Chapter 10

When I awoke the next morning, I’m not sure what I was expecting but this wasn’t it.

Beta Lucas lay with half the pillows on the bed behind him, so he was sitting up. Noticing I had woken up. “Good morning sunshine. You hungry. Don’t worry I’m cooking.” He said. His tone cheerful and playful.

“Good to know you feed your hostages.” I grumbled back at him.

“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!” He protested. Lifting his hands and shaking them back and forth. “You’re not a hostage. You’re free to leave.” He paused. “Whenever you want.” He finished.

“Is that so?” I propped my head up and looked at him.

“Absolutely, if you WANT to leave. You can.” His obvious over pronunciation of the word want had my attention.

“You think I want to stay here?” I asked. “I have to go to work. Tommy and CeCe are expecting me.” I said sternly.

The laughter that came from him was downright insulting. “You’re one job is keeping the Alpha happy. It’s a pretty posh job if you ask me. Hell given the chance I might consider swinging his way. Sadly, neither of us is into dudes. Don’t worry about Tommy and CeCe, they have been more than adequately compensated for your absence. "He laughed again before tossing a pillow at me.

Getting up he walked over to one of the doors and pushed it open. The door led to a bathroom, four shower heads in the walls and ceiling of a large glass walled shower and a big free-standing tub with what looked like a waterfall for a faucet. Two sinks were side by side with a mirror running the length of the wall.

“Wash your ass, we need to get you some clothes. Can’t belong to the Alpha and look like that.” He crinkled his nose playfully.

He went and laid back down on the bed.

“You’re just going to wait in here.” I asked in a disapproving tone.

“Well, ya, my whole job now is to babysit you. Have to keep you entertained and make you presentable. You’re the Alpha’s prize possession. His shiny new toy.” He laughed before turning on the tv.

Struggling to work the shower there were enough handles to work a whole house in here. I kept huffing and swearing under my breath before Beta Lucas poked his face around the door. “Need a hand.” He wiggled his eyebrows flirtatiously.

“Where did you get this shower? Did you borrow it from NASA?” I said plopping down on the side of the tub.

“Nope, just make it extra difficult so damsels in distress have to call for help while naked.” He said with a wink.

“How would the Alpha feel about you being so flirty.” I teased.

“Oh, he’d kill me. He’d have my head on a steak for sure.” He told me as he walked out of the room.

“Guess you better be nice to me, or I’ll rat you out.” I joked.

“You do that, and he will have some boring old toad watching after you.” He called back from the bedroom.

“Ok then, you mind telling me what’s going on here?” I called out over the running water.

“I’m going to need you to be more specific.” He called back.

“Why does everyone call Colton Alpha?”

“That’s an easy one because he’s the Alpha.” He said back in an overly sarcastic tone.

“Fine! What is an Alpha then?” I yelled back.

“The Alpha. The leader. The head of the pack.” He called back mater off factly.

“Oh yes. It’s as clear as mud now.” I said jokingly as I shut off the water.

“I don’t understand your confusion.” I heard his voice getting closer. He handed a robe to me, reaching his arm around the door frame not looking in. “What was your old pack like? We’re you exiled or released? We kinda have a pool going. I’m betting on exiled with that attitude your wolf has.”

“I don’t know what you're talking about and why do you guys keep saying my wolf? Are you all crazy?” I said as I came out of the bathroom.

Beta Lucas sat on the bed with a hard thud. His eyes grew large as he looked around the room then at me. “Wait! Holy shit! You don’t even know what you are do you?”

“My therapist says I’m schizophrenic with a dissociative disorder. Guess I should have opened with that. I’m a doctor diagnosed crazy person.”

Beta Lucas toppled over grabbing his side and laughing so hard he snorted.

I walked over and pushed him. “It’s not funny! Don’t make fun of me.”

He only laughed harder having trouble catching his breath.

Finally, Laila chimed in. “Good plan, have him laugh himself to death. Then we grab the keys and make a break for it.”

“The bedroom door isn’t even closed all the way you dingbat.” I told her. “Besides I don’t want him to die. He promised me breakfast and I’m starving.”

Beta Lucas couldn’t seem to gain control of his laughter, after a few minutes I was sick of it. Grabbing the bed spread I pulled hard. Dragging him off the bed he hit the floor with a solid crash.

“What the hell is so funny?” I stood in front of him. Arms crossed.

“You think you’re some kind of crazy person.” He said wiping the tears from his eyes and trying to regain his composure.

“That’s what everyone at the orphanage said.” I told him. My voice giving away my sadness.

“You were raised in a human orphanage?” He asked. His voice getting deathly serious.

“After the Doctor diagnosed me, he said it wasn’t safe for me to live with my foster family anymore.” I could no longer hold back the tears.

“Oh Amanda.” He said in a comforting tone. Getting up from the floor and wrapping his arms around me. He pulled me into a hug so tight I almost couldn’t breathe.

“You're not crazy, you’re a werewolf.”