The Alpha's Happiness

Chapter 7:

The gravel crunched under her feet, each step making a noticeable noise. Her hands shook, imitating the leaves of the cherry tree that stood watch over the yard. The very same yard she had spent her childhood in, had grown up in. Her hands shook harder, a flag trapped within a blizzard, and they approached the front door. The door her prom date had walked through, the solid piece of oak that housed a countless amount of moments.

It had stood sentry over two small girls who kissed toads in the hopes of finding their prince. Watched as the same girls attempted to place a house in a tree, and had stood tall even as the house had fallen. Xander’s hand was on the door, her door, Natalie’s door. His knuckles rap rap rapped. Her hands shook; her breathing hitched. She held it together until the door opened.

……………

 

They had recognized her instantly, and she saw the question behind their eyes. Why is she with him? His eyes asked. Has he already forgotten Natalie? Her eyes questioned. She wanted to tell them that they had it wrong. That she denied herself her mate for Natalie’s sake, for their sake, but the words wouldn’t come. No matter, this wasn’t the time for them.

She felt something brush against her jean clad leg, and saw Averyn launch herself into her grandfather’s arms. He caught her, though he stumbled back with age, and she remembered another small girl who had thrown herself into the safety of his arms. He had caught her, stumbleless, and his scent had overwhelmed her, a scent as familiar to her as her own father’s. He had wiped away her tears, “What’s up Buttercup?” He understood her hiccups, somehow, magically, and had rushed off to help Nat through her first shift, at much too young an age.

A jerk on her elbow pulled her out of her reverie, and she jumped just a tiny bit.

“Alright?” it was Xander’s voice. She glanced up into his eyes.She gave him a slight nod, so tiny her brain didn’t even have a chance to jiggle. Alexandra Cross, her brow pinched with concern, grabbed her and engulfed her in a boob squishing hug. “My Lainey,” she whispered, and a single tear fell down her face.

Logan Cross reached out to her next, his arms outstretched. She flinched. In that one moment he was no longer her second father. All she saw was His face, His arms, and panic washed over her. She felt her heart in her chest, threatening with every second to burst free and abandon her. A thin layer of sweat coated her hands, and she attempted to wipe it off on her jeans. They scraped her sensitive palms, and she wished she had left the sweat.

“Laniey?” Logan whispered, his arms still reaching to embrace her.

“Dad,” she whispered, and stepped forward, one arm went around Averyn, the other wrapped around Logan. She felt him smile, all of his muscles twitching and pulling up into what she knew to be a lopsided grin.

“Oh Lainey, I’ve missed you,” Logan told her, and she felt her eyes prick with shame. She should have told him why she was leaving. She should have said that she had found her mate, but that would have opened an entire can of worms that she really didn’t want to discuss. Instead she gave him only what she was able to. “I’ve missed you too.”

Sorry I know this chapter is fairly short but I haven't had much time to write during the school year so...I hope you liked it.