Chapitre 4

I left the city behind and continued to follow the path to the two newly built log homes. The wind blew red leaves from the forest into the street. Light flickered in Gamma Johnson's window.

I swallowed.

Without thinking, I turned to Alpha Eros' house, which lay dim and deserted next to it. Worst first. I knocked and held my breath.

Please don't be there...

After what felt like an eternity, I was still greeted by yawning silence. I took my keys out of my coat and turned them in the lock.

Darkness greeted me and at the same time a familiar smell of home. In the supposed calm, my heart was beating in my throat. I crept into the living room, where the curtains covered the windows and hardly let in any light.

I placed the basket on our former dining table and unpacked half of the food. The fireplace with the firewood was still untouched. Maybe he hadn't even been here before.

I grabbed the basket and tiptoed back outside. My shoulders relaxed as the lock clicked back into place.

One of two done. I had survived Alpha Eros. I stomped over to Gamma Johnson's door.

I knocked.

Footsteps pounded the floor. The door slammed open and an angry blue-eyed werewolf glared down at me. His blond hair was pulled back severely.

"What do you want, human?!"

So that was Gamma Johnson.

What sunshine.

I raised the basket protectively in front of me. Maybe if he got something to eat he would calm down.

"Alpha Fenrir wanted me to cook..."

His gaze darted to the basket and then back to me. Confusion was written all over Gamma Johnson's face. I held out the basket to him. Who could resist a good wine and fresh cake?

The slamming of the door in front of my nose taught me otherwise. I stared at the wood. That had never happened to me before. Here in the pack, I'd almost forgotten that people weren't always so friendly.

I shrugged my shoulders.

Who does not want it, already has it.

Then Uncle Theo at least had a warm dinner, good wine and cake for dessert. I turned my back on the houses. Now I had a little time to go into the forest and look for Frido before the sun went down.

Tommy had probably lost it by the big rocks. This was his favorite place. I looked around once, but no one seemed to see me.

Nobody was there.

I trudged into the woods with the basket in the crook of my arm. The leaves crunched a little too loudly for my liking under my footsteps and I pulled the red hood over my head for safety.

The city disappeared behind the treetops and only the flat sun penetrated the labyrinth of tree trunks with me. The mouse-grey rocks appeared in the distance. They leaned against each other.

Tommy often hid between them while Lizzy sunbathed on the stones. I put the basket on the leafy ground and peered into Tommy's hiding place. Nothing but leaves, sticks and chestnuts were lying around. Not a brown scrap of cloth in sight.

I climbed up the rock. The surface under my hands was as usual rough as tree bark. When I got to the top, nothing awaited me except moss. I looked up at the oak tree swaying in the breeze by the stones.

Next to the brown-red leaves, which the wind has not yet been able to blow away, Frido hung over a branch in the crown.

I sighed loudly.

Tommy must have thrown it up and didn't get it down again. With one leap I jumped off the rock and onto the tree trunk. I was grateful that I was still wearing my sweaty work clothes under the coat and not a dress. I climbed up the branches. But under my hands they slowly became thinner.

I stayed.

Frido was hanging too high. If I kept climbing, the branches would collapse.

I hesitated.

What should I do?

I looked down. A fall could break some bones. A flash of inspiration hit me. I crawled on all fours to the thin branches and with all my strength I broke one out. From this position, I poked at the air for the scrap of fabric.

"Come on," I mumbled, leaning further forward.

But all efforts were in vain. I couldn't reach Frido from my knees. Maybe if I get up...

"Can I help?"

My gaze darted around like a startled cat. A shock ran through my body and I almost lost my balance.

There was a man down there.

A werewolf.

His stature gave him away.

He wore an amused grin as he watched me. His black hair was tousled. I had never seen him here before, I would have noticed him immediately. His blue eyes sparkled when he saw me. They looked familiar to me from somewhere...

Heat shot into my cheeks.

"Thanks, I'll be fine." "Very well," he replied, but he continued to watch me.

With the same eyes the wolf had stared at me with this afternoon. My heart beat faster at the realization.

"You are Alpha Eros."

I had imagined him very differently.

Especially older.

But he was young and athletic with a typical werewolf build. He shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Correctly. And you're the girl my whole house smells like."

I just asked myself a question:

Why wasn't I dead yet?

I nervously traced the grooves in the tree bark with my fingers. My cheeks felt like hot magma. The crackling of leaves drew my attention back to Alpha Eros.

His eyes had left me and were focused on the basket. He picked it up off the floor and examined the contents. With a leap he jumped onto the rock and sat down. Alpha Eros seemed to find what he was looking for and took the piece of apple pie from the basket.

"Hey, this isn't for you!"

Our eyes crossed again and he raised an eyebrow. From up here I couldn't do anything but watch.

"Oh sorry," he said ironically. "Do you wish to discuss this matter with Alpha Fenrir?"

I grumbled. He knew very well that we were forbidden to go into the forest. But for some reason I also knew that he wouldn't betray me. At least as long as he could have the apple pie.

It must have been good entertainment for him. He looked amused as I hugged the tree up here.

"Don't let me stop you on your...mission," he said, looking back at the food.

He started eating the cake and I rolled my eyes.

werewolves...

But he was right. I still had an errand to do. I could take care of Alpha Eros later. The cake was lost anyway.

I gripped the cane tighter and began to sit up. My hands let go of the branch I was perched on and very slowly I stood up, arms outstretched for balance.

"What are you doing?" the deep voice asked from below, but my eyes were focused on the scraps of cloth above my head.

I slowly raised the stick.

"Are you crazy? Get down there right now."

I ignored the Alpha's command. I almost made it. What was his problem? With the stick I managed to push Frido down one side of the tree. The scrap of cloth sailed through the air towards the leafy ground.

Made!

Suddenly my foot broke off. I slid sideways. A little scream escaped me as I fell. My fingers gripped the branch I'd been standing on before. The cane drummed on the floor.

A growl drew my eyes down. Right below me stood Alpha Eros, ready to catch me. But his eyes were not blue. They were as black and shiny as charcoal.

I swallowed.

Now he was really angry.

My arms pulled me back onto the branch with all my might, and I backed up against the tree trunk. My heart was racing with excitement and usually that was one of the reasons I loved climbing; but not today.

"COME UNDER."

His words left no room for objection. Under normal circumstances, I wasn't afraid of werewolves. But when the human was no longer in control and the beast was in control, one could only hope.

I climbed down carefully, very careful about my grips and kicks. My heart was still beating wildly in my chest. Only now did I notice how the last golden rays of the sun were sinking in the distance.

The leaves crunched under my feet as I felt solid ground again. However, the dark presence in front of me overshadowed any happiness about it.

I guess I was in real trouble now.