The Alpha and the Mistake novel Chapter 7

I didn't stop running until my lungs felt like they would implode. I dropped to my knees, panting heavily and waiting for the black spots to disappear. It couldn't be true. It couldn't. I repeated it over and over and over in my head. Mike was just trying to scare me in his usual cruel way. I stared up into the cloudless sky through the trees. Yet I had a nagging suspicion it wasn't.

What Mike had said was so unlike all the other horrible things he usually tells me that it had to be true. It was so unfair, damn it. I let Mike beat on me, let him humiliate me, and for what? To see me and my family cut down because the alpha has ego issues? Bitter rage filled me. I wanted to do something, but what? I'm just a stupid human. Mike spent the last three years making sure I knew I never had a chance against them.

I stood, dusting off my dirty jeans, not sure what to do or where to go. I didn't want to go home. If I went there, it'd all become real. Call me delusional, but I wasn't ready for real yet. Of course, considering I'm lost somewhere in the woods, getting anywhere might be a challenge. I pulled out my phone and sighed - no signal, great. I looked at the sky, trying to judge where I was on the location of the sun.

It always rose in the west and set in the east right...or was it the other way around. Man, I couldn't remember. I was so screwed! The moss! I thought with a flare of hope. I heard moss only grows on the northeast side of the tree. I leaned over to examine the nearest tree -it had no moss on it, of course. After a quick but unsuccessful search for a mossy tree, any mossy tree would do, I gave up. I spun a slow circle, hoping for some kind of indication of where town was.

Why couldn't nature come proper signalization? How do people find their way around in here? I mean come on would it hurt to have a sign with 'town is this way.' I don't think so. I huffed with indignation. "Deep dark forest. Can't be that hard. Well come on feet," I said, paraphrasing a line from one of my favorite movies and picked a direction with the hope it led anywhere but deeper into the woods. I mean what choice did I have anyway? It wasn't like anyone would come looking for me here.

The sun had nearly set by the time I finally made it back to town. I would have jumped for joy if my legs didn't hurt so much. My legs were doing all they could to keep me standing - jumping was completely out of the question. Why would people walk for fun? I took out my phone again with the idea to tell Mom and Harry I was okay. Only, my phone was dead. I sighed and wondered if this day could get any worse. Fearing I was tempting my fate, I glanced upwards once more. "I didn't mean it. Seriously, no need to make it worse to prove me wrong."

I shuffled to a small park, I sat on the swing set. My feet throbbing from the walking. Man, it felt so good to sit down. My shoulders slumped as my situation became real. The alpha wanted to kill my family and me. Would Harry believe me if I told him? Mike said he and the alpha used to be friends. What would I do if he didn't? Would Mom come with me if I told her everything? How mad would she be when she found out?

I pushed off and started to swing, letting the back and forth motion relax me. Someone called my name, my real name. I glanced up and saw Dean. He jogged over to me, and I slowed. "Hey, Dean."

"Hey. What happened to your face? Are you alright?"

I couldn't help it I laughed. I was as far from alright as possible. "The same thing that always happens."

"Brook, where have you been? Your parents are going crazy. No one had any idea where you were."

My throat tightened, and the words refused to come out. "I'm not sure exactly where I've been. I have been around, though, and technically, Harry isn't my parent."

"What's wrong ? You're acting kind of strange."

Irritation came from nowhere suddenly, and before I could stop myself, I snapped at him. "Where in our like thirty minutes of conversation did you get the idea you know me enough to judge my actions, Deano."

"Deano? Only Mike calls me that. Is that what this is about Did he do something to you? You've been with him I can smell his scent all over you."

"I can smell his scent all over you," I mimicked. "That's kind of creepy. Why would I deny anything, anyway? Yeah, Mike and I had a chat. Nothing out of the ordinary." Except, Mike told me I'm a dead teen walking.

"Did he hurt you?" Dean's words slow and his voice dropped to a deep rumble.

"You mean more than usual?" I shrugged. "No, not really." Did it even matter? I wasn't so sure anything mattered anymore.

"Brook, let me help you," Dean pleaded, actually giving me puppy dog eyes.

"You can't. Just leave me alone, okay." It was sweet, but there was nothing Dean could do to help me. In fact, it was best if he stayed away from me. The more he was around me, the easier Mike's dad could pin my murder on him. God, my murder.