Oh boy, I love this book so much already. It's just too good and it's only just getting started.
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After my second run for the morning, I returned to where Alfie and I usually met. He was rugged up, warm inside his jeans, long sleeved shirt, hoodie and vest. He wore a beanie and had his fists shoved inside his pockets.
"You cold or something, Alf?" I cocked my head at him playfully. Alfie rolled his eyes at me and kicked his leg out. I dodged his foot and he rolled his eyes again.
"You'll be cold when I throw you in the damn river, girl," Alfie retorted. I smirked teasingly and crossed my arms as I looked around. There weren't many people training this morning. Not even Lila was out. She linked me this morning to complain that it was too cold to go outside.
"Bunch of babies. Half of them don't like the cold so they refuse to come out," Alfie muttered under his breath. I rolled my eyes at him.
I felt Liam's presence before I actually saw him. He was around somewhere, and I felt his eyes on me. I sniffed but the wind confused my nose and I wasn't sure where he was standing.
But I ignored it anyway. I didn't want to speak to him right now.
"I'm going to get you sparring with someone completely new today. Since you're pack now, things are going to be much more interesting," Alfie told me. I nodded at him as walked along side him.
Alfie found me someone to spar with. It was another male who looked like the Incredible Hulk. He was tall, towering over me like a building. He had muscles in spots I didn't even know could have muscles.
We sparred together and I found myself doing better than I thought. Although, every time the Hulk landed a blow, I heard a grunt come from outside the ring. I knew it was Liam. The pull between us was simmering.
Although the Hulk won, it was only just. I had slipped in mud and landed right on my ass, and he acted quickly and pounced on me. His wolf was quick to go for my neck, in which I heard Liam growl lowly at.
"Oh shut up, brother. You're giving me a headache," I heard another voice. I was sure that it was Leon's.
Hulk stepped away from me and nodded his head respectfully as he shifted. I averted my eyes from his body and stood up. I shook out my fur and head clapping as I watched Lucas rush towards me.
"Nice job! That was good. I can't wait to kick your ass," Lucas said with a cheeky grin as he handed me a t-shirt dress. I took it from him in my mouth and glanced in Liam's direction before I bounded away to change in the trees.
When I came back, Quo had joined Lucas and Leon. Liam was also there, but I paid no attention to him. I was still angry at him, even though we spoke last night. He was still acting like a dick.
Although, Liam was alone now. He had been accompanied by Veronica since I had left for the few minutes that I did. She giggled and laughed at him, despite the fact that he had a straight face and didn't speak a word.
I rolled my eyes and walked back over to Alfie. He was writing on his clipboard.
"Nice job today, kiddo. I don't think we'll have too many more trainings after this. The snow should be falling pretty soon," Alfie told me. I nodded at him and rubbed my tired eyes as Quo and Lucas bounded over to me.
"Come on. There's a football game on in five minutes and we have to watch it," Quo said as he grabbed my hand and pulled me in the direction of Lila's cabin. I hoped that she was awake by now. I didn't feel like being in that cabin surrounded by all those boys, including Liam.
I entered the cabin and found myself standing in the middle of the living room moments later. Lila and Brayleigh were sitting on the couch together, a total of four blankets between the two of them. I giggled as I walked over and sat in between them.
I moved underneath the blankets and pulled up my legs to be comfortable. Leon and Cass walked into the room together and sat in each other's arms on the couch. Lucas followed and handed Quo a beer before tossing one across the room to me.
Lucas sat and then Liam walked into the room. I felt goosebumps on my arms and up my back. My whole body reacted to him whenever he was around. I loved it yet hated it at the same time.
Liam's eyes were on me as he sat down across the room. I forced myself to not look in his direction at all. I didn't want to look him in the eye. He knew my secret now, and I wasn't ready to talk about it.
Lucas snatched the t.v remote from Leon, which caused Leon to reach over and punch his twin brother in the gut. Leon took back the controller and switched on the game.
"My money are on the blues. They're undefeated this season!" Lucas said once he recovered from his punch to the gut. Quo scoffed and shook his head as he laughed.
"The reds may not be undefeated, but they have the best players and defenders in the league! You have no chance!" Quo retorted as Leon turned up the volume. Lucas and Quo began arguing about who would win before Liam scolded them to shut up. They settled on a bet and then turned their attention to the game.
Kade walked into the room and little while later. He was a little dirty, and sweating slightly. He must have just finished training.
"Hey everyone. What have I missed?" Kade asked as he made his way over to Brayleigh. He sat next to her, causing the couch to become a tight squeeze. Lila and I groaned at him.
"Shut up, I'm moving," Kade rolled his eyes at us.
"Move over, fatty. You've got half the couch!" Lila groaned back. Kade chuckled a little before he grabbed Brayleigh and pulled her into his lap. Giving us more room again.
The room was awkward as people looked at Kade and Leon with their mate's on their laps, and then looked to Liam where he didn't have me sitting anywhere near him.
"Still mad at him? He came home late last night looking pretty upset," Lucas asked me. I wanted to sigh, but I held it back as the game actually commenced.
"I went for a run because I couldn't sleep. He followed me out in his damn pyjamas, which was an idiot thing to do. Then, we argued until I told him the truth," I muttered back to him. I noticed Lucas still from across the room and then breathe out slowly and relax again.
I thought of Lucas as a brother. As I did with Leon. I was close with them already, despite knowing them for not long. I was closer with Lila, but I'd known her a lot longer than I knew the others.
"He does care about you. He just has a dumbass way of showing it," Lucas said next. I stopped myself from sighing again and I leaned back on Lila, and she let me.
"I guess so," I replied. I didn't doubt that Liam cared about me. He had shown it plenty of times before, but I was cautious, just as anyone else would be if they had been through what I had.
I settled for a little and watched the game. The tension in the room eased when Lucas, Quo and Kade began to yell at the t.v. At half time, the blues were down, and Lucas and Kade were pissed. They had made another bet with Kade involved this time and they were both losing.
"Who are you going for?" Brayleigh asked me as a commercial break came on. I smiled at her.
"Whoever wins," I replied with a shrug. Brayleigh giggled and nudged Kade.
"See? I'm not the only one who goes for the team that wins," Brayleigh told him. He rolled his eyes and then looked to me.
"Don't encourage her. I'm trying to get her to switch over to the blues, like any other normal person," Kade scolded me. I rolled my eyes at him as I grinned. Brayleigh winked at me as the game came back on.
"You told Liam last night, didn't you?" Lila asked me. I could feel Brayleigh in the link also.
"Yeah. I got pissed at him. So I just blurted it out. He looked real hurt after I told him," I replied, keeping my eyes on the game. I felt Liam's eyes on me and it made me want to fidget and move around. He'd been looking at me ever since we entered the room.
"That must've been hard, Ali. I'm proud of you," Brayleigh told me. She looked over at me and flashed me a smile. I returned the gesture and looked back to the game.
"He came back, shivering because he ran out there in his pyjamas like a crazy person. But he trudged into my room, and bombarded me with questions. He was really upset," Lila told me. I felt some relief, knowing that Liam cared made me feel better about telling him.
Liam might have cared, but he wasn't nice about it. He pushed too far and I didn't like that. He should've realised that it was a topic I didn't like to talk about. Then again, I should've told him ages ago. Everyone else knew.
"What did he say?" I asked, curious to know. Lila moved underneath me and sat more comfortably.
"Not much really. He kept asking questions and then went all quiet," Lila replied.
"He's a dumbass, but he does care. He hasn't taken his eyes off you the moment he stepped foot in the room," Brayleigh told me. My beast purred at the thought and I held back a sigh.
Avoiding Liam forever would be impossible
I knew that I would have to talk to him about all of this soon. But I wasn't ready for it at all. I didn't want to talk about Brennon, or that night, or any of it.
I found myself drifting off to sleep eventually, the tiredness of the day making my eyelids heavy. I didn't try to fight the tiredness and welcomed unconsciousness with open arms.
///
I sat up and gasped. Immediately, I began to pant, and felt the sweat on my forehead. I inhaled deeply and held a hand to my forehead.
Damned nightmares.
I tried to hold back the tears, and bit the inside of my cheek in an attempt to keep myself under control.
"Hey... you're okay," I heard a soft whisper from behind me. I whipped my head around, facing Liam. I realised that he had his arm draped over my stomach, and I was sitting right up against him.
He pushed himself up into a sitting position and I felt his thumb brushing against my skin. It calmed my beast, who was clawing at my brain in fear.
What the hell was Liam even doing in my bed? How did I get from the couch in Lila's cabin to my room and my bed? Did he carry me?
"You're safe here," Liam mumbled again as he pulled me close. He kissed my forehead and I let out a soft sob as I wrapped my arms around him. He pulled me even closer and I felt his warmth. The pull simmered and grew stronger.
I didn't care if I was supposed to be mad at him. I wanted him with me.
My mind raced and my heart was stammering so fast that I thought it would burst out my chest. Liam's hand rubbed up and down my back, keeping me close as I weeped.
I was more than glad that he was there to comfort me. I had never wanted to see him a badly.
Finally, after I stopped crying, Liam moved slightly. He shifted me back down and he laid close to me, my face against his chest. I could hear his steady heart beating and the hum of his veins.
My beast sighed as she hung her head and laid down. She was defeated. I was too. We both hated dealing with the damn nightmares every night. It was draining.
Why did they come? Was it because I was still hung up on the events that were constantly replaying in my mind? Was that the reason?
I didn't know how to let go of my past. I had too many terrible and traumatic things happen to me. I couldn't just let it go.
Liam ran his hand through my hair. His hand was warm and comforting. He was gentle and calm, different to his normal self. He was always so serious and so stern. He was strong, and it was obvious that he had walls.
But this side to him was different. He was vulnerable in this very moment. He had his walls down and he didn't care.
"Go back to sleep, sugar. It'll be okay in the morning," Liam mumbled to me as he kissed the top of my hair. I sucked in a deep breath and wriggled closer to him. His warmth was somehow comforting and made me feel better.
Liam didn't care that I was being needy. He didn't care that I was vulnerable. I could feel the sympathy and sadness that his beast was feeling.
He cared for me. I had to start letting him.