An Alpha without a Pack

Chapter 19

Burble, burble, burble.

I liked to make bubbles in the tub, especially after a long day of hard work. Right after lunch, Aaron had taken me out for a two-hour long run so I could let my wolf burn off some energy. I could change into my human form with no issues now. After the run, I had helped Aaron and every other wolf I could prepare for the departure tomorrow. Now, I was getting some me time as I washed the sweat and grime off my body. All the aches and pains from today's work were almost gone.

I soaked in the tub a bit longer than necessary before I got out and wrapped a fluffy towel and me and my hair. I had to get ready for my dinner with Rick. Just thinking about it made me feel warm and fuzzy. Sometime during the day Katie had arranged for several outfits be put in my room. I slipped on a pretty grey dress that had white and pink flowers around the hem. My hair was put into a half-up, half-down style and my makeup was light and shimmery. After slipping on some white sandals, I opened the door to see Rick standing there, his hand lifted ready to knock.

"Wow," he breathed out. "You look beautiful."

My cheeks warmed at the compliment. "Thank you, Rick. You look-"I gave him a quick look over to see that he was wearing dark pants with a grey button-up. "- handsome in grey," I whispered. Dang it, why didn't I say anything about how nice looks or something like that? I mentally scolded myself. Now I look like a jerk. I shook off the embarrassing feeling and started walking down the hall, tugging Rick with me. "What's for dinner?"

Rick pulled me to a stop and began dragging me in the opposite direction. "As much as I enjoy being in the company of the other Alphas, we will not be having dinner with them tonight. I have made arrangements for us."

"Oh, how exciting," I gleamed. Being with Rick made me feel giddy. I really enjoyed being in his presence.

Rick, who was holding my hand tightly, lead me through the pack's town, which was quite busy. Some wolves were still preparing for tomorrow departure, others were in a rush to get somewhere else it seemed. Rick led me to the main road and followed it out of town. He pulled me along the road for a few minutes before turning onto an old dirt path that did not seem like it was used very often. Rick was careful to help me over fallen logs or uneven ground and held back overgrown shrubbery. Before long I could make out some flickering lights up ahead. We broke through the tree line onto a sandbank with the river flowing lazily by about 20 feet away. On the beach, Rick had laid out a large blanket with torches placed around it. There were a large basket and a metal bucket that had two bottles of wine in it.

I stepped forward, dropping Rick's hand, and looked over the beautiful setup. "Rick," I whispered. "It looks like something out of a romance book. It looks beautiful." When I did not receive a reply, I looked over my shoulder to see Rick still standing at the tree line with a half-smile on his face. "What?" I asked.

"Nothing," he replied barely over a whisper. "Just wanted to take a moment to remember every little detail at this moment because it is the most amazing thing that I have ever seen. I never want to forget how you look in this lighting right now."

My whole body warmed at his honeyed words and I smiled at him. "I never want to forget how happy you look right now, either. Now come and show me what you have planned for us."

Rick's half-smile broke into a full one as he walked towards the blanket, grasping my hand on the way. We sat across from each other and Rick placed the large basket between us. He pulled a bowl of mixed fruit, crackers, cheese, and a plate of grilled chicken. He also had a loaf of freshly baked bread. After placing the food around us and finding two wine glasses, Rick pooped a bottle of red wine open and poured us both a glass.