Chapter 7 GRANT
GRANT
I wake up with a start, nearly jumping out of bed. I manage to catch myself, though, rubbing my face as I lie back down.
I'm not one to fall back asleep, so this is it for me. I wait in bed for a few minutes, trying to figure out where I am before getting up.
The sun is already high in the sky, but I can tell it hasn't been there very long. I look around my bedroom, feeling a draft coming from the open window.
This holds my attention for a few seconds before yawning and stretching. Finally, I get out of bed.
My body is a little stiff, but I'm used to this sort of thing at my age. I may only be middle-aged, but that's more than enough. If I was human, I doubt I'd be able to jump out of bed as easily as someone like Leena.
The second she enters my mind, I realize we haven't seen each other in quite some time. Our first official day together at the pack house involved a lot less communication than I expected. Hopefully, today will be much different.
“Maybe they're right,” I yawn. “Going to sleep at four in the morning may not be the best thing for me.”
I shake my head before going to the sink to brush my teeth, followed by a quick shower to wash off the grit and grime. By the time I step out, I feel refreshed and more like myself again.
I walk out of the bedroom, half expecting to be greeted with the sound of snoring. Instead, I hear nothing at all. I knock on Leena’s door, even though I'm pretty sure she isn't there.
She must be downstairs.
My stomach growls, but it knows by now that I'm the one in charge. The fact that I have some control over my hunger urges is something I abuse far too much.
I take the stairs two at a time, landing heavily on the sturdy steps. About halfway, my nose jumps into another gear, fed by a delicious scent. “What the hell is going on?”
I finish my journey downstairs, walking into the kitchen like it's on fire.
There's a feast waiting for me on the kitchen island, complete with eggs, bacon, sausages, and pancakes. I stare at the mountain of food in awe. It draws me in, and I don't even try to resist.
I start scarfing down the meal. A great thing about being the alpha is knowing that I can eat anything in my home without asking first.
“Molly didn't make this,” I muse, taking yet another sausage into my mouth. “Why is this so good?”
Molly's cooking is great, of course, it's why she's the chef in the first place. However, this is different and much better.
I'd never admit it out loud because I'm not about to try and go against the resident chef. However, there's no denying how good this food tastes.
I pick up on something else—the scent of the recently turned shifter coming from outside.
I carry another plate of pancakes and head out the door, meeting the fresh air waiting outside. It doesn't take long for me to spot Leena. She's sitting on a log, looking toward the woods.
I wonder what's going on in her head.
Leena is such a special case. Most people who get turned have such a terrible time adjusting, especially when they have to stay in a pack house.
From what I've been told, Leena has never had much of a social media presence. She seems like a loner, almost fighting against the urge to be in a pack.
Now that she has us, I would've assumed this transition would've been easier. Still, she's clearly having such a miserable time, and I'm sure most of that is because she can't be as close to her family as before.
I appear at her side, still holding my plate of pancakes. “It's a gorgeous view.”
Leena stiffens and turns around. “Oh, hey. Good morning.”
I watch the dark-haired girl with a slightly amused expression. Her eyes glance in my direction before looking back at her previous point of interest.
“Are you scared of me?” I inquire.
“I'm not sure how to answer that.”
I slowly nod before sitting on the log beside her. Leena doesn't move, but she stiffens again, very noticeably. “Thank you for the food.”
She also looks like she doesn't know how to react to that. “You don't have to thank me. I enjoyed making it.”
“I could've guessed that,” I chuckle. “No one makes that much if they don't love to cook.”
“I hope I'm not imposing on Molly's job. I just—”
I wave off her concern with the hand not holding a large plate. “Don't worry about that. She'd love a break, believe me.”
Leena breathes easily and nods. “Thank goodness. She's been so nice, I don't want to get on her nerves.”
“You'd have to be a giant asshole to make the people here hate you. I don't think you have it in you.”
“Hey!” she protests. “You don't know, maybe I'm just a bitch.”
“It would've started with me,” I tell her. “You definitely wouldn't have made me such a great breakfast.”
“Yeah, well you're supposed to have a proper eating schedule now that I'm here. It's sort of my job.”
“The pancakes are really good,” I compliment, stuffing one inside my mouth. “How'd you get them so fluffy?”
“It's something my mom taught me.”
“I see.” I try not to say more, hoping she'll open up on her own and carry the conversation. Luckily, that's exactly what happens.
“We weren't the closest or anything,” she confesses. “I thought maybe that'd change one day. Fat chance of that happening now, huh?” Leena follows this with an uncomfortable chuckle.
I place the now-empty plate on the ground and look into the woods. “Can you smell anything?”
Leena turns to me. “I'm sorry?”
I point at the trees in front of us. “Do you smell anything there?”
My new assistant squints and sniffs the air. She slowly shakes her head. “Um… nothing but dirt and trees. It smells good though, kinda like how it is after it rains.”
“I can agree with that, but there's so much more to smell. Let's try something. Close your eyes.” She gives me a lingering look before obeying the instruction. “Good, now give the air another good sniff.”
Leena releases a breath before replacing it with a long sniff. I watch her brain work while her eyes are still closed. She frowns, still keeping her eyelids shut. Finally, she opens them.
“There's… I don't know how to explain it. It feels like there's a little something, but it's… it's…”
“Too far for you,” I finish. I turn back to the woods, “There's another pack on the outskirts of our land.”
She gives me a confused look. “Like trespassers?”
I shake my head. “No, they would've been if I didn't know about it, but their alpha came to ask for help.”
“Damn, that must've been embarrassing.”
I adjust my position on the log a little. “Anyone can ask for help, and anyone can need help. I'm glad he was finally able to ask.” I can tell that this makes her feel ashamed about what she said before, so I think of something to make her feel better. “You'll be able to do what I just did soon.”
“Give a good pep talk?”
“No,” I reply, laughing. “I mean you'll be able to pick up different scents once you train your nose. It's like exercising; you get better the more you do it.”
This has the opposite effect I want. Leena frowns so deeply that I'm afraid her sorrow will last forever.
“I don't want to learn anything,” she blankly states. “I don't see why I just can't stay the same. It's nice that you can smell things so far away, but I just want to exist and be normal.”
I sigh softly and pick up the plate again from its spot on the grass. “I understand,” I say, standing up.
I'm just going to head inside before I overstay my welcome. We were having such a good time, too.
Leena doesn't move to get up, showing me that I'm doing the right thing by going back inside.
“I'm going to see if I can get some work done.”
“Wasn't that what you were doing all night?”
I shake my head. “Nope, not all night. I slept too.”
My assistant gives me a blank stare. “Oh, yeah? How long then?”
“I'll see you later,” I chuckle, before walking inside. I'm not about to make her as worried about me as everyone else.
I use the fuel from my heavy breakfast to lock myself in. I stay in my office, doing as much as possible and completely losing track of time. There's a knock on the door that startles me.
I rise from my chair and open it. Leena stands there, arms folded. “Hey,” I greet.
I'm starting to get used to her frowning. She still looks beautiful when she does it, and it makes it a little difficult to concentrate on why she's upset in the first place. This time around, she swiftly makes this known to me.
“You need to take a break,” she says pointedly.
I feel like I've just filled my bingo card. These are words I've heard from everyone before. “I don't think so,” I return. “I've barely done anything yet.”
The dismissal in my voice stuns the new wolf. “What? You've been here for hours. Look outside.”
I turn to the window, and my eyes widen slightly. It's clearly past afternoon, bordering on the early hours of evening. I've spent my whole day in here without even being aware.
“Okay, I didn't notice that,” I respond honestly.
“You need to eat something before passing out,” she states. “I made you some more food, it's downstairs.”
Her gray eyes stare at me with determination. She's not about to take no for an answer, and it's more than a little cute. I slowly get lost in the look she's giving me and watch her face soften.
Leena's folded arms drop to her side as I approach her. Her eyes watch me guardedly, sticking with every subtle movement I make. I can hear her breathing catch while her heart pumps blood just a little bit faster.
“Thank you,” I say, tapping her affectionately on the shoulder. The slight contact does more than I expect, immediately flaring up my need to have her close to me.
Leena's scent becomes almost intoxicating, and I find myself leaning even closer.
We're both drawn to each other at that moment. My hand stays on her shoulder, and my fingers slowly slide down her arm. I find myself still leaning, almost falling toward her.
Leena’s breathing grows heavy as I get closer. We share our breaths with only a few inches between our faces.
What is this feeling?
There's an intense urge not to end here. Our scents mix right in front of our eyes, and it smells good. It feels amazing. The softness of the skin on her arm makes me wonder just how soft the rest of her body is.
I want her pressed against me.
My hand gently tugs on her. There's no space left between us. The slightest movement is going to have her lips on mine.
Leena slowly closes her eyes as our lips hover closer to each other, barely separated by a breath. Her eyes suddenly shoot open, and she takes a quick step back.
This snaps me back to reality, but she moves away completely before I can say anything.
“Leena—” It's too late. She runs away, leaving me standing there at the door.
My body is still fighting itself, and I only now realize just how hard I am. If she hadn't stopped us, we might have torn our clothes off and gone at it right there on the floor.
I hear Leena’s door slam shut, and I lean against my own doorframe and sigh.
“What the hell was that?”