are you alright?"

I couldn't breathe.

I couldn't see.

My mind was traveling back into the past. I felt his breath on my skin, his fingers wrapped around my wrists. I felt his rough lips on my mine, my muscles aching in agony.

"Danny!" Josh called from somewhere in the distance. But I was gone. I was long gone.