Share

Chapter 45

Author: MaybeManhattan
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-29 19:42:56

I woke up that night freezing.

At some point as I slept, the duvet shifted down, exposing my bare shoulders. My body had curled into a fetal position and was shivering in the chilled air.

I stretched out and sat up slightly, looking over to see the curtains blowing in the frigid breeze that wafted in from the half-open window.

That was not open when I went to bed, I thought.

In fact, I specifically remembered Luca lighting the fireplace to warm up the room before we got into bed.

He certainly wouldn't have cracked a window.

I turned over in the bed to see it was empty, the covers pulled back and the sheets laid bare where Luca had once slept. I sat up all the way to see that the fire had been extinguished and the bedroom door was slightly open.

Suddenly, I saw a dark figure move in the corner of the room and felt panic begin to set in.

"Luca?"

The shadow returned my question with a slow, deep voice.

"No"

My blood ran cold.

Jonathan stepped forward, the moonlight streaming in from the
Locked Chapter
Continue to read this book on the APP

Related chapters

  • The Code of The Alpha   Chapter 46

    I woke up, hours later, to the bright sunshine in my eyes. Squinting, I sat up as I realized it was early afternoon. I looked around to see the room was empty, noticing the blood stains all over the sheets and duvet.Remembering what had happened, I was suddenly wide awake. I lifted my hand to my neck and felt the scab that had formed over the wound. Getting off the bed, I walked into the bathroom to inspect it further.God, I'm a mess, I thought, staring at my wild hair and the dried blood caked along my neck and shoulder. I took a washcloth and rubbed at my skin with warm water, exposing the scar and the bruising around it.The mark looked more like a bite than I had anticipated it would. Every mark I had ever seen looked more like a pale, mouth-sized ring. But then again, I had never seen a mark left by an Alpha.Their canines were longer and more prominent, meaning the bite was deeper and left behind more scar tissue.While a mark didn't technically ward off offending males, it w

  • The Code of The Alpha   Chapter 47

    "You bought them cars?" I asked in disbelief.My jaw was on the pavement as I stood outside the dealership where two identical, white, four-door Jeep Wranglers were parked next to each other.I watched as Luca shook hands with the dealer."Always a pleasure, Mr. Ronan," he said, handing the keys to Luca."Likewise, my friend," Luca returned.He threw a set of keys to me and a set to Norah."Ben can drive Norah's car home and you guys can take the Jeeps. We'll keep them at my place tonight and drive them over tomorrow before the party," Luca said."You bought them cars?" I asked again.Luca nodded nonchalantly."You can look around while we're here if you don't want to drive my car everywhere anymore," he offered.The dealer's ears perked up immediately."Yes, ma'am. We have a new line of luxury SUVs if you'd be interested," he said, thumb pointing towards the lot behind him."You look like a Mercedes woman to me..."I laughed nervously."Maybe another time," I said.Norah and I walked

  • The Code of The Alpha   Chapter 48

    I woke up the next morning on top of Luca, my bare chest pressed against his. Feeling the breeze of the ceiling fan on my back, I shuddered- realizing soon after that the chills I felt came from the long traces up and down the length of my back by Luca's fingers.They ran up to the base of my neck and down the curvature of my spine to the last vertebrae, stopping just above my panties."Good morning," he said, his deep voice still hoarse with sleep.I hummed.After laying there for a few moments, I finally placed my hands next to his body and pushed myself up."Don't move," he told me, putting both hands on my hips. I gave him a hard stare as I felt his boner pressing against my thigh."It's morning," he said defensively, despite the slight smile on his lips.Pushing myself off of him, I rolled over to get out of the bed."You're one sexy ass woman," Luca told me, watching as I walked to the bedroom door.Blushing, I opened the bedroom door quickly to go upstairs and change into cloth

  • The Code of The Alpha   Chapter 49

    Norah came and picked me up just after I had finished lunch. Luca had wandered over to the apartment above the garage to get some work done after his shower and I hadn't seen him since.I met her at the door, walking with her back out to her car."Oh my God, your neck," she said gasping, stopping in the middle of the driveway to push my hair away from my shoulder so she could see the mark better."It doesn't hurt," I told her quickly, knowing that the bruising made it look pretty gruesome.I knew this because Fallon had a similar reaction that morning when I had gone to the fields to train with my hair in a ponytail; although she had thought I had been attacked by something."Damn," Norah whispered, followed by a laugh."I didn't notice it last night."She wouldn't have, I thought. I had covered the mark with my hair after we had gotten home from the cabin and Bates saw it. I would wear it proudly after it had healed, but for now I didn't want anyone to see it."Wait," Norah said sudd

  • The Code of The Alpha   Chapter 50

    Although Luca suffered several heart attacks in the passenger seat on the way there, the McLaren and I both made it to the store in one piece.He made me park in the very back of the parking lot, where no one else was parked."It's a bit ridiculous to walk this far," I told him, walking through the parking lot."I'm in heels.""Cushion protection," he explained.When we walked inside, we made our way over to where the party supplies were and we found the plates and napkins with relative ease."I'm going to get a case of beer" he told me."I'm sure Mom didn't get any.""For an eighteenth birthday party? Probably not," I said sarcastically.I followed him over to the aisle where the alcohol was stocked, standing behind him as he looked over his options. I turned to see a group of college-aged girls standing by the spiked seltzer, staring at Luca. They were giggling, holding their hands over their mouths as they gawked.I rolled my eyes.You don't see me standing right here? I thought."

  • The Code of The Alpha   Chapter 51

    Torrey spun around in her flowy, long-sleeved white lace dress. Her hair was in a coiffed braid, face accented with minimal makeup. Aubree, on the other hand was in a short, simple white halter-neck dress with her hair straightened down her back, wearing bright red lipstick."I've been in this dress for almost an hour and I'm already ready to get out of it," Aubree admitted, laughing."Same here," Torrey agreed."I tried to get mom just to let us wear sweats.""You wear sweats every other day of the week," someone said behind us.I turned to see Norah, walking up with Ben in tow."You look so good," I told her, remembering how I had to convince her to buy the dress she was wearing while we were out shopping."She only changed five times," Ben laughed.Norah turned to scowl at him."And you didn't change your shirt three times?" she asked sarcastically."I didn't want to iron anything," he defended.I just laughed as Norah leaned in to give me a hug.After she pulled away, I turned to

  • The Code of The Alpha   Chapter 52

    The car started with a roar, Luca's radio coming on as it did. He backed down the driveway, putting a hand on my thigh as we drove off."It was a good party," he said."I think the girls really liked their gifts," I added.He nodded in agreement. I watched his hand as it sat stationary on my thigh, his focus now on the road in front of him.His mom's not fifteen feet away anymore, I thought.A few moments passed before I could gather enough courage to reach out and take his hand in mine, beginning to slide it up my thigh.I watched as his jaw clenched and he shifted in his seat, though his eyes stayed forward.The hem of my dress rode up as our hands movedfarther up my leg. I pressed my hand to the back of his as I spread my legs, exposing myself.God, I'm glad it's dark out, I thought.Luca's hand needed no further encouragement. He knew exactly where I wanted it to be.My hand left his to grip the side edge of the seat as I felt his cool touch at my core, his index finger slipping

  • The Code of The Alpha   Chapter 53

    Bates was waiting for me when I pulled into the parking lot of the training fields the next morning.Norah pulled into the parking lot soon after with Torrey getting out of the passenger seat."Why do I feel like I'm being ambushed?" Bates asked warily."I need you to take us to the Cellar," I said.He stared at me incredulously."Is this a joke?" He asked.I shook my head."I think my mate is there," Torrey said, wringing her hands nervously.Bates looked at her with pity, briefly, before his attention returned to me."Get Luca involved," he said."We can't," Norah told him."He'd flip his shit and you know it.""You don't think he's going to flip his shit when he finds out I've gone behind his back and broken rules?" He asked her.I stepped in front of him as he tried to leave."If it was your mate, wouldn't you do anything to get to her?"He huffed and leaned in closer to me, lowering his voice."You and I both know what's down there," he whispered."Maybe it's best that she not go

Latest chapter

  • The Code of The Alpha   EPILOGUE

    You can do this, you can do this.My heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest.Sweat dripped from every pore, making my hands sweaty as they reached out for the next bar in front of me.You can do this.As my feet landed on the wooden platform, I lowered shaking arms to look at the timer on my wrist.Four and a half minutes left.Chest heaving for air, I reached out and grabbed the salmon ladder bar and shifted my body weight to thrust it into the divider above it-continuing this movement until I was four feet higher and could reach the platform above it.I pulled myself onto the platform, trying not to think about how high I was in the trees.Swallowing my fear, I grabbed the rope in front of me and swung to the next platform that was a few yards away.When I landed, I saw Luca standing on the ground a little more than a hundred feet away.'"Go! Go! Go!" He yelled enthusiastically, hands pumping in the air.I smiled."Let's go! Move it! Hurry!" Fallon screamed next to him,

  • The Code of The Alpha   Chapter 85

    Luca and I arrived back home later that evening after a long day of meetings, calls, and wellness check-ins with those who had been injured.Even though I was physically drained, it had been good to get out of the house for the first time in two weeks.It had forced me to shower and put on clean clothes that morning, something that I hadn't realized would mentally help me as much as it had. I made a promise to myself I would do those two things every morning moving forward.As we walked through the door, I noticed Luca was carrying the laptop Lincoln had brought to him earlier that day."What's that for?" I asked him.He looked down at the laptop before sighing."There's something we need to talk about and I've been avoiding it for the past few days," he admitted.I followed him into the kitchen and watched as he placed the laptop on the counter, feeling my stomach twist."What's wrong?" I asked."Nothing's wrong," he clarified."It's just heavy stuff."Luca opened the laptop and I sa

  • The Code of The Alpha   Chapter 84

    The meeting room was cold.The air conditioning was on full blast as the summer had officially begun a week prior with high temperatures virtually unknown by northwestern Montana.That room was the last place I wanted to be, but it wasn't because of the chilled air that came through the vents overhead.I could still see where the pool of blood had blemished the concrete floor where an unconscious Bates had laid two weeks earlier. It looked like someone had tried to scrub it with bleach, but a deep maroon stain was still visible.Bates sat silently in the chair beside me, Dr. Witt standing behind him sterilizing the tool she was about to use to remove the medical staples from his scalp.There were five of the small, silver staples running vertically up the back of his head where it had split into a deep gash.He stared at the table as she gently pushed his head forward."You should just feel a little tug," she warned him.He closed his eyes tight, wincing as she wiggled the first one l

  • The Code of The Alpha   Chapter 83

    The doorbell startled me awake.My arms immediately reached out to find Luca's empty side of the bed.I sat up quickly, seeing the late morning sunshine streaming into the room through the cracks in the curtains covering the window behind his bed.Hearing the murmuring of voices in the living room, I got off the bed and walked over to the ajar door to listen.I heard Luca's mother's voice as she spoke to him, her gentle tone carrying down the hallway."How is she?" Ana asked."Traumatized." Luca answered.She hummed."Poor girl," she said, her voice laced with genuine sympathy."I can't imagine what's going through her head.""Death," Luca told her."She said something last night about wanting to die. It made me so nauseous I could've puked.""After what she witnessed, I'm sure she's confused as to how she's still alive," Ana said."Just give her some time and assurance.""It worries me." he admitted."It's enough to be concerned, but trust the mourning process," she encouraged him.T

  • The Code of The Alpha   Chapter 82

    I felt a wave of relief wash over me, bringing tears to my eyes I'd thought about him frequently in the past two days. Knowing he was okay eased the heartache slightly."That's good," I whispered.Luca looked at me solemnly."It wasn't your fault," he told me, moving a hand up to my jaw to tilt it towards him.I swallowed the massive knot in the back of my throat as I felt more tears rush to my eyes, blurring my vision. Shaking my head slowly, I began to back away from him but he stepped forward, preventing me from getting too far outside his reach."This was not your fault," he repeated, his voice firmer this time.I felt my bottom lip begin to quiver as a tear rolled down my cheek."He came looking for me," I whispered."If Bates hadn't been there, he wouldn't have gotten hurt-""You don't know that," Luca said."Bates could have easily been caught in the crossfire at the gate if he weren't with you."The intensity behind his eyes made me press back into the doorframe."With everyon

  • The Code of The Alpha   Chapter 81

    The first conscious thought I remember having was in the upstairs loft.It was dark outside.The moon was hidden by storm clouds, the occasional flash of lightning illuminating the room briefly. I could hear the strong gusts of wind, the rumbling of thunder, and the sheets of rain that pounded into the roof above me.I smelt like paint and misery.The canvas I'd dedicated months to laid in front of me, it's frame mangled and bent. The once carefully detailed collage of colors making up a portrait had been smeared haphazardly with black paint that also coated my hands.Sitting with my back in a corner, knees pulled into my chest, I felt a like a shell of a human.All the emotional energy I owned had been completely spent. I had cried until I couldn't cry anymore. My throat felt like l'd swallowed acid, raw with the screaming that came alongside mourning two traumatic deaths.The only thing I had left was a broken, beating heart.And all I could do was sleep.I didn't want to be awake.

  • The Code of The Alpha   Chapter 80

    My knees gave out from under me as I fell into the tree I stood next to, leaning on it with my entire body weight.His eyes were open, lifelessly staring into the abyss above him while blood flowed freely from the corner of his mouth into the hands of his daughter who held him.I felt my bottom lip begin to quiver, a feeling washing over me that wavered between grief and shock. Mady looked down at him, tears falling uncontrollably from her eyes, rolling down her chin and neck.Her cry could be heard throughout the forest, making Luca visibly nervous as he looked around us to see who was listening."Mady, we need to get you and Carrie out of here, okay?" He said gently.She fisted her father's flannel shirt in her hands as Luca touched her shoulders, urging her to stand."You can come back to him when it's safe," Luca told her."But right now you need to leave."Mady shook her head, struggling to breathe through her convulsive sobs. I could tell Luca was growing more and more anxious,

  • The Code of The Alpha   Chapter 79

    My paws bounded out in front of me.Haunches driving into the soil and propelling me forward, I was running quicker than I ever could on two feet.I had Bates's clothes in my mouth, holding them tight against the wind that blew in my face.Thankfully, the oversized clothing hadn't ripped the first time l'd shifted, but I wasn't taking any chances the second time.I bolted through the trees, following the metallic odor of blood that wafted through the pack land. I could only hope I wasn't following the smell of my own injuries.Hearing a deep growl, I skidded to a stop, coming up a portion of the densely wooded area where a large wolf stood in my path.The dark gray wolf stared me down, the fur on his neck standing at attention.I dropped the clothing from my mouth and snarled as a warning for him to move.He stood his ground, maintaining his gaze.Snapping my teeth, I took a few quick steps forward. But his stance remained solid, still blocking the path.A vision of Bates's bloody sku

  • The Code of The Alpha   Chapter 78

    Before my lungs could fill with air to scream, he lunged at Bates and I, jumping over the table.With a quick shove, Bates pushed against my shoulders and the chair rolled backwards in just enough time to separate us before my dad tackled him to the ground.My bare feet slid across the floor as I rolled backwards, unable to gain enough traction to stop myself before the chair came to an abrupt halt as it hit the wall.The sound of shredding fabric bounced between the concrete walls as Bates shifted into his wolf.I sprinted towards the two of them, watching as my father pinned Bates to the ground with strength that surprised me seeing as Bates had shifted and my father had not.I leapt onto my father's back, arms wrapping around his neck as my weight threw him off balance and we both fell to the floor."Stop!" I screamed, holding onto him as tight as I could while he stood back to his feet.I gasped as he pulled me over his shoulder by my elbow, my arm popping as it was jerked out of

DMCA.com Protection Status