Chapter Two

Chapter Two. 

Aliya . 

Present. 

It was amazing how fast a pregnant woman could run with the right motivation, and I was very motivated to get away from Kai Ballard. 

I bolted into the kitchen, barely avoiding one of the runners and i winced when the Chef roared his displeasure.

'Pregnant women do not belong in my kitchen. Go, go! Get out!' he yelled at me, 

Of course, that same ornery chef slipped me a meal at the end of my shifts each night. Not one from the menu, but a dish he prepared just for me. The baby needed good food to grow big and strong, he always said. Chef was a true Italian through and through, and i loved him for always taking care of me. 

I dipped past busy waiters and a sous chef or two as I rushed towards the back door. When i slipped past Chef, hoping that his gruff demeanour coated a good heart, i patted his back with a low apology and a few desperate words.

“Stall him. Please.” I said breathlessly, "Don't let him catch me."

The swinging door to the kitchen slammed against the wall, the boom overriding the sounds in the busy kitchen.

“Aliya !” Kai's accented voice reached me and i forced myself to move faster, push harder to get free, I knew if he caught me that would be the end of me.

I shoved the back door wide, sent it swinging, and turned left towards the parking lot. The sun slowly dimmed, lessening my vision, but i could see enough to easily follow my path without tripping.

“Dammit, Aliya,” he growled. Growled like the wolf that lived inside him. I knew his beast was at the surface, that running encouraged the animal to hunt me, but i couldn’t help it.

I couldn’t go back with him. Not after…

I cupped the roundness of my stomach, hugging the precious little human I carried. I couldn’t let him get a hold of me. Not after all I had heard, not after all I had experienced in his house.

“Aliya !” His roar wrapped around me sending Shockwaves of fear through my body.

Yeah, he was pretty pissed. Yet another reason I couldn't let him catch me. 

The crunch of his expensive Italian shoes on the uneven gravel covered ground of the alley told me how close he was to catching me. I was also running out of breath. Due to my situation, I really could not ran as fast as I wanted to. But still I couldn't let him catch me. That couldn’t happen, not while I had breath in my body and life in my veins. I had too much to live

for, too much to protect. The child in my womb rolled, seeming to stretch and

press against the confines of my body. It was as if the baby knew his father was

near. For all I knew, that was exactly right. I didn’t know much about werewolves, the world didn’t know much about werewolves either , but I definitely knew about Kai Ballard. And I knew he wasn’t one to take losing with grace.

And that was what he had done. He branded me with his body, he had marked me, and then I discovered the truth. The truth that made me leave him with hardly a second glance or thought and nothing more than the clothes on my back, a small bit of cash, and my passport.

The rumble of a familiar bus reached me and I nearly stopped in relief. It was pure luck, as if the bus gods took pity on me and read my mind. As I rounded the last corner of the building, I nearly skidded on the uneven ground but managed to catch myself by grasping the brick wall. My nails grated against the rough surface, and the sting of pain told me I had broken more than one. But that small hurt didn’t matter, not compared to keeping my baby from harm. Still cupping my big round belly, I raised my hand and waved to get the bus driver’s attention.

“Wait! Please, wait!” I met the driver’s gaze, pleading with him with my eyes, and begging him to wait just one more second.

I could practically feel Kai breathing down my neck, his scent enveloping me in a seductive blanket. But I couldn't succumb to his charms once again.

I had to think of someone other than myself now. A small life I loved more than anyone I had ever known depended on me and I refused to let my child down.

The bus remained in place, the door wide and waiting for me, and I dug deep, snatching up what strength I could and pushed myself harder. It took me one giant leap to finally dash into the old vehicle, and the moment i was within it's confines, I begged the driver once again. “Shut the door! Shut it before he gets in! Please!”

I wasn’t sure whether it was the hysterical tone of my voice or the pure terror in my expression, but something had the man behind the wheel following my order without hesitation. 

The double doors slammed shut a bare moment before Kai collided with the side of the bus. Large fists pounded on the metal and glass, and I wondered how much abuse they could take before they shattered and granted the werewolf entrance. The bus’ engine roared to life, the rumble overpowering the sound of Kai’s snarls and growls. The man glaring at me through the glass was not the one I had spent three months with all of those months ago. No, this was the ruthless businessman, the unforgiving head of the family, the mountain pack. 

He bared his fangs, pulling back his lips and flashing his elongated canines. Fur lined his cheeks, and his eyes were the unmistakable yellow of his inner wolf. In hat moment he was pure alpha, pure dominance, and purely pissed… at me.

My whole body trembled with fear and a mixture of something else. Something I didn't quite know, the feeling was so familiar, so warm. 

But I knew if he got to me, he might not be able to control his wolf, it was angry and out for blood.