She is the Alpha

Chapter 5

Katrina's POV

Lauries

It’s been a week since I returned home, and today is the day my parents come back from their vacation. I decided to move back into their house, mostly because Luna seems to have a problem with me. I didn’t mind, though. I missed this place too much.

I woke up early, heading straight for the kitchen to start breakfast. A simple omelette with fruit on the side—nothing too fancy, just something to ease me into the day.

As the eggs sizzled in the pan, I heard the front door creak open. My heart skipped a beat as the familiar scent of my parents hit me, even through the thick smell of food wafting through the air. I rushed down the hallway, eager to see them.

I watched as they dropped their bags by the door, their eyes searching for me, and when they met mine, their faces lit up with disbelief, shock, and pure joy. I barely had time to react before my mom rushed to me, enveloping me in a bear hug, tears already streaming down her face.

“Baby girl, look at you,” she said, pulling me back to look me up and down. “You’re beautiful.”

I smiled, my heart swelling with affection, and met her gaze. “Thanks, Mom.”

Then I turned to my dad. He was standing still, his hand covering his mouth, tears quietly rolling down his cheeks. I gave him a soft smile.

“Hi, Papa,” I whispered.

Without a word, he scoffed, his tears only increasing. He pulled me into a tight embrace, the warmth of his hug settling deep in my bones.

“You’re home,” he murmured into my hair.

“I’m home,” I whispered back, pressing my face into his shoulder, letting the weight of those two words sink in.

After a morning of catching up and making them breakfast, I decided to head over to the pack house. But before that, I stopped by Lauries to grab a couple of chocolate cookies. Xander and I used to come here all the time when we were younger, addicted to Laurie’s cookies. It felt right to bring him one now.

Walking into the cozy café, I saw Laurie, petite as ever at 5'1", placing freshly baked pastries on the display. Her hair, a mix of brown and graying roots, framed her face, and her hazel eyes sparkled as they met mine.

“Katrina!” She gasped, her surprise quickly turning into a delighted squeal. She rushed over to me and pulled me into a hug, her voice filled with joy, making my ears ring slightly. But I didn’t mind. Laurie’s warmth was something I’d missed.

“My word, you’ve grown into the most stunning young lady I’ve ever seen,” she cooed, looking me over with pride. “No exaggeration.”

I laughed. “Thank you, Laurie. You’re looking amazing, too. And the café? Still doing well?”

“Better than ever,” she grinned. “And you know how I was worrying years ago. Dave’s fine—still a pain in my butt. Matteo’s turned into a warrior for the pack, the lead trainer. A fine young gentleman, though I say so myself.” She added with a wink, making me chuckle.

“Speaking of Matteo… How is he?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.

Laurie’s eyes brightened. “Oh, he’s doing wonderfully. Strong as an ox. And very much the gentleman, I might add. Have you found your mate yet?”

The question hit me like a stone. I knew Laurie meant no harm, but my chest tightened. I forced a smile. “No, I haven’t found him yet,” I lied.

Laurie didn’t notice the shift in my mood. She beamed, relieved. “Well, that’s wonderful! Maybe you’ll come over for dinner one day, and we’ll see if you and Matteo might be mates.”

I hesitated for a moment, but Laurie was too sweet to turn down. “Sure, I’d love that. How about this weekend? My parents and I can come over for dinner.”

“That sounds perfect,” she said. “I haven’t seen them in forever.”

After a brief chat about the cafe and catching up on everything else, I made my way to the counter, grabbing the cookies.

“Two?” Laurie asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, one for Xander. I’m heading to the pack house for a meeting with him,” I explained.

Her expression softened. “That boy hasn’t set foot in here since you left,” she said, a hint of sadness in her voice. “I’m sorry to hear.”

“I’m sure it’s just his duties as Alpha keeping him busy,” I said, trying to ease her concern. “And the whole mate situation with Charlotte…”

“Don’t get me started on that one,” Laurie huffed, frowning. “She was downright rude to me when I went to visit and gave her a basket of my favorites.”

I shook my head, not wanting to get into it. “I wouldn’t take it personally, Laurie. She probably just felt overwhelmed.”

“I hope you’re right, Katrina,” she said, still a little skeptical.

After bidding her goodbye and promising to come to dinner, I made my way to the pack house. Parking outside, I climbed the stairs and knocked on Xander’s office door.

“Come in,” he called.

I opened the door to find him behind his desk, wearing glasses that made him look impossibly sexy. I caught myself before I could get lost in my thoughts, quickly walking over to his desk and placing the bag of cookies in front of him.

Xander raised an eyebrow, glancing at me before looking into the bag. A grin spread across his face as he pulled out a cookie, and I couldn’t help but smile at the familiar sight.

“I haven’t had one of these since you left,” he said, taking a bite. “How have you been?”

I shrugged, taking a bite of my own cookie. “Good. You?”

“Busy as always,” he replied, his voice warm. “Alpha duties and all that.” He paused for a second, his eyes lingering on mine. “Before, I didn’t like coming here without you.”

My heart skipped a beat, but I didn’t let myself dwell on the feeling. Instead, I leaned back in my chair. “So, we’ve got a lot to plan for.”

We spent the next few hours working on a strategy for the upcoming war. The rogues had declared war on the realm of wolves, and no one knew why. The goddess had told me it was my responsibility to stop them, but I couldn’t do it alone. One of the reasons I returned was for this very purpose.

We discussed everything—training schedules, rogue possibilities, border security, recruitment—and by 1 a.m., we were both exhausted. But it felt good to be working with him again, even if there was still so much left unsaid between us.

After everything was wrapped up, Xander led me to a guest room, and I gratefully accepted the offer to rest. It had been a long day, and I was too tired to fight it. Once inside the room, I stripped off my clothes, slipping into bed. Over the years, I had gotten used to sleeping naked, the comfort of the sheets against my bare skin offering me some peace for the night.

The darkness quickly consumed me, and I let myself drift off, the weight of the day finally pulling me into sleep.