The Code Of The Alpha

The hot shower I took when I returned to Luca’s house wasn’t enough to soothe my aching body. My muscles and joints were screaming at me. The webbed skin in between my fingers was rubbed raw by the gloves I had worn Good luck trying to hold a paint brush for the next few days, I told myself.

I knew that I wouldn’t be able to lift my arms over my head for a week. But, despite the major soreness and discomfort, I felt satisfied. I had done something for myself and it felt rewarding.

It was this feeling of accomplishment that drove me to the kitchen for lunch instead of Luca’s bed for a nap. I cut up strips of chicken breast and sautéed them in a frying pan, then I moved on to cutting up a head of lettuce for my salad.

When I sat down at the countertop after pouring the dressing over the chicken and caeser salad that I had prepared, I heard a door open and turned to see Luca strolling in.

“Did you make lunch?” He asked, nose in the air.

I dropped the fork in my hand back down into the bowl.

“Is that the best way to get your attention? Food?”

“You could walk around naked,” he suggested.

I stared at him blankly.

“Too soon,” he commented to himself.

Luca walked around the island to the stovetop where

extra chicken was laying on a plate.

“Can I have the rest of this?” He asked, although he was already pulling a fork and knife from the drawer.

“I don’t care,” I said honestly, picking my own utensils up to eat.

Luca sat down next to me with a glass of water, his plate of chicken, and a large bottle full of barbecue sauce.

“Appetizing,” I said sarcastically, watching Luca pour the sauce over each piece of chicken before he ate it.

“Better than your rabbit food,” he said, mouth full.

“I’m actually quite satisfied,” I told him, gesturing towards my salad empty bowl.

Luca raised an eyebrow, but I pretended not to notice. I got up from my chair and rinsed my dishes before walking towards Luca’s bedroom.

“Where are you going?” He asked.

“To take a nap.”

“Probably a good idea.”

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion but I didn’t press any further. The only thing I could think of was how exhausted I was.

I fell asleep almost immediately after collapsing into Luca’s bed.

Waking up wasn’t as easy as falling asleep. I laid there for several minutes before finally sitting up, an action I regretted instantly.

My back was so stiff. My shoulders felt like they were locked in place and my legs were shaking as I tried to stand up from the bed.

God, I hate Fallon, I thought.

The stiffness subsided slightly as I walked through the house, eventually wandering outside where I could hear someone talking.

I stood under the breezeway, watching Luca as he paced the driveway while he talked on the phone.

As soon as he saw me, he winked.

I smiled awkwardly before Luca ended the call and approached me.

“I was just about to go see Lincoln, if you’d like to come,” he offered.

“Sure.”

After grabbing my shoes, I followed him to the truck, where he opened the passenger door for me to climb in. I tried not to wince as I lifted myself into the cab of the truck, my legs burning as I did so.

I hate Fallon, I thought again.

“How was your nap?” Luca asked.

“Not long enough.”

I heard him chuckle before he closed the door behind me.

“You could have slept longer,” he told me, getting into the truck.

“I’m sure you need the rest.”

My eyebrows furrowed.

“Why are you so concerned about my sleeping schedule?” I asked him, remembering that he had made a similar comment earlier that day.

He looked offended by the question.

“Am I not allowed to be?”

“It’s weird if you are,” I said honestly.

“It’s weird that I care about how much sleep you’re getting?” He asked.

“Yeah, kinda,” I answered, laughing awkwardly.

Luca didn’t say anything else, although I could tell he was annoyed.

“Is it because I get up early that you think I’m not getting enough sleep?” I pushed.

“I don’t see why you have a problem with me caring,” he said after a few moments.

I shrugged.

“I just don’t see why it would matter to you.”

“Because I’m your mate and I’m allowed to care about you.

“I get plenty of sleep; there isn’t anything to care about,” I said.

“I’m not going to argue with you. I shouldn’t have to defend myself for being concerned about your wellbeing.”

I shook my head, turning to look out the window.

We drove in silence for a few miles, going the opposite direction of the training field to a part of the pack land that had houses lining each side of the road.

“Are we not going to Lincoln’s office?” I asked, not recognizing the area.

“We’re going to the meeting house,” Luca answered.

“There’s an elders meeting there today with our security team. Lincoln said he would bring his phone so you could call your dad.”

I nodded, a pit forming in my stomach.

I wasn’t so sure anymore that I wanted to talk to my dad. I was already anticipating the earful I was going to get if he had truly lost his shit, like Mady had said.

A few minutes later we pulled into a driveway where several other cars were parked. Luca drove up to park next to the large brick house that sat far off the road. With rose bushes in the garden and petunias in the window boxes, it looked more like a residence than it did a workplace.

After Luca had parked his truck, I followed him inside the house through the empty garage. As soon as we walked inside, we were met by Bates, Blaine and Lincoln.

Lincoln reached out to me, holding a phone and a small piece of equipment.

“When you dial the number, plug this into the bottom of the phone, through the charging port. It’ll buy you about ten minutes but not any longer than that.”

I nodded, taking the phone from him.

“Thank you.”

I turned to Luca.

“I might need to go outside for this,” I told him.

He nodded, not saying a word, before turning to speak to Bates about something unrelated.

I walked back outside and pulled down the tailgate of Luca’s truck to sit on. Once settled, I took a deep breath. I then followed Lincoln’s instructions and waited for the call to go through.

It rang for a few moments before sending me to voicemail. I couldn’t help but be somewhat relieved.

Next, I tried his work phone.

No answer.