Not My Alpha (Completed)

Chapter Fifty-One - A Liability

Song: Kris Allen - Lost

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I started to thank her, but before I could utter a word, Goldie was gone. She left me standing in front of Will's open door with nothing to stop me from entering. Instead of barging through the door though, like I had wanted to all this time, I hesitated. I lingered in the hallway for what felt like an eternity. For some reason, my feet wouldn't move. The door to Will's room was wide open. There was no longer anything holding me back from running to my brother. Still, I couldn't bring myself to walk forward and face him.

Will's heavy breathing could be heard from inside the room, but it did little to comfort me. The only thing I could think of was what he looked like the last time I'd seen him. He was nowhere close to my brother; he wasn't even human, not in the rawest sense. He'd been a pure animal, fighting to break free, and I was too afraid to see if it had won.

I shifted on my feet, glancing down the hallway where Goldie had disappeared. It was silent out here, as if all activity in the house had stilled. The only noise to be heard was the heavy breaths of my brother and the pounding of my own heart.

I shifted my feet again, and this time, the floor creaked. The breathing inside the room faltered and before I could stop myself, I stepped forward. Every ounce of sanity left me as I pushed aside all my fears, knowing the only way to face them was to pretend they didn't exist. At least, not for now.

The room was dark. There was no window in here; only a small lightbulb hanging from above. It wasn't turned on, and the only source of light came from the hall. The bedroom was small. A twin sized bed took up the length of a back wall, and a wooden chair was placed next to it. There was a pile of blankets at the foot of the bed, and another mound on top of it. It moved up and down with the rhythmic breathing of a body, buried beneath countless duvets.

My feet carried me into the room. With a thud, the door shut behind me, and all light was eliminated from my surroundings. The figure on the bed moved, and for a fearsome moment, I stood rooted in place. Then, the figure groaned, and that fear was washed away.

I scurried forward and knelt next to the bed, pushing aside the wooden chair. It made no sound as it scratched the wooden floor, but at the movement, Will shifted. His hand fell off the side of the bed, and before I could stop myself, I reached forward to grab it. A nonsensical grin spread across my face, and my chest tightened.

When my fingers curled around Will's, his breathing stopped. His hand went stiff, tightening substantially. My breath caught in my throat, but I didn't care to breathe, anyway. It would only serve as a distraction.

Silence filled the room. Will turned his head to face me. His eyes fluttered open, and when they did, my blood ran cold.

Will wasn't staring back at me. He was gone, and in his place were glowing red eyes. They flashed through the darkness, staring at me from the face of my brother. His features were stiff and confused, and his eyes narrowed.

His tight grip on my hand was suddenly crushing. His narrowed eyes were a cold glare. I was brought back to countless painful memories, each sending a wave of panic crashing against my chest. Just as I was ready to succumb to it, a strained voice cut through the silence.

"Samantha?"

It was Will's voice. There was no denying it. Though tired, strained, and lifeless, it was his. My body stilled, and there was a break in the waves of panic. A small moment that allowed me to lift my head up for air.

I choked on a sob. "Will?"

"It's me."

All at once, the red eyes were forgotten. They didn't matter. What they meant didn't matter. All that mattered was what was before me: My brother. Not a wolf, not a human, but Will. He was alive. He was conscious. Most importantly, he was speaking.