Don't Hold Your Breath

Chapter Two

A few hours later, I was checked into room #313 at some hotel in the downtown district of whatever city I'd thrown myself into. 

I looked around the pristine room, pleased, and collapsed onto the plush white king sized bed in the middle of the room. I powered on my phone and was surprised to see that I had twenty missed calls and about thirty text messages. I dialed up my voice mail and heard the all too familiar sound of my brother yelling at me. 

"ALYSSA BRYNN CARTER, YOU DO NOT DISRESPECT ME OR YOUR PACK THAT WAY! GET HOME RIGHT NOW!" he yelled. Next. 

"Alyssa Brynn, where the hell are you?! If you don't answer me in ten minutes, I'm sending out searchers. We can't have the pack's reputation spoiled like this," my brother said, this time trying to calm down. Moving on.

The next message was from Jason himself. "Alyssa, please come home now. Your brother's really mad at you. As the alpha of your pack, I command you to return," he said firmly, in his alpha voice. But it had no effect on me whatsoever. I no longer knew him. He wasn't my alpha, and he certainly wasn't my mate. I half expected myself to be heartbroken and weak, but that wasn't me anymore. I couldn't let them win, by knowing they'd gotten to me. I guess in a way they had gotten to me, since I had run away, but it had been my choice. 

I ignored the messages and the threats to track me down, and withing the hour, the messages stopped. They'd given up. The only reason they needed me back was because their precious pack would have a vacancy, and that was the sign of a weakening pack. They never really did care about me anyway. 

I decided to head down to the hotel restaurant and see if I could pick up any scents. Maybe I could find a friendly pack that could give me a bit of advice, and I was probably safe enough staying here for a while as a rogue. It would be easier for my old pack to track me down though, because I still carried their old stench slightly; but I could also tell that they might mark me for a rogue as well.  Oh well. 

I jogged over to the elevator and waited for a second until it opened up. I glided inside and turned to the nobody standing inside it with me. He was tall, and had windswept brown hair and blue grey eyes. Now that was a somebody. 

His eyes widened when I turned to him. "Rogue," he whispered the word fearfully. 

I shook my head. "Don't worry, I'm not the bad kind. I just rejected my pack today, and... well, it's a long story. And I'm guessing you're a were too?" I asked him quietly. He nodded. 

"You rejected your pack?" he asked carefully. 

"Yeah, it's like a said. A really long story," I replied. 

"I've got time," he said, just as the elevator doors slid open. We stepped out.  "Wanna sit down at the restaurant?" 

I shook my head again. "Too public. Do you know of somewhere safer?" 

"Yeah. Come with me," he said. "And I didn't get a name from you," he added, turning around. 

"You didn't ask, but it's Alyssa. Alyssa Brynn Carter," I said. 

"Ethan. Ethan Chance Aarons," he said, imitating me. I made a face at him. He grinned. 

"Okay, well Ethan Chance Aarons, where are you taking me?" I asked, smirking. 

"Just to this coffee place around the corner, it's awesome," he said. I followed him down the street to a cafe wedged in between two tall buildings. The glass was scrubbed brightly despite it's aged appearance, and the brick was worn, but it seemed homey. Ethan opened the door for me and an old bell rang above my head. 

 The air was heavily laden with the sweet scent of coffee and fresh baked goods. The walls were lined with old pictures and books, and soft armchairs. Ethan led me to the counter.