The Alpha Next Door

Chapter 17 ⦔ Oriental Bittersweet

It was late. The air was cold and thick around Laila. Her life was about to change forever and she wasn't sure if she was okay with it. Could she really live without Adelia, her friends, and her pack? Then her mother squeezed her hand and stroked it with her thumb.

Adelia was where she always met with Myles, one town over in no man's land. Yet he was late. Myles was never late.

"What the fuck is she doing here?"

"Myles either we all go together or I go home with my Mum. I'm not just leaving her."

"Okay, I'm sorry. She can come but my uncle is gonna be pissed. I told it him it was two mates, not three people but I'm sure we can sort something out." Myles ran his hands through his hair and let out a sigh.

Laila pulled Myles into her arms and stroked his hair. It calmed him to breathe in her scent and hold her. It reminded him why he was doing this. It was for them. It was so he could hold her like this whenever he wanted.

"Laila, Myles we should get going." Said Clara as she watched her daughter hug her mate. "Don't stress I have an old friend in the pack that I can stay with and I've got a transfer to the New York branch lined up."

"Mum, how did you manage that?"

"They have been bugging me for ages to move to the New York branch. I didn't want to uproot you so I declined but when you told me about all of this I sent my bosses an email and we should get approval by morning."

"Thank you, Mrs. Lum, for your support of us, it truly means a lot." Said Myles as he kissed Laila's head and pulled her into a side hug.

"Call me Clara. Now we really have to start driving."

They drove through the night only stopping for food, water, gas, and bathroom breaks. They had to take long routes to avoid pack territory and stay in no man's land while they drove to New York.

It was four in the morning and Clara was driving when she slammed her foot on the brake. In the back, Laila had been sleeping with her head resting in Myles' lap when she had been flung forwards.

"What happened?" Shouted Laila and when she looked up she saw the reason her mother had slammed on the brakes.

In the middle of the road, there was a car and seven large wolves completely blocking their way.

"Uncle Julian!" Exclaimed Myles as he jumped out of the car and excitedly greeted the largest of the wolves. The wolf went into the woods and a man in shorts returned.

"Who is the woman? I thought it was only you and your mate." Snarled Julian as he stood staring down Clara and Laila.

"Would you leave your only pup behind?"

"Will you mate not miss you?"

"He died. Besides even if he hadn't he would want me to be with our child, with or without him."

"I am sorry for your loss. I will have to let my Alpha decide if you can stay or not though. Now let's get to the packhouse." Laila and Myles got into their car while Clara followed behind driving to the packhouse in Myles' car with one of the pack's warriors sat in the passenger seat.

Adelia needed to talk to Hugo. She was worried about him. Frankly, she was worried about them both. She wanted her and her brother to seek professional help. If anyone needed therapy it was those two.

When they were young their father had quickly taught them to internalize emotions. Every single sign of unhappiness was punished, severely. When they were young it was much easier to fake a smile instead of cry and get a beating. Because of this, it meant Adelia and Hugo kept almost everything locked inside and they had excellent poker faces.

When Adelia went into Hugo's room to talk to him she saw him rushing around the room with a half-filled suitcase wide open on the bed.

"Where are you going? Someplace sunny by the looks of it." Said Adelia as she held up a pair of shorts. Hugo snatched the shorts dangling off his sister's finger before shoving them into the suitcase.

"I'm taking a trip."

"Where?"

"Down to Mexico. Then maybe I'll drive down to Peru or something."

"That doesn't seem like a real plan Hugo."

"It will be fine, I speak Spanish and we have pretty much unlimited money."

"Would you like me to come?" Asked Adelia and Hugo's head snapped up.

"No, I should do this alone. I kinda want to just relax by myself and just have a break."

"Oh, okay. I'll miss you." Said Adelia and her brother wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close.

Within an hour Hugo had driven off in his car and was on his way to Mexico. Adelia felt lonely in her large house. Her brother was gone, Breen was a missing person, Laila had called her that morning saying she was gone, and Adelia was left alone in her home with the large wolf she called a pet.

"You won't leave me will you bud?" Said Adelia as she pat her dog. Markus felt guilty he would be leaving Adelia for his mate too. He was enjoying sneaking off in the night to see his mate. He loved being in human form and being able to hold her.

When Adelia went to bed Markus ran off to the cabin in the woods where he planned to meet Ottilie.

"When do you think we will be able to be together?" Asked Markus as he lay on a couch with Ottilie lying on his chest.

"I don't know Markus. My Mum is very strict and you are technically still a rogue."

"When we eventually live together can you live with Adelia and I? I just don't want to leave her all alone in that giant house." Markus had heard and seen how alone Adelia felt. He could see her large paintings where she expressed her feelings onto the canvas.

"Markus don't be stupid. She will move in with the Alpha when he finally makes a move and then we have to live together anyway."

"I wouldn't count on it. I know mates are everything to us but this is Adelia." Markus didn't know how to explain Adelia to someone who didn't know her. "I don't know what it is but for some reason, Adelia and her brother Hugo are very attached to that house. Not in a normal way though. It's like they hate the house but they can't leave it because it is their home. It feels like the house itself is making them sick but they can move because they remain loyal to it. I don't know but it is like their prison."