Big Bad Alphas novel Chapter 26

   "You saw the rogue, then my father, and you decided to walk outside and follow them?"

   "Well, when you say it like that it sounds bad."

   Eric takes a breath. "Because it is bad, Isabella, because you could have been killed. Why did you follow—what told you to go out in unclaimed land and make yourself vulnerable?"

   I watch him pace back and forth from the bed. "I don't know. I was intrigued, I suppose."

   "Intrigued? Intrigued by death?"

   "You're overreacting," I tell him.

   "What if the wolf wasn't my father, what if you walked out there and he didn't find you in time?"

"But he did, and that's all that matters, right? Can't we just move on? I have learned my lesson."

Eric sighs. "I cannot understand why you would put yourself in danger like that."

   "I don't either, but it happened, and now it's over. I really just want to forget about it and move on."

   I do not want to forget about; I cannot. Why was a rogue so close to the pack house? Did they have a motive, a reason? I keep running scenarios in my head, ones where Eric is attacked, me, or Caroline by a rogue like the one in the forest. What if Caroline is walking over to the pack house and one suddenly pounces on her?

   Eric sighs. "I'm sorry, you shouldn't have been in the situation, and because of me, it was made possible. These rogues, they're getting to me."

   "Well, I can help, and your father too."

   Eric gives me a look, not approving of his father.

    "He was Alpha, so he must have some ideas. Just because you two don't get along doesn't mean the pack shoulder suffer from it. Just reach out to him, ask him what he would do."

   Eric sits down on the bed. "I can't give him that. He would think my taking over was a mistake."

   "I've said this before, but you two need to resolve your issues. It would benefit the pack if you worked together, instead of treating the leadership like a competition of who can do better. Your father helped me; he fought a rogue for you—to keep me alive for you. I think you should give him a chance."

   "Alright, I'll talk to him tomorrow," he says and climbs into the bed. "In case anything happens and I'm not here, there is a gun in the closet downstairs."

   I quickly sit up and look down at him. "A gun?"

   "I don't want to think about you being in danger, but I would never forgive myself if something did happen and I gave you no way to protect yourself."

   I lay back down and stare up at the ceiling. "I don't want to think about things coming to that," I murmur.

   The next morning I wake up alone, as Eric had work to do by the borders, and hopefully, he was working with his father.

   I sit with Marina in the kitchen as we eat together, something that I have begun to ask her to do lately. It was nice having Caroline here yesterday, even if she was distracted by her mate. She must be missing Lucas. Last night, when he left, she went straight home to check on Olivia. Olivia has not been doing much lately, especially after hearing that Caroline found her mate.

She did not know of our plan to find him at the party, but the outcome upset her anyways.

"A lot on your mind?" Marina asks me.

"No, just tired," I tell her. "How are things with you?"

The morning goes by slowly, and I am tempted to find Caroline. While walking to her house, I notice something out of the ordinary, a group walking from one of the border posts. It is not just any ordinary group of guards, but an Alpha, as I can feel the power as the people near.

"Isabella!"

Looking to the side, I notice Caroline hurrying towards me. "I was just coming to find you, what's—"