Ariadne: Almost an Alpha | ✓

Chapter 61 - Stepping up to the Plate

Chapter 61 - Stepping up to the Plate

    "Why couldn't they have just let you be Alpha again?" Dylan asks, exasperated, as I rifle around in the bills that came in while we were gone. "And I'm not asking that just because I'm really not looking forward to having to deal with those." He pauses, thinking. "When are you going to rejoin the pack anyway?"

    We arrived back in Washington after five days of being in Alpha Addison's pack, and I immediately came clean and shared my whole story to the pack. They took it surprisingly well, but I hadn't rejoined the pack yet. Something is holding me back from that... the same something that holds me back from answering Dylan's question.

    I shrug.

    "What's that supposed to mean?"

    "I don't know. I love our pack, but I..." I let out a long exhale. "He hasn't called."

    "You haven't called him?" he asks, surprised.

    "No."

    Dylan looks at me like I'm stupid.

    "He walked away from me, Dylan," I defend myself, putting stress on the "he" and "me". "It's obvious he doesn't want to talk to me."

    "Geeze love really does make people idiots," he mutters under his breath before responding to me. "Look Ariadne-- and I'm going to be mean here because you deserve it-- you crushed that poor guy's heart, ran halfway across the country, and left him yes, a shitty goodbye note. I'd be upset with you too!

"He stormed in here ready to rip my damn head off over you, within a few hours managed to get an army together to go find you, and then talked you out of getting locked up for the rest of your life. Then, all you had to say was 'I'm sorry.' Now, you are absolutely daft if you think that that man even owes you a damn phone call. It is your turn to step up to the plate."

    As Dylan defends Mateus, I stare at him in shock. "You're right. God, you're absolutely right."

    "Yeah, I know."

    "That's a big plate I've got to step up to."

    "Mmhmm."

-------

    "What are you doing here, Ariadne?"

    I try not to wince at the venom in Sterling's tone as I get out of my car.

Someone from the border must've told him I was coming because when I pulled up to Mateus's pack house, Sterling was standing in the driveway waiting for me with his arms crossed.

    Nathan comes out of the pack house to stand beside Sterling. "As you are currently on this territory without permission, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Nathan states

    "Please, I'd just like to talk to him," I tell them.

    "I think we've heard enough from you to last a lifetime," Sterling says while glaring at me.

    Behind them, the door opens, and Mateus steps outside. "Sterling, Nathan, that's enough."

    Mateus goes back inside, leaving the door open.

From inside the house, Joshua smiles and waves at me.

    "Snitch!" Sterling calls while I walk around the two of them to enter the pack house. "Annette's gone and made you all mushy, Joshua!"

    "He's in his office, Ariadne," Joshua informs me, ignoring them.

    "Thanks, Joshua," I respond, nervously wiping my sweaty hands on my leggings, before starting the walk to Mateus's office.