The Alpha's Daughter (Un-Edited Version)

The Alpha's Daughter - Chapter 16

Annie:

"Since when have you had a tattoo?" Cal asked as I pulled my top over my head. I resisted the temptation to touch the mark on my left shoulder.

"Since I was sixteen," I replied, throwing on my jumper. I caught the look on his face in the mirror opposite and whipped around. "What?"

His eyebrows had been wrinkled and he had been frowning at me. He looked away just as I turned, staring at the wardrobe. I sighed and took a seat on the bed. The tattoo had been a mistake; I was going through a really rough time and I had thought that getting a tattoo would make me seem tougher. The only thing it gave me was a nasty infection.

"Did it hurt?" Cal winced. It was my turn to frown.

"Not really," I replied, smoothing my jumper out. I didn't know what to say to him. I felt like I was grasping on straws. I knew that I was walking on eggshells with the rest of the house and I couldn't afford to lose Cal's trust again. No more lies, I had decided. I wasn't going to lie to him again; from now on I was going to be truthful.

Cal nodded and started to get up, pulling on his clothes. I looked away, becoming very interested in the floor.

"I think I'll go down and see dad," I told him, getting to my feet. He grunted and continued to throw his clothes on. I shook my head and left him, closing the door behind me. I walked down the stairs. I could hear raised voices coming from the kitchen. I sighed and went in. Every head in the room swivelled in my direction.

"Zane?" I choked. There, standing in the middle of the kitchen, was possibly the best friend I could ever have had. He spread his arms out wide and I fell into them. What the hell was he doing here? I pulled away, giving him the once over. He seemed to be in pretty good shape; he didn't have any injuries, from what I could see.

"Alright, Midget?" he said, a broad smile on his face. I looked around at everyone else; their disdain was reflected in their reflections. What had I done now?

"What?" I asked.

"Your friend Zane here has a message from Dante," Jase spat. He was standing next to Sierra, glowering at the room. Sierra rubbed her stomach self-consciously, her smile strained. This was like yet another intervention.

"You're with Dante?" I demanded. Zane shied away from my gaze, which I took to mean yes. I backed away from him, ending up next to Radleigh. How could he? When we had been younger, he had always said that ending up in a pack would be the worst thing for him. I shook my head.

"When?" was the only thing I could say.

"Few days after you took off." Zane shrugged. Oh please don't say what I think you're going to say.

"Did you help him find me?"

His silence was all I needed. That bastard.

"So what's this message?" I asked icily. Zane raised his eyebrows. Even when I was angry with him, I could still appreciate how good looking he was; he had white-blonde hair and green eyes. He was sprightly built, with more height than width.

"He wants to meet and speak to you," he replied. "On his own," he added at the look on Radleigh's face.

"And what makes you think that we're just going to let her walk into your territory?" Cal demanded, standing in the doorway. How long he had been there, I wasn't sure but from the thunderous look on his face, it looked as though he had been there long enough.

"Because," Zane hissed. "If you don't, you'll have a bloody massacre on your hands." He turned to look at me. "You of all people should know what I'm talking about." I sighed. Yeah, I knew exactly how dangerous Dante was. I had seen the proof last night.