Chapter Two

Chapter Two. 

Nala. 

Present. 

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

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!' 

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.

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

“Stall him. Please.” I said breathlessly. 

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

“Nala!” Salvatore's accented voice reached me and i forced myself to move faster, push harder to get free.

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, Nala,” 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 ahold of me. Not after all I haf heard, not after all I had experienced in his house.

“Nala!” His roar wrapped around me sending Shockwave of fear.

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 Salvatore. 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, and then i

discovered the truth. The truth that made me leave him with hardly a second glance 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 Salvatore 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 its

confines, i begged to 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

Salvatore 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 Salvatore’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 Liakos family, the Liakos pack Alpha, and president of Liakos Holdings.

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

that moment he was pure alpha, pure dominance, and purely pissed… at me.

The bus slowly gathered speed as the driver ran it through its gears and demanded the massive vehicle respond. The entire time, Salvatore kept pace, his

glare focused entirely on me as he ran behind the bus. I hadn’t feared him a few months ago, not when I had discovered he was a billionaire nor when i found out he was a werewolf. Even discovering he was an alpha hadn’t frightened me. But right

then, right now, iwas deathly afraid. Afraid for myself, i rubbed my stomach, attempting to soothe the child still within me afraid for my baby.

He continued their rapid race down the street, the surrounding cityscape passing with an ever increasing speed, until the world around us was nearly a blur. And still he kept pace with us. At least until two other large bodies came abreast with his racing form and tackled him to the ground, ceasing his pursuit. His bodyguards. They went everywhere with him. At first it haf been a novelty, something that annoyed me but my love for him overshadowed those feelings. Now, i was truly thankful the men were at hand. They were good at

their jobs and never let Salvatore out of their sight. In his current condition, with his

anger riding him hard, he would have chased the bus no matter the risk to

himself. Wolves liked a good chase…

Snarls erupted on the street, and i knew he battled with the two other males.

They wouldn’t be able to hold him down for long even two against one. He was the Alpha for a reason. But for now, i had some breathing room. With a sigh, I relaxed against the grime caked bus floor. I had no idea what coated the ground, but i had more important things to think about. Such as my escape plan. I didn’t know how he had found me again, i just knew that i had to disappear once again.

“Are you okay, miss?” The driver’s voice was deep and caring yet tinged with

unease.

I swallowed hard, and forced myself to push aside the rising panic. “I’m-I’m fine. Just,” i took a deep calming breath. “Just an ex-boyfriend.”

“Looks like it’s a good thing he is an ex. I don’t normally have problems with those wolves, but that one,” he shook his head, “that one looks like trouble.”

Trouble? That was one way to look at my relationship with Salvatore. Deadly was another.

I remained in place, catching my breath after that mad dash. I would get up soon. When my heart no longer fought to burst from my chest.

The bus driver glanced in his rearview mirror, and then turned his attention back

to me for a brief moment. “I can’t see him anymore. Why don’t you go ahead and slide onto that seat there?”

It was a question, but more like an order. One i was more than happy to abide.

With a groan i heaved muself to my feet, grasping a nearby pole to steady myself before finally settling onto one of the benches. I ignored the stares, the questions that lingered in other passengers’ eyes and the hateful glances shot my way. It was always that way in the larger cities. In places where wolves were

less likely to congregate. Suburbia and small towns accepted werewolves without a problem. They were used to seeing them on two feet and four throughout the years. Inner cities, however…

“Miss?” The driver drew my attention and I focused on the kind, large man.

“Yes,” i nodded, “He is a lot of trouble.”

“Is there somewhere I can drop you that is safe? There is a shelter on my route…”

A shelter. Yes, that would be a good place to hide, to keep away from him while i figured out where to run next. The baby rolled and pressed against me, kicking my stomach as if in protest. I rubbed the bulge with a soft murmur. It was as if the child knew my thoughts and protested my desire to continue running.

 I had been running for months. How long now? Six months? Seven? The first night I had given myself to Salvatore , I had become pregnant, losing my virginity and gaining a child in one passionate act. When I had woken that next morning, it was to find a beaming Salvatore looming over me, a wide smile splitting his lips.

“Good morning, beautiful. You have made me the happiest wolf alive.” He traced the line of my nose with a single finger and then tapped the end. “When you are prepared, we will rise and make our announcement to the pack.”

I had furrowed my brow, confusion filling me. “What announcement?”

Salvatore ran his hand down my abdomen and finally stopping when he reached my

lower stomach. “That you carry the future of the Liakos pack.”

And that had been the beginning of the end.

“Miss?”

The past had a way of drawing me in. I shook my head, banishing those thoughts. “No,” i needed to settle this mess. “I will get off at the stop by my house.”

I couldn’t avoid Salvatore forever. Definitely not now that he had found me. It was time to stop running and time to make a stand. He may rule the Liakos pack in

New York , but his title and status meant nothing here. I could confront him, and then send him on his way. There was nothing he could do to me here. At least, i hoped not. Because it was no longer just my life at stake, but also the life of my child. Salvatore’s Alpha bitch had made that more than clear.

You are safe for now because you carry his child. But the moment you do not,

you will be discarded. Am his true Luna and will always be the one he loves. 

All too soon the air brakes on the bus whistled and thumped as they slowed the

vehicle, and it rolled to a gentle stop at the all too familiar bus stop. I gave the driver a grateful smile, hoping to banish the frown from his lips and wasn’t surprised when it remained firmly in place.

“I’m not so sure about this, miss.”

“Everything will be fine.” Even i didn’t believe my own words.

Without a second glance, i carefully made my way down the steps and steadied myself when my feet finally rested on the sidewalk. The further along I got in my pregnancy, the harder it was to move around and retain my balance. The baby wiggled and stretched inside me, reminding me of his presence, and i gently rested my hand atop my roundness. “We will be home soon, little one.” I whispered almost to myself. 

My home, not Salvatore’s. That was something i needed to keep at the forefront of my mind and remind Salvatore of when tmwe finally have our confrontation.

I slowly waddled toward home, forcing a smile to my face as I passed the park and waved at the children calling out to me. I often spent afternoons there, watching the little ones play and laugh, as i hoped my child would someday. Not stopping, i drew nearer to my apartment. It wasn’t long before i was gripping the handrail of the stairs and carefully making my way up the steps to the second floor. I dug in my purse, easily finding my house keys, but before u could slip the key inside the lock, the door was wrenched open.

And there he was, Salvatore, the man I had run from for so long.