The Alphas' Daughter (Alpha Eyes: Book 2)

Chapter 13

The bed dipped slightly, and I smiled sleepily as Lucas gently settled his weight on and around me. He was a gentle giant, capable of handling the most delicate things or crushing an enemy's spine.

"I had a thought," he murmured, pressing a kiss to my cheek.

"Good morning to you too," I mumbled. "What thought would that be?"

He toyed with my hair for a minute. "I haven't seen your wolf yet."

I froze as that statement sank in. He was right... I hadn't shifted with him since we met. My wolf normally went nuts if I didn't let her out at least once a day, but she'd been unusually silent the past couple days. Granted, after that dream with Maya attacking me on a run with Lucas, I hadn't been overly eager to try while awake.

How had I not noticed? Was she okay?

"Hey..." Lucas ran a fingertip down the bridge of my nose. "Relax. She's fine. My wolf says she's been letting you get to know me."

"But she's okay?"

He nodded slowly. "Like my wolf, she'd like to be let out sometime soon; but she understands that you've had some big changes recently."

"I can't believe I totally neglected my wolf," I groaned, rubbing a hand over my face.

He grinned and lowered his head to mine. "I'd like to think you've been pleasantly distracted and otherwise occupied."

I accepted his hungry kiss without saying anything. While he wasn't wrong, it didn't change the fact that I needed to let my wolf out to run. Keeping one's wolf locked in for too long could severely weaken them, and, in some cases, they never come out again.

"Since we both need to let our wolves out," Lucas mumbled against my jawbone, "how about a run before breakfast?"

My wolf wiggled in excitement, clearly approving of the idea. I hadn't seen much of the territory yet, so I quite liked the idea of going out. Lucas would be the best tour guide.

"That sounds really nice," I agreed.

"Fabulous." He smacked a kiss to my forehead and rolled to the side of the bed. "Pick an outfit for when we get back, and we'll stash it in the woods."

I propped myself up on my elbows. "You have a stash spot in the woods for clothes?"

"Of course," he chucked, climbing out of bed. "There's always a handful of shorts and shirts in designated spots in case someone has to shift abruptly and shreds their clothes. If it's a planned shift—like someone going for a run—they can leave their clothes for when they return."

"Very resourceful," I mused, tossing the sheet aside and swinging my feet to the floor.

"We do our best."

After gathering our clothes for after our run, Lucas took my hand and led me out of our room. We were still in our pajamas—running shorts for him; shorts and tank top for me—but no one seemed to notice. Lucas took me downstairs, through the dining room, and out the back door onto the patio. The guard on duty snapped to attention as we appeared.

"I'm taking Luna Karina for a run," Lucas announced. "We may or may not be back in time for breakfast, if anyone asks. You can reach me over mindlink if absolutely necessary."

"Very good, Alpha. Enjoy your run."

Lucas squeezed my hand and smiled. "We will."

I blushed as we jogged across the lawn into the woods. Anyone else might have read into that last statement, but I knew he meant nothing by it. He was excited to show me his territory, and I was excited to see it.