The Alpha Next Door

Chapter 6 ⦔ Coral Honeysuckle

Henrietta was excited. Her friend had talked this woman up a lot. Apparently she was perfect and kind. Of course, she had seen the gifts the woman had gotten her friend but she still doubted that the woman was what her friend claimed.

Laila opened the door to the large house that clearly impressed Henretta. Henrietta was dragged up the stairs of the house all the way to the attic where Laila knew the woman would be. Laila knocked on the door beaming up at her friend who was clearly filled with doubt.

"Come in Laila. Hopefully, you can help me solve this issue." Called a woman's soft voice and Laila pushed the door open to reveal a sight.

The attic was giant with large windows that were wide open allowing streams of light into the room. The room was filled to the brim with large canvases covered in stunning works of art that were hastily leaned against the walls of the attic. In the middle, there was a large canvas on an easel. Standing next to it was a woman holding a paintbrush.

She was in a plain lacy bralette with high waisted jeans that were held up by a designer belt. Her long hair was piled onto her head in a messy bun. Paint was splattered over the woman's jeans and bare arms but she was focused on the artwork in front of her. A cigarette was pulled from her lips and a cloud of smoke blew onto the painting on the easel.

"It's missing something."

"Adelia the painting is perfect."

"What do you think? You're new around here what do you think?" Asked Adelia to the stranger standing in front of her as she put out her cigarette.

"I think you should make the lips brighter as they feel like they are getting lost in how bright the eyes are. But what is the painting about?"

"Ah good question, I used to see things and painting about it lets me feel like I can control the things I used to have no control over seeing."

"I'm happy for you Adelia. Now I came over to ask if you would like to come to the beach with us?" Smiled Laila at her friend who was adding Harriet's suggestion of brighter lips to the painting.

"Yeah I'd love to just gimme ten minutes and then we can go."

Sure enough ten minutes later the two girls were sitting in the back of Adelia's convertible as the sun shone down on them. Adelia looked stunning in a black high waisted bikini with a cover-up thrown over. They climb out of the car and got ice creams before making their way to the beach.

When they arrived nearly half of the town way down at the beach on the warm Saturday. It meant as a result almost the entire of Laila's Pack was down by the water including the Alpha. Alpha Evert nearly lost control of his wolf when he saw his mate in a bikini licking an ice cream. He, however, held control while Adelia didn't fail to notice Evert's muscles as they rippled under his dark skin.

Adelia pulled a volleyball out of her bag and began to offer members of Evert's Pack if they would like to play. With little convincing she got a group of teens and a small family to join in. The cheers and laughs from the game echoed down the beach causing more and more members of the pack to join in the game.

Adelia shone as she knocked a ball down over the makeshift net they had thrown up. Her hair flew while she threw her head back laughing with the members of the Pack. One of Evert's best warriors high fived her as they got back into the game. Evert watched content as his mate portrayed what an excellent Luna she would be.

The game was perfect until Laila fell to the ground as she got knocked over when she and another player both went for the ball. All of a sudden a boy who was sitting with his back facing her yards away was suddenly by her side checking that she was okay.

"What's wrong?" Asked the boy as he softly lifted the wrist Laila was clutching to her into his hands.

"I think I did something to my wrist."

"Honey don't worry I have a cooler in the trunk. There is ice and soda in it. I'll come wrap some ice up in a hoodie or something that we can rest on your wrist."

"It's fine Adelia. You keep playing I can go on my own." Laila dug through Adelia's bag for the car keys before quickly walking up to the car where the boy who helped her followed behind her.

Adelia pulled open the boot and grabbed the cooler with her good arm. The boy pulled off his shirt and filled it with ice before holding it onto Laila's sore wrist. She looked different to the last time he had seen her. She had freshly cut her hair but she dressed differently and she didn't look as confident as she was now.

Laila looked into her mate's eyes as he stood in front of her shirtless. Laila, on the other hand, felt slightly self-conscious in her swimsuit while her mate stared deeply into her eyes.

"You are lucky they didn't recognize you were from the rival pack." Said Laila as she stared down at her feet.

"They were all too worried about you."

"Why are you following me, Myles? You were the one that ran away from me not the other way around."

"I'm sorry."

"No your not. At the end of the day, you think I'm going to be there when you decide that our relationship is worth fighting for. I won't though. I'll find someone who is willing to love me even when it's hard." Myles leaned closer to Laila staring deeply into her eyes as she slowly went silent. His hand holding her check caused tingles to run through Laila and Myles.

"Leave, the pack is coming to check up on me and they shouldn't find you like this." Said Laila breathless. Then she watched her mate as he ran off. It didn't take very long before Myles was long gone and Adelia was walking up the steps that led to the beach with Alpha Evert following behind her.

"So who does the shirt belong to?" Smirked Adelia as she drove Laila home.

When Laila made it home she found it hard to sleep as she often did. She looked around her room when she felt her wolf push her towards something. Laying on her desk was the beach bag she took to the beach with her. Sure enough, laying inside was the T'shirt that Myles had wrapped the ice in. Laila pulled off her pajama shirt and slipped on the plain green shirt that still carried her mate's scent.

Laila crawled into her bed finally able to drift off to sleep. Myles, on the other hand, drove up and down the street where he had first left his mate crying in the sun before he had ran off. He just wanted her but how could he when only a few years ago their packs were at war and it could launch them back into a battle that many could die in.