Page 3 of Ruthless Alpha Beast

I push past my book, past my water, my sweater, my keys.

There we go.

Just as I feel the small plastic surface roll beneath my fingertips, I freeze.

Ironically, even the sky seems to cloud over above me.

I’m approaching another pack, not just any pack. But the one that has made itvery clearthey don’t like me.

I swallow down a flood of nerves and decide that the sunscreen can wait.

Do I go back?

I turn behind me, considering.

Shrubbery blows in the breeze, and the mountains are as still and answer-less as ever.

But I’ve come such a long way…

I sigh.

I knew that there was a possibility I might pass this pack, given that I’m taking such a long way around. I suppose I pushed the thoughts to the back of my mind.

Thoughts that I’ve been determined not to let tarnish my experience here. Because the truth is, everyone else has been so welcoming, the other pack neighboring Sawyer’s, run by the Alpha Ellis, has treated me like one of their own.

They treat me as though I’m a shifter, for the most part.

But I remember the expression theotherAlpha made when it was announced that I would officially be living amongthem. He looked shocked, and then disgusted. He made a sound that I still remember to this day. It haunts me, that arrogant grunt of disapproval and disbelief.

What was it that he said again? Oh, yeah. ‘Since when did we all agree to letting a weak human live among beings like us ?’

To which Sawyer chimed in and said that it was his and Lacey’s decision, given that I would be staying in their pack, and asked him if he had a problem with that.

‘Aproblem?’ He gawked, his eyes furious.

Both Ellis and Danielle stood up for me too, saying how it was mentioned at the allied pack meeting after the party, I was initially introduced to all of them at the one that Jasper, the arrogant Alpha, missed. Apparently, due to a hangover or something.

Whatever.

I try to ignore him and his shifters, who so often refer to me as ‘human’ even though by now, I’m certain they all know my name.

I decide to keep walking.

The market is so close, and I know that I can’t go on avoiding them forever—although the flutter of nerves in my stomach tells me otherwise.

As I pass as quickly as I possibly can, I dart my eyes continuously from the path ahead to the shifters in the pack.

What am I looking for? I’m not sure. What could I do if I spot a threat of some kind? Nothing.

I’m defenseless, but keeping my eye on them feels like it’s helping.

Luckily, I don’t see their arrogant Alpha anywhere. I also don’t see anyone else I recognize, and they seem to be so caught up in various tasks and conversations that they don’t even notice me go by.

Phew.

I’m sure theycan‘smell’ the human, though. Poor them, must be awful.

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