The Alpha's Secret

Chapter 5: A consequence

Thea:

It had been a week since Alaric had become the pack alpha and a week since I had last seen him. Dhalia and Elias had kept me busy and suggested that i join the packs fighters in their training, no doubt at Alarics' request. And because i had my suspicions that Alaric had asked them to keep me out of the way, i at first refused, but I was bored and tired of having nothing to do.

It was amusing watching Dhalia try to learn combat training, especially when Elias, who happened to be the packs trainer, kept teasing her. Dhalia, although she could fight and defend herself, was quite unfit and hated the warm-ups with a passion, but I appreciated her doing it with me, even if she did moan.

After another long and exhausting day of combat training, Dhalia pulled me aside and suggested that we both stay at the pack guest house for the night to cheer me up. And i was actually really excited about it, i had only been back a week and already needed a change of scenery!

I missed Alaric and was really hurt that he felt the need to punish me but most of all i missed my best friend, the person he once was and what made this situation a whole lot worse was apparently i was his mate. I bit back my tears and entered my bathroom, slowly pulling off my sweaty clothes and turning the metal faucet. I listened as the hot steaming water rushed from its confinement and splashed around the marble floor before I stepped under the blanket of heat and then began to cry. I was being shunned by Alaric, and I couldn’t understand why. I had made one mistake, and apparently, that was enough to be treated like a piece of s**t.

He had changed, and I didn’t like the person he had become to be, but yet... the moment I was with him... the moment he looked in my eyes, every single care in the world melted away.

Before I knew it, the tears and emotions that had built up day by day came to a head, and I crumbled. I dropped to my knees and allowed the shower water to wash away every single tear that fell.

Feelings of anger, frustration, sadness, and confusion swirled through my mind like a tornado, and it was just all overwhelmed be, but i felt better for it. I needed to cry, and I had... for a good solid hour, and then I just stopped. I pushed myself from the shower floor and decided that enough was enough. There would be no more feeling sorry for myself, I would pick myself back up, brush myself off, and get on with my life, just like I had been taught to do by Kane.

I pulled a black towel from the hot radiator in my bathroom and wrapped it around my cold and wet body, thank ful for the comforting heat.

I walked into my room and sat in the chair at my dressing table, and looked at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were bloodshot and puffy, and my usually pale skin looked even paler, which i never thought possible.

My stomach began to grumble and gurgle, pulling my attention away from my reflection and telling me that it was time to eat, so I picked my phone up from the table and watched as it sprung to life.

“Four unread messages?” I whispered, how long had I been in the shower for? I opened the first message; it was from Dhalia.

‘Do you fancy going on a shopping trip tomorrow? I’m bored of this damn mansion and need a change of scenery. I have told Elias that i will not be joining him for the combat training tomorrow because, frankly, i can not be bothered with it. Let me know what you think?

Love you. xxx’ I began to type out a message and wondered whether I should send it.

‘Did Alaric ask you to escort me away from here, so he didn’t have to see me again?’

I could have sent that message, but I decided against it. Poor Dhalia wouldn't know what to say back and would no doubt feel stuck in the middle, so I typed out another message instead.

‘Sounds good. See you tomorrow. Love you too xxx’

I opened the next message up, which was from Elias.

‘You are really good at combat. Clearly, boarding school taught you a lot? so I was wondering how you would feel about helping me teach the lads tomorrow? They could learn a thing or two from you.’

And without even thinking, I just replied.

‘Sounds good, see you tomorrow!’

The third w******p message was from Kane.

‘Thea, I have to go away for a few days, but I will be back next Friday. When I am home, we need to talk about something. Don’t worry, you aren’t in trouble but it’s important I speak to you about some things. Take care, little dove xx.’

I quickly typed him back a message that didn’t consist of the words like ‘sound’s good’ and then opened the fourth and final message... and that one was from Alaric..

‘My dad has gone away for a week and has requested that we have dinner together this evening before your stay in the guest house with Dhalia. He feels that we should try and spend some time with one another so if you could join me in the dining room, at 6:30 that would be great.’

I flung my phone on my bed and contemplated whether I really wanted to sit across a table from the man who had avoided me like the plague for a week and I thought about it over and over again, even while I got dressed, tied up my hair and did my make up.

Kane had requested it, so i felt like out of respect for him, I should have the meal with Alaric, but on the other hand, i didn't even want to look at my Alpha. I was done being sad, and now i was angry.

So it was settled. I was going straight to the guest house, and I would wait for Dhalia there. I took one last look at what I had chosen to wear, which was a pair of black skinny jeans, black sliders, and a cropped purple tank top.

“That’ll do.” I whispered before turning away from my reflection.

Before long, I arrived at the guest house and took in its beauty. It was a big house with four bedrooms and four bathrooms, but as the pack didn't get very many guests, it was left vacant most of the time. I tried opening the doors, only to discover they were locked, and Dhalia still wasn’t there yet. I pulled out my phone and sent her a message.

‘At the guest house, where are you? xxx’

I waited for a reply and peeked through the windows, wondering whether she was in there and was just playing music, loud enough that it would stop her from hearing me knocking.

‘I am just having dinner with the pack. I will be there in an hour… aren’t you supposed to be having dinner with Alaric right now, though? xxx ’ I frowned at her reply before sending her another message.

‘Yeah but I don’t really want to see him.’ After two seconds, my phone began to ring, and I rolled my eyes. She nodded doubt was going to lecture me about disobeying my alpha and that I would just get myself into trouble.

“Hi Dhalia, you know you could have just texted me back.” I said, placing the phone to my ear.

“Thea what are you doing! You can’t just decide that you don’t want to see him. He is your alpha.” She cried, worry in her tone.

“He has avoided me for a week. He can’t just decide now that he wants to see me. Alpha or not. To be respected by someone, you need to earn that respect, and I am more than just one of his minions, I am supposed to be his best friend. That to me should come before anything, and if I am honest, I thought I meant more to him than this, but clearly, I was wrong. I will see you in an hour. I love you.”

Dhalia was about to protest, but I hung up and turned away from the guest house, deciding to go for a walk while i waited.

Unfortunately, though, I didn’t get very far before I collided with something, and although it shocked me a little, I didn’t look up. Instead, I repeatedly declined Dhalia’s calls, not in the mood for her to continue her lecture.

“Oops sorry.” I said to the person who I had bumped into, not really taking anything in. I stepped around them all the while, still looking down at my phone.

“For what bumping into me, bitching about me or standing me up?” Alaric asked. I stopped in my tracks and turned my face to the side, still with my back to him.

“For bumping into you. I already apologised last week for upsetting you. Im not going to say it again.” I replied before continuing to walk away.

“Do not walk away from me, Thea!” Alaric roared. The sound of his voice frightened me, so much so that it made me jump. I had never heard him shout like that, especially at me. He was always so loving and caring, and now he was just angry and mean.

“What do you want?” I asked angrily, turning on the spot to face my alpha, who was now towering over me.

“You were told that my father had arranged a dinner for us, you shouldn’t be so disrespectful!” He shouted. I mock laughed and looked at him, feeling the heat of my own anger rise inside my body.

“Me so disrespectful? That is rich coming from you! You have avoided me for a whole week. You obviously asked Elias to get me to train with him to keep me out of your way, something by the way I do not need to learn! I am better than most of your damn pack at combat, and then you request for me to join you for dinner. Are you kidding me right now? f**k your dinner and f**k you. Our friendship is also over, so you know what f**k that too and oh my goddess I have had an even better idea... how about I just say f**k you to the whole damn pack and leave?!” I spun on my heel and stormed away from him. I was done crying and wondering what it was that i had done so wrong. Now, I was just really pissed off and would rather be anywhere in the world than there and near him.

I felt as his strong hand grabbed hold of my wrist, and he spun me around to face him, my body colliding into his. I looked up at him, and for a split second, all of the anger melted away.

"I said do not walk away from me!" He growled, the tension between us rising. But was that frustration or s****l tension? Or maybe even both? I pushed that thought far from my mind and pulled my wrist from his grip and walked away once more.

I continued walking until I reached the mansions wrought iron gates, which were being guarded by two middle-aged men. They both looked bored and as though they could just fall asleep clearly thinking of other things they could be doing. I crossed my arms against my chest, fully aware that Alaric followed me and narrowed my eyes at one of the guards.

“Please let me out.” I requested as politely as I could, given the situation. The guards looked up, my presence startling them both, and then they looked over my shoulder at their Alpha.

“We are sorry, miss Thea, but we can’t allow you to leave.” One of them replied, much to my disappointment.

“Fine, I will find my own way out.” I snapped, walking away from them and Alaric and making my way towards the back of the grounds. I will find another damn way out of this place, even if it kills me.

“Thea! Stop!” Alaric snarled running up behind me. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

“Get away from me, Alaric.” I grumbled, hoping to the goddess he would just leave me alone. I wanted to be alone for a while and away from the mansion. I needed some space to gather my thoughts, and the man was just being relentless.

“Please stop! Not as your alpha but as your friend.” He said, the desperation in his voice overriding the anger.

“You aren’t my friend or my alpha, so please, as someone who just wants to be left alone, go away. I need time to calm down, and you following me is just going to upset me even more.” I cried, and this time, my anger was overridden by sadness, and tears began to stream down my cheeks. I had thought I was done crying, but apparently not. I was too emotional and always had been. I viewed it as a weakness, and it was one of the things I hated about myself.

“Fine, do what you want.” Alaric growled, finally giving up on me. Hallelujah, i was free!

I continued to walk ahead, but I could still feel his eyes locked onto me... watching me, even though i had thought he was going to leave me alone. Thankfully, I arrived at an area that was full of large trees, and they hid me from sight.

I am not sure how long I had walked for, but I lost Alaric’s scent over an hour ago, and I came to the conclusion that he had decided to just leave me in peace. My phone had rung continuously, and I was almost certain that it was Dhalia wondering where I was, but I couldn’t bear having to listen to her, telling me that I needed to obey my alpha and go straight back to the mansion.

I made my way to the far end of the mansion grounds and was relieved but surprised to see that the guards had left their posts, something they were forbidden to do. I glanced up at the camera, which was moving from side to side, checking for any threats and monitoring its surroundings.

I stepped back out of its line of view and looked around at my own surroundings. I had to break the camera. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to leave. I spotted a small rock, which was surprisingly quite heavy, and wondered whether it would be big enough to break the security camera. I debated it for a moment and just decided to give it a try, i had a good aim, and hopefully, the force of my throw would do enough damage to aid my escape. I pulled my hand back and threw the rock straight at the camera, breaking it instantly. The moment I knew the coast was clear, I typed in the security code and left the grounds. I was free.