Page 5
Story: Bite Me Alpha Cole
Chapter 4 – Desert
Cole
I stare out the window of the train as it chugs south, passively admiring the beauty of this area of my country. I expected it to be flat, but mountains climb high in the distance, all red and umber, their craggy cliffs extending far into the desert that stretches around us. There are hills and even some scrubby trees – many more to look at than I thought there would be. It is absolutely stunning and I suddenly feel guilty that I haven’t spent much time here before.
But I can barely admire the beauty, distracted as I am by the anxiety that roils in my heart. My wolf howls, pacing in slow circles in my soul, knowing that we’re drawing near. And thateven if I can’t wait to get there… the next few months are going to be hell.
“Why so glum, Kincaid?” One of my men slumps into the booth seat across from me.
I turn my head and sigh as I take in Greg Jenkins, one of the six corporals who volunteered to come on this mission as a guard under my command. I frown at him, my eyes moving quickly over his tall form, the dirty-blonde hair that flops into his face. Greg – he’s a perfectly competent Alpha soldier, but he’s never distinguished himself beyond a penchant for friendly conversation. “Why areyouso excited?”
“Because it’s going to begreat!” Greg says, laughing and stretching his arms out to the side before tucking them neatly behind his head, looking relaxed. “At least an entire summer of hanging out with a bunch of humanitarian nursing volunteers?Mostof whom are going to begirls? Very little duties and all the Academy credit?” He beams. “It’s a dream gig.”
I shake my head at him, a little disappointed. “This is work, Greg. Not play.”
He rolls his eyes at me. “You need to learn to relax a bit, Kincaid. You look like your dad but you don’t have to act like him. You’re not King yet.”
I turn my head to look out the window, thinking Greg’s a little short-sighted there. Even if I’m not King, it’s no excuse to live a life of leisure and excess until my father hands over the crown.
“Seriously,” Greg says, dropping his hands into his lap and leaning towards me. “You’re not excited about the prospect of all these girls? Atall?”
“No,” I say, turning my head to glower at him a little bit. Demonstrating at least a little bit of wisdom, Greg leans away from me, giving deference to the more powerful Alpha who is his superior officer. “And if you know what’s good for you, you’llback off that line of thinking. We’re here toprotectthese people – not date them. Fraternization will be frowned upon.”
Greg’s face drops for a second as he realizes that I’m completely serious. But then his mouth quirks back into a smile. “Frowned upon…but not forbidden, right?”
I just sigh and turn away, missing Iris a great deal.
“Hey, I think we’re here!” another Corporal calls. I look beyond Greg to see Frank Jones leaning against the foremost window, peering at something ahead. “I see like…a platform, I think.”
The train begins to slow as if in confirmation and I nod, standing up. “All right, everyone gather your stuff,” I call out. “I want this carriage as empty as we found it. Nothing left behind.”
My Corporals all call out their confirmations, packing anything they used during the six-hour journey and slinging packs over their shoulders. Each takes one of the rifles poised by the door too – standard gear for military proceedings like this.
I sigh again, taking the last rifle as my men gather by the door, ready to disembark.
“Like, your eighth sigh in as many minutes, Captain,” Greg murmurs, giving me a worried frown.
I just glance at him and don’t respond, even if he’s right.
Anxiety is at war with excitement in me, my wolf picking up his pace as he continues to wear a track in my soul, unable to settle. Because we’re going to see her – I know we are. I made sure of it, checking the list of volunteer nurses even before dad called for volunteers.
But Nadia? I have a very strong feeling that she has no idea I’m going to be getting off this train.
And…it’s not going to be good.
I grit my teeth, running a hand through my hair, my eyes set on the door as the train pulls to a stop. While I can handle prettymuch anyone being angry with me…I don’t know. Something about Nadia just…sets me off.
Ineverlose my temper with pretty much anyone else. But Nadia Amir? God, she’s got a finger on some hairpin trigger or something.
I exhale slowly, stroking a hand over my wolf’s anxious head.Cool, cool, I murmur to him, to myself.We’re going to be cool. My wolf gives a steady growl in response, determined.
The doors open and my men file out onto the makeshift platform, which was only built just about a week ago for this very campaign.
“Damn,” Frank murmurs, looking around as he adjusts his cap, peering into the dimmed light of an already-setting sun. “There is…not much here, is there?”
“We didn’t promise you a realm of entertainment, soldier,” I snap, glaring at him and then looking towards the road where I hear the rumble of some approaching vehicles. “You’re here to do a job.”
“All right, all right,” Frank says, sending me a little frown. “I wasn’t complaining. Just… observing.”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5 (Reading here)
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144