Taking What's His

Chapter 21

I curled my legs up on the armchair, leaning against the soft arm as I turned the page of the book I held one-handedly. Taking a sip of my tea with the other, the honey-sweetened early grey only lukewarm now but I couldn't be bothered to move from my comfy position to go warm it.

I glanced out through the window across from me as I turned another page, seeing the snowfall serenely outside and admiring the pretty view it made for a moment before returning my attention to my book. I had always been a huge fan of reading, and there was nothing quite as peaceful as curling up with a good book while it snowed or rained outside. Though there were few things I enjoyed doing that I could continue while trapped in the Alpha's house, reading was one of them and it provided me with a very much needed mental escape.

It did also help tremendously that the Alpha had been quite busy in the past few days. Though I rarely paid much attention to what he was saying, from what I gathered there were some families transferring over to his pack and the process was taking up most of his time.

I was waiting eagerly for when he would eventually have to meet with them to welcome them to the pack, giving me the perfect opportunity to finally make use of the phone Ethan had given me. It was hidden in a drawer wrapped in a towel in one of the bathrooms of the many spare rooms in the Alpha's giant house.

Fortunately I had actually managed to find a couple comfortable reading spots as well while wandering his house. He had tried to argue for me to continue reading in his office as he worked but given up when I told him trying to concentrate while he took phone calls gave me a headache.

I was quite partial to the particular guest room I was in since it had a large light brown armchair that was perfect to curl up on as I read. Another one of the rooms - a bit too close to his office for my liking - had a window seat but it had no pillows or blankets to make it comfortable. Had this been my own house I would have bought some but I wasn't going to start decorating the Alpha's house. It would give him the wrong idea and make him far too hopeful about my acceptance of this as my home.

I spent most of my day in either of those spots and saw little of the Alpha except for during meals which he made sure to always eat with me and at bedtime, though he was always gone before I woke up. Majority of the day I was left to my own devices and with little else to do I was steadily making my way through the books I had purchased on our trip to the bookstore. At the rate I was going, it wouldn't be long before I would have to ask him to take me again.

I could watch something on the television but whenever I tried my mind would wander, and I would find myself missing my old life that was beginning to feel more like a distant dream with each day that passed. It made me unbearably sad to think I could never return to that life, even if I did succeed in getting away from the Alpha I would never see my family again.

The telltale lump forming at the back of my throat had me shaking my head to rid myself of those thoughts and forcing myself to focus on the words before me again. Reading over the words again and again until they began to form an image in my head and I was immersed in the story once more.

Just as I went to turn the page, the door to the room I was in was swung open abruptly and hit the wall with a bang that made me flinch. I looked up with wide eyes as the Alpha stormed towards me, stooping down to slip an arm under my legs and another behind my back to heave me up into his chest. Ignoring my surprised yelp he settled down into the chair I was in and set me down in his lap.

"What are you-?" I started but was startled into silence as he forced my head to lay against his chest.

"If I stayed another moment in that office I think I may have destroyed it. I shouldn't have to be away from my mate on a full moon." The Alpha grumbled, zealously pulling me in closer.