It Also Happens To Alphas

Chapter 1

"I used to wonder how loud friendship howls could be."

It was 8 AM on a Sunday morning and thus decidedly too early when the sound of the television yanked Derek out of his sleep.

Even though he'd been a light sleeper for years it took the 32-year old Alpha a moment to wake up fully, his brows furrowed in confusion as little chipper voices continued singing about fun, hearts, kindness, and magic.

Yawning, Derek turned to check the empty space on the mattress next to him, ruefully staring at the little crumbs of chocolate cookie on the pillow for a moment.

Strictly speaking, Derek knew that late-night cookie extravaganzas might not make it into Your Guide To Awesome Parenting anytime soon.

He also knew that, at eight and a half years old, Caleb was starting to get too old to sleep in his room.

The sad truth of the matter was, however, that after so many years of living in a closet-sized apartment in one of the shadiest areas of New York City, Derek felt better knowing that his little boy was right beside him.

Their new house was on the small side, so it was almost impossible for Caleb to not be close to him at all times, but Derek was more than willing to give them both an adjustment period.

Both of them had a lot to adjust to, following their move all the way across the country.

Beacon Hills was a far cry from the busy streets of New York, where a police siren was never far away and people didn't look at you when you passed them on the street. It was a small town in Northern California, where most residents had known each other for decades and the local Sheriff was the town's biggest celebrity.

When he'd left his own small hometown for college, Derek couldn't have possibly imagined a future in which he'd willingly move back to a small town, his heart set on a brilliant future in the big city from the moment he'd been old enough to understand the difference.

Of course, young naïve and innocent Derek of the past was long gone, replaced by a weary and tired Derek who was forever balancing on the edge of turning into a very bitter old man long before his time.

At 32, Derek wasn't old, of course, but some days he felt like he'd lived through the heartache of a century and had the battle wounds to prove it.

In the living room, the little voices kept singing and Derek sighed, rubbing his eyes and remembering to count his blessings.

Their new house was small and a little old, but it was well insulated and would be warm in the winter, there were no rat infestations and Derek could go to sleep at night without having to worry about burglars paying them a visit, so he was already quite in love with the new place.

Luckily, Caleb adored the new house and Derek was more than able and also quite willing to overlook cracks in the wallpaper and the creaking floorboards because – despite its cosmetic imperfections – it was theirs.

It was theirs, it was safe, and, most importantly, it was an entire continent away from her.

Rationally, Derek knew she wasn't going to follow them this time and that they finally had a shot at leading a normal life.

Rationally.

However, the cookie crumbles on the pillow were a deceptively innocent reminder of the struggles that lay behind and the tough road still ahead of them.

Derek rubbed his fists against his eyes tiredly, as if the motion could shoo away the images in his head.

There'd been less and less rough nights like the last one ever since they had moved to Beacon Hills to start their new life three weeks ago and Derek was grateful for small favors but he was also tired.