The Code of The Alpha

Chapter Thirty-Eight - An Understanding

After Clara disconnected the call, we all sat in silence for a few moments, letting her information settle in.

"I'll go ahead and connect with Ben so we can get the remainder of the infrared cameras set up along the gates," Lincoln said.

"I'll order more motion sensors," Blaine added. "We can get those up and running in by tomorrow evening, at the latest. I've got a guy in town who can get them to me by morning."

Luca nodded before turning to Bates.

"Call an Elders meeting for tomorrow morning at five," he said. "We're going to figure out a way to get everyone within the gates. Let them know we're going to start daily temperature checks and to be brainstorming ideas to acquire and log the information."

Bates nodded.

"Keep everyone on high alert for the next twenty-four hours," Luca continued, speaking to all three of them. "We'll convene again tomorrow before the elders meeting."

They all nodded, pulling out their phones to contact the necessary people.

Luca stood up, turning to me.

"Let's go."

I wordlessly followed him down the staircase and outside to his truck. I, again, opened my door for myself as Luca climbed into the driver's side of the cab.

We drove home in silence, the awkward tension between us suffocating.

I knew he was likely thinking about the meetings and responsibilities he would be attending to the next morning, so I remained silent.

As Luca pulled into the garage, I got out of the truck and began to walk towards the door to go inside.

I stopped as I realized he wasn't following me.

Turning to him, my eyebrows furrowed.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

My words pulled him from deep thought and he looked over to me from where he stood on the other side of his truck.

"I'm fine."

I began to take a step forward.

"Are you sure?"

Luca nodded curtly.

"I'm going up to my office to get a few things done," he said, walking towards the door to go upstairs.

He opened the door and slammed it behind him quickly, leaving me to stand in the garage and wonder what his problem was.

I tried to think back.

Was he upset about what Clara had said? Has it made him nervous?

I shook my head at the thought.

No, he was upset before we got there.

Then I remembered what happened at the gate: He had started acting cold as soon as he'd smelled Alpha Reid's scent on me.