Awake | Book 1 of the AWAKE Series | (BWWM)

Chapter Fourteen

Karter

            Since Rose is safe with her mother I’m able to get the information about her straight from the horses, or in this case wolf’s, mouth. As much as I want to rip Jason’s head off after what he’s told me I know I can’t. I put him in place to protect Rose from unwanted advances and danger, not dates with this human she’s peddling around. Uncomfortable as it may have been, I made him go into detail about everything he heard, making me wish I hadn’t. I swear if that fucking humanoid took Rose’s virginity I’m going to rip him apart limb from limb.

            I grab the bag with the can of cranberry sauce from my passenger seat floor after a good minute of struggling. The gear shift kept jabbing into my side and if I wasn’t a wolf I’m sure I’d be bruised. I hate when shit rolls under the seats and I’m too lazy to actually go around the car to the other side and grab it.

            “It took you long enough!” my mom gripes from the floor. She’s sitting crisscrossed in the kitchen with a plate full of turkey pieces on her lap.

            I look to my dad with a questionable gaze but he doesn’t respond, just shakes his head and reaches out for the can of cranberries.

Crazy as it looks, this is as normal as we’ve been as a unit for a while. Since gran passed we’ve all been in this unshakeable funk and if sitting on the floor crisscross applesauce eating turkey is what it takes to lift it then so be it. I make myself a plate, being sure to add some of the cranberry sauce I went to four stores and stood in a thirty minute long line to buy. We stay like this for an hour, the three of us, on the kitchen floor eating in total comfortable silence. It’ll take some time but we’re going to be alright.  

Turkey should be marketed as a sleep aid. Falling asleep is effortless literally anytime turkey is even in my presence. Rolling over I take a look at the time and see it’s a quarter passed five, way too early to contact Rose. I intended to call her, mostly to grovel and then charge her up about that fucking human, but I got tied up in mending family ties and forgot. I can see my grandma shaking her head now, only a few hours out from her advice and I’m already not taking it. I won’t sweat it though, she’ll be back from her mother’s on Sunday and then I’ll go see her face to face and let her know everything.

I’m just about to get up from bed when I hear a light knock on my door. One sniff of the air lets me know who’s there and I immediately get fully dressed. I open the door for her and pull my shirt past my stomach at the same time.

Her eyes linger at my abs for a second before she casts them downward and speaks timidly, “Um h-hi Kart- I mean Alpha.”

This shy demeanor she’s got all of a sudden is throwing me off. Zoe is everything but introverted, although since our fight on my birthday she’s been lying low. Although I told her to leave and not come back I didn’t think she would actually listen.

“I just wanted to come by and offer my condolences about your grandmother since I didn’t get a chance to at her service. She was a lovely woman and I’ll miss her,” she offers in the presence of my silence.

At the reminder of my grandma I remember what she said about her being murdered. I don’t see how it could’ve been murder when the entire pack was affected, however my grandmother is never wrong. I’ve had Gretchen looking into how the disease could’ve spread so quickly and what in the hell it actually was but she hasn’t come up with any results so far.

“Well that’s all I wanted to say,” Zoe says softly, turning away, “Have a good day Alpha, I’m here if you need anything or want to talk.”

“Zoe wait,” I reach out and grab her arm, thoroughly stopping her, “I want to talk to you.” I don’t know if I’ll regret this or not but I know from experience it’s better to have this woman on my side than against me.