The Art Of Sneezing

Chapter 49

Taylor growls at me as I eat my midnight pizza. "Next time, wake me up. I'm happy you're eating, but you don't need to talk to anyone from Crescent."

        I scoff through a mouthful of food. "What, like, Alexander? Ugh, forget him. He's a wimp."

        Lies. Lies. Lies.

        "Hmmm," he hums. "Your mark must be fading from not  being near him. Is your heat soon? That could be a factor in this sudden change of heart. Or maybe, the lost connection with your wolf doesn't let you feel how you should. Whatever it is, I like it."

        Swallowing down more pizza, I try to act casual although every cell in my body is begging for my mate.

        "I'm tired," I suddenly announce. Another lie. There's no way I'll be able to sleep without Alexander one more night. Two days. Leaving the pizza box on the kitchen counter, I walk out and turn left. "Whoah there, Speedy." Taylor says as he grabs my arm. "This way."

        I lift my chin and walk the other way to get to Taylor's room. "I knew that." We reach his room where I immediately make my way to the bed. His arm slides around me in the dark, making me yelp. "No!"

        "What?"

        "I - uh - stink. No deodorant. You don't need to smell that."

        I can hear the are-you-insane tone laced in his next words. "I'm sure I can handle it, Riley." He pulls me close once again. "You're meeting the pack tomorrow. I'll have something nice for you to wear." I sigh to myself.

        Two days.

Alexander's POV

The phone goes dead in my hand. I let out a frustrated yell and punch the bathroom mirror.

         If he lays one finger on her . . .

        We'll tear him to shreds, my wolf finishes.

        We growl at the thought of Taylor even touching our mate.

          I mindlink the little group from earlier - Alphas, Betas, and Derek. 'I have Rogue numbers and patrol schedule.'

        'How?' Alpha Black questions.

        'Riley called me from Taylor's phone. He was asleep and she took it. She'd just read me these things before he caught her.'

        'What?!' The exlamation comes from Grayson, Derek, and Daniel.

        'How could you let her -'

        'What happened -'

        'Is she okay?'

        I growl in annoyance at everyone talking at once. 'Shut up!' It's crazy that even sharing my power, un-mated, I can command an Alpha and rightful Alpha.

        There's silence in my mind.

        'She can make it two more days.' I sigh. 'She has to.'

        'Let's meet up and go over your information, Alpha Crescent.' Alpha Black pipes.

        'Right. My meeting room in 5.' They're staying in the pack house, so this isn't a problem.

        Grayson - who has Alpha Collins watching over his pack back home - speaks. 'My Luna wishes to attend.'

        My chest tightens, my wolf missing it's mate. 'That's fine. Jaycee can come, too.' I tell Alpha Black. 'Betas mates as well.'

        'Yes Alpha.' They all reply and I feel a rush through my body. Commanding these strong wolves makes me even stronger, but I can't let it go to my head. Riley wouldn't let it go to her head.

        A phone rings and I quickly realize it's not mine. It's Riley's. Walking over to the bedside table, I answer the phone hesitantly. "Hello?"

        "Who is this?"

        I repeat the woman's question back to her. "Who is this?"

        "I am Riley's mother. Where is my daughter?"

        Riley's mom? I don't think we've met.

        "She's busy, Ms. Rivers. I'm her boyfriend, Alexander."

        "Boyfriend? No, Derek is her boyfriend. Who are you, some stalker? What have you done to Riley?"

        I growl lowly at her words. "Riley is my girlfriend, not Derek's. Maybe if you were a better mother, you'd know that Derek abused her for three years! I haven't done anything to her except mend the broken heart you left her with. It was nice talking to you, Ms. Rivers." I hang up the phone and place it in my pocket to walk to the meeting room.

        "That many?" Alpha Black exclaims. Then he sighs, "I have 463 available warriors that will fight."

        "512," Grayson says.

        "If I can get Cross," Derek begins. "I'd say about 420."

        They turn to me. When I tell them how many I have, they will be shocked. No one outside of my pack really knows our true numbers, just that we're larger than normal. I clear my throat. "About a thousand of my wolves are over eighteen and prepared to fight."

        The Alpha's still.

        "How many members do you have, Alexander?"

        "Over two thousand. It doesn't matter, though. What matters is getting Riley back."