10. Chapter Ten
Chapter Ten
HARRISON
“Your time is getting better.”
Emily jogs up to me, ponytail swinging with the momentum of her steps. She grins through her ragged breaths, and her flushed cheeks add a brightness to her expression. “It’s getting easier every time, just like you said it would.”
“Pretty soon you’ll be able to beat me.” I punctuate my words with a teasing wink.
She laughs, and it’s the most glorious sound I’ve heard this year.
“I don’t think that will ever happen. I’ve only been able to do the full trail for a month. You’ve been running it since you were what, ten?”
“Seven.”
She arches her brow as if to say, “See?” I just keep smiling at her, enjoying her bright mood and her teasing. Savoring it.
It’s still rare for her to show this side.
She’s remained closed off throughout our months of training, only interacting with me during our time together and otherwise avoiding me completely.
Granted, she’s busy with school work after switching to independent study for the rest of the school year, and I’m busy helping my dad run the pack in addition to supervising early morning warrior trainings.
But aside from the two hours we spend together in the afternoon, she’s nonexistent in my life.
I’d like to change that.
“Get some water. And then we’re running it again.”
“You mean I’m running it again.”
“No.” My smile grows, and my lycan’s expression is a mirror of it in my mind. “I mean we. We’re going to race.”
She scoffs and rolls her eyes. “Harrison, you already know you’ll win.”
“I don’t know that.”
“You’ll win. And if you don’t, I’ll know you let me win, and I’ll never forgive you.”
My lycan’s smile drops, and I can sense him glaring at me, daring me to proceed with my plan to do just that. He doesn’t want her infinite anger. He wants her in his life as much as I do.
“Okay, okay.” I lift my hands in surrender. “I won’t let you win. But I still want to run with you.”
If Brad were here, I’m positive he’d be making whip sound effects behind me.
I don’t care. He wouldn’t be wrong. And he’s just as whipped when it comes to Stephanie, so he has no room to talk.
“All right then, Alpha. Show me what you’ve got.”
The way my entire body reacts when she says alpha like that should be illegal. But I barely have time to process it because she’s sprinting towards the running trail that winds through the forest.
“I thought you’ve been running this trail since you were seven!” she taunts over her shoulder right before she disappears behind the trees. “You’re going rather slow for someone who supposedly knows it so well!”
I smirk and run after her, stripping my shirt off and dropping it into the grass behind me. It’s warm today, and I’ll drench the fabric in less than five minutes if I keep it on. But I’m not letting anything stand in the way of chasing after Emily.