Big Bad Alphas novel Chapter 22

   "You have to go?" I ask him one last time.

   "Just for a few days, three at the most."

   I nod. "Just be careful and don't do anything crazy."

   Eric and Heath both toss their bags into the back of the car. "I feel like I should be telling you that," he smiles and pulls me in for a hug. I breathe in his delicious scent.

     I smile brightly. "Well, look at the time, you two don't want to be late." Eric places his hands on my shoulders after I try to rush him in the car. "I will miss you."

   "Please," his tone turns serious, "be careful. When I come back, I do not want to see one scratch on you, okay?"

   "Okay."

   Eric's leans down and kisses me softly, sending my nerves into a frenzy. Heath hitting the car horn drives us apart, and we say our goodbyes fairly quickly, as Heath was continuously honking. Once the car takes off and disappears from my view, Caroline pokes her head out the front door. I rush up to her, and we get comfortable in the living room. "So, Eric and Heath, what exactly are they doing out at the Yurie Pack?"

  "Just border control stuff. Eric has been caught up in rogue sightings along our north borders, so he is visiting them to learn if they have had any problems."

   "And that takes three days?" I question.

   "They will probably go out searching for any camps between our two packs," Caroline explains. "If there are camps, rogues could be stealing from us, sneaking past guards, and what not."

   My mind wanders. What if they get into the house when we are sleeping? "That's unsettling."

   "I wouldn't worry too much. Most of the time they are just strays looking for a pack to join."

"Most of the time?"

Caroline shrugs. "Some of them are bad, yes, but you have to attract those kinds of wolves."

"And how do you attract them?"

"Why? Are you planning something that I should know about?" Caroline jokes.

"No, I'm just curious."

She sighs and sits up straight. "Well, if you spend too much time in the unclaimed forest, you might just run into one or two of the bad ones. That is why Eric does not like us going off pack land."

Night time comes quickly, and Caroline agrees to sleepover with me, as I am too worried to be staying at the pack house alone. All the talk about rogues has crept under my skin, making me a little paranoid. Caroline ended up passing out on the couch, and I covered her up with a blanket before heading upstairs. Sleeping in the bedroom alone was difficult, especially after getting used to Eric's company.

My mind would not stop conjuring up scenarios of Eric getting hurt or being in trouble. What if a rogue gets him? What if he stumbles into a problem while looking for camps? I was restless.

Somehow I managed to fall asleep, probably exhausting myself from all the scenarios, but now that it is morning, I feel more safe, secure. Nothing creepy happens during the daytime.

Leaning against the counter, I sip on my tea and gaze out the window. The forest always looks magical, morning, day, and night. There is something otherworldly about the thick tree trunks and branches that spurt out until they seem to touch the clouds. The leaves sway dreamily in the breeze, making soft rustling sounds, and my eyes roam down until they hit the forest floor. Even the ground holds so much life.

Sighing, I take another sip but pause when I notice something out of the ordinary.

Something black sulks stealthily in the brush. My eyes attempt to focus in on it, but it is not until the animals piercing yellow eyes catch mine that my heart comes to a sudden halt. I gasp, and my mug shatters on the floor, spraying my feet with its shards.