The Alpha's Brother

Chapter One

"Goooooood morning! It's six o'clock on the dot and it's looking like another beautiful day here in Aurora, Virginia. Today is September 2nd, 2017 for all you time travelers out there and if you're new to the show, I'm your host, Maxwell..."

Caroline smacked her hand down on her alarm clock, silencing the voice booming through the speakers. She rested there for a moment, listening for movement inside the two bedroom house, hoping and praying that the sound hadn't woken him up. Two minutes later and she sighed with relief, stepping out of bed onto plush, cream colored carpet that softened her footsteps as she padded to the bathroom.

She relished these mornings, the ones where she could go through her morning ritual in peace. Showering, brushing her teeth and getting dressed were all done much easier when there wasn't someone following after her with the same amount of patience as a firecracker. She kept an eye on the time, 6:26 AM, as she pulled a pair of light blue skinny jeans from her drawer and a beige, oversized knit sweater from her closet. Four minutes and she had to get him up and eating, otherwise they would be late.

"Chase, wake up, baby." She knelt down next to his toddler bed, blue and green with Mickey Mouse sheets, and ruffled his dark brown hair. "Come on, it's time to go to school."

He lifted his head, gazing at her with sleepy green eyes. A smile lifted the corners of his lips and he wrapped his arms around her neck in a tight hug, his little body conforming to hers as his legs snaked around her waist. Caroline stood up and carried him to the kitchen, sitting him at the table while she poured him a bowl of cereal.

"Did you have a good sleep?" She asked, stealing a glance in his direction as she splashed milk over his Fruit Loops.

He nodded quietly, tiny hands rubbing his eyes. "Yeah, I had a good sleep." He smiled at her widely as she put the bowl in front of him. He ate a few bites greedily and then wiped the milk from his lips. "I had a dream that there was a big man and he was so, so big that when the doctor gave him medicine, he broke the cup."

Caroline giggled and shook her head. "Wow, that sounds so interesting." When he beamed at her with another mouth full of food, she pressed a kiss to his forehead. "I'm going to go get your clothes. Hurry up and eat, we have to leave soon." 6:42, they had 18 minutes to get out the door and into the car. She left him at the kitchen table and grabbed all of his things, as well as hers. When he finished eating, she wiped his face and dressed him, put on his backpack, and ushered him out into the brisk September morning.

At 6:58 they were backing out of the driveway and on their way to school. They were on time. It was only a 15 minute drive. What she didn't account for in her meticulous time checking was the large, bright orange tractor that took up the entire street, rumbling along at 20 MPH. Caroline beat her thumbs against the steering wheel impatiently, her gaze constantly dropping to the clock as the minutes ticked by.

Finally, after 28 minutes, the tractor turned onto a dusty road and she sped past him, glancing over at its driver in annoyance. "First day of school and you're going to be late." She muttered bitterly, glancing around anxiously for the road that lead to Derek P. Vassily Elementary.

"Mommy, I love you." Chase reached over to touch her arm, and the anger in her chest melted away. She reached over to hold his hand, brushing her thumb gently over his little knuckles.

"I love you too, baby." She let go of him to turn left, and before she knew it, the school was in view, nestled amongst the red and gold trees. She pulled in, the parking lot already mostly quiet. There were a few stray parents, which made her feel slightly better, as well as a group of women standing outside of the blue double doors engaged in conversation. Caroline's heart started to flutter. "Come on, let's hurry up and get inside."