Hideout

T W E N T Y F I V E

Hi, all! Here's another update. A bit of a filler but it is what it is! More exciting chapters to come :) 

C H A P T E R 

T W E N T Y      F I V E 

L E O 

"I can't stop seeing them," Adelaide whispered.

We were both lying side by side in bed. The emergency meeting had ended hours ago, but neither of us could seem to fall asleep. "I'm sorry," I told her. "I shouldn't have told you not to look. I should have just grabbed you and ran."

The girl sighed deeply, shaking her head. "It isn't your fault. I would have tried to look no matter what. I just... who could hurt two people like that?"

I reached over and let my fingers brush through her hair repeatedly, smiling as Adelaide sat herself up just enough to crawl onto my chest. She laid so that she was resting across my chest, with her legs on the mattress. We were face to face, eye to eye.

"You're an Alpha. I bet you have had to fight people before. Have you ever, and I mean ever, done something so violent?" Addie asked, voice trembling.

I shook my head. "I have hurt people. But if they passed at my hands, they were given proper and honorable burials, as they passed as warriors defending their packs. Even against my worst enemies, I have never considered harming someone in such a way," I explained honestly. The thought of admitting to her that I had killed in my lifetime made me feel shameful, but it was the reality of my position. When people threatened my pack and my borders, action had to be taken. But I was not cruel. I was just and tried to make it quick, when i had to.

Adelaide drew an imaginary circle on my chest thoughtfully before looking up at me through her lashes. "Did... Who is going to tell their families?"

"Brett. That's why he left the meeting so early with Emerson. She was originally going to call them, but they decided being there in person would be much better. They're great at that sort of thing. Much better than me," I answered, playing with her hair.

She snorted. "That isn't surprising."

My hand cupped her face, thumb brushing the outline of her birthmark. "I have only ever been cruel to you," I murmured, referring back to my earlier comment.

Adelaide didn't say anything. Mostly because we both knew it was true. She wouldn't deny it and I didn't expect her to. We sat there in silence for several minutes, me switching between playing with her hair, scratching her back, and tracing the beautiful markings on her shoulder and face. I was hoping it would make her tired, but as soon as I stopped, her bright eyes opened again.

"So what happens now?" Adelaide asked.

"Each pack has a team of investigators. Mine is comprised of about five people; a couple trackers, a couple warriors, and one person who is a retired detective. They are at the scene now marking everything and taking evidence. They will work quickly so that the two victims can be removed from the scene, examined, and then given proper burials by their families. Tomorrow morning, I'll have to go to the scene and oversee the progress for the rest of the day," I explained. "Then they start investigating. Each day, they will bring me an update of their progress. Once we found out who did this, and we will find them, I am going to kill them."

Adelaide nodded softly. Once again, we were immersed in silence. This time, neither of us moved. "Leo, I won't be able to sleep."

"Me neither."

"Can we go to the beach?"

I couldn't help but grin at her. "Go bundle up."

Adelaide grinned, pushing herself off of me and all but running to the closet to get dressed in warm gear. The beach was quickly becoming the one place where we could be at peace.

While Addie dressed, I found a couple blankets we could use on the sand and threw on a pair of shoes and a sweatshirt. I wouldn't need much else, as I ran much warmer than most other wolves did. But little Addie ended up putting on yoga pants, sweats on top of those, a long sleeved undershirt, a sweater over that, and then she stole an old leather jacket of mine that i hadn't worn in years. Next, she put on some crazy-colored, fuzzy socks before tying combat boots to her feet and deemed she was ready.

"In the top drawer, I have several beanies. Wear one," I told her. "Your little ears will freeze off otherwise."

~ ~ ~

Twenty minutes later, the two of us were sitting on the sand. Adelaide was setting between my legs and we had two blankets wrapped around us to shield us from the wind. The ocean air was blowing her hair into my face, but I didn't mind. Her scent mixed with the breeze was so comforting to me. With all of the other chaos around us, this moment it was just my mate and I.

How we had gotten here and why she was still with me, I didn't know. I surely didn't deserve this after the way I acted in the beginning.

Adelaide leaned against me more and let out a content sigh. "You're so warm," she mumbled.

"Thank you," I chuckled, kissing the top of her head. "You're beautiful."

The girl grinned up at me. "I don't think I'll ever get used to hearing someone say that," she confessed shyly.

Using one hand to hold her chin, I bent my head to press a chaste kiss to her lips. Even as close as we had gotten, she still managed to blush as I did so. After several small kisses, she pulled away from me. "Leo?"

"Yes, princess?"

"Everything is going to be alright... right?" she asked, voice becoming sad.

My embrace on her tightened, drawing us as close together as I could manage. I was never sure what the future held, but it seemed brighter when I had Addie in the picture with me; alongside me. "Yes. Everything will be alright."