An Alpha's Favor

Chapter 2: The Escape

-Angela-

Lucian was watching me as I demolished my sixth burger. We had stopped by McDonald’s because I was so hungry I couldn’t wait to get to the apartment Lucian had in the city—or was borrowing? I hadn’t really listened when I was handed the food. I scarfed down five burgers, fries, two milkshakes (I drank his), and twelve chicken nuggets.

“When was the last time you ate?” he asked, sitting in a leather chair beside the couch.

There were floor-to-ceiling windows behind him, but I barely noticed anything about the apartment or even him as I stuffed my face.

“I… am not sure,” I replied, mouth full.

I hadn’t even cleaned up yet. I was still in my filthy clothes and hadn’t washed my hands. Food first!

“Sh*t, Angela… where the hell have you been? We’ve been looking everywhere for you!” he exclaimed, his green eyes locking onto mine as I finally swallowed, allowing me to speak.

“Canada,” I said.

“Canada?”

I nodded.

“What the hell were you doing there?” he inquired.

“It’s not like I wanted to go,” I said, taking another big bite and savoring the taste of the burger.

I didn’t eat junk food often, but it was an emergency. I was just so damn hungry! Getting back to Seattle had been hell without a passport and barely any cash. Luckily, wolves could pass through easily—only humans needed IDs.

“So your father took you to… Canada? To do what?” he asked.

I continued eating, and he patiently waited until I finished the last bite, crumpling the paper wrapping and tossing it in the bag with the rest. Then I turned to him and swallowed the final piece.

“Hiding.”

“Hiding?” he echoed.

“For now, at least. I’m the one thing, besides my mother, that he could use against Chris. He’s really not happy with my brother, but he also fears him. He knows the support Chris has and how little power he actually holds over him now that Chris has joined the king and his pack,” I explained.

“So your father took you away just because… he’s a vengeful assh*le?” Lucian inquired.

I shook my head. “No, he has a friend up there, and he planned to forge a powerful alliance through me—one strong enough to grant him support to overthrow the king.”

“That isn’t possible! The council—”

“The council won’t matter soon enough. Not with the help my father is getting.”

“I don’t understand…”

“I barely do myself, and I was there the whole time!” I told him, trying to stand, but the world began to spin, forcing me back down onto the couch.

Lucian quickly moved to my side, steadying me. His hand was warm on my shoulder, and it felt nice to be looked at with concern, especially after being around my father and the other cruel alphas he met with.

“The alphas weren’t just from Canada. I believe he was meeting with people from other parts of the world. It’s not good, Lucian,” I said.

“How did you get here?” he asked. “I mean, how did you escape him?”

I looked down at my hands, reluctant to think about that night, but I knew I couldn’t keep it a secret if I wanted his help. I needed to be honest. “My mother… she… helped me.”

He looked shocked, and why wouldn’t he? He had met my mother and seen how meek she was—what my father had turned her into.

“And then what? You got out and then…?”

“I got out, yes, but it wasn’t easy. They quickly discovered I was gone. One of my father’s pack members caught up to me, and I… I just didn’t want to go back…” I said, my voice trembling as tears began to flow. My lower lip quivered, and Lucian quickly pulled me closer.

“Shh, you’re okay. You don’t have to talk anymore.”

I clung to him, feeling his warmth wrap around me. It had been a while since I’d been hugged, especially by a powerful alpha. They exuded a sense of security… or they should have, unlike males like my father, who preferred to wield fear as their power. That only made them intimidating and scary.

“How did you call me?” he inquired, gently running his hand down my back.

“I got an addict to let me borrow their phone, and I paid a homeless person for some of his clothes,” I told him.

“You memorized my number?” he inquired, pulling back slightly.

Lucian and I had stayed in contact after Chris and Kate ran away to be together, and the number had stuck with me. I nodded, and a strange look suddenly crossed his face, one I couldn’t quite read.

He moved back a little, coughing awkwardly, then got up, smiling reassuringly down at me before heading towards a room a bit further away. “There’s a bedroom in there with a bathroom. I’ll go find you some clothes while you shower,” he said.

As he turned to walk away, I grabbed his hand. His eyes immediately went to where we were connected. I quickly pulled my hand back, worried he might not like that I had grabbed him. We didn’t know each other that well, even if his cousin and my brother were mates.

“Just… don’t tell my brother, okay?”

“Why exactly shouldn’t I?” he inquired.

“I have overheard some things. Chris and Kate… they have a child, right?” I asked.

“How do you know this?”

“My father has him watched. He has everyone watched… I heard it.”

“If he’s watching the king and the others, we need to tell them,” Lucian said.

I stood up, even as the world spun around me, and shook my head. “Please! You can’t!”

“Angela,” he sighed, placing his hands on his hips.

Sh*t, he had really grown. It wasn’t just that he was taller. He was broader—much broader. He was a true alpha now. The shirt under his jacket barely contained him, and the leather was stretched tight around his strong thighs. I caught a glimpse of a gun inside his jacket before he let his arms drop. He had changed so much. What or who else had changed?

“We can’t keep it a secret,” he insisted.

“We must! My father is insane! He wants me back! He won’t let anyone stand in his way, and Chris is a father now! He has a child! Do you think my father cares? That kid could be an orphan in a matter of days if we tell the truth!” I nearly shouted.

He shook his head but seemed to understand what I was saying, even if he didn’t look happy about it. “Just… go shower, and I’ll get you some clothes. We’ll figure out the rest later.”

“Wait, Lucian!”

He paused, looking at me with a hint of fatigue, and I knew I was asking a lot from him.

“Thank you.”

His expression softened, and he walked closer, placing a hand on my cheek, surprising me as his thumb gently ran over my skin. “I was really worried,” he said, his intense green eyes locking onto mine.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

He shook his head gently. “Don’t be. It’s not your fault, okay?”

I nodded slowly as he took a step back, giving me a small smile before leaving me to shower in peace. When I emerged, it seemed he had done some late shopping. I was surprised a store was still open, but I was grateful to change into clean clothes—a white shirt, black slacks, and… I smiled as I noticed the pink socks he had picked out for me. He somehow just knew.