Claimed by Her Alpha (12 page)

“Saki?” Marnie whispered. “Saki, we need to talk. Are you awake?”

Saki didn’t respond. Looking the other way, she hoped Marnie would believe that she was asleep.

“We didn’t get the medallion. The janitor never came.”

It was then that Saki turned around and sat up. “What do you mean?”

“He never showed up. We waited as long as we could, but we didn’t think he was coming. It was too late.”

Saki searched her mind for how this could be. The old man had said that he cleaned every night. She didn’t understand. “Oh, he said that he only came at night when he had to. It’s Friday night. He didn’t have to. He could go on Saturday during the day. He never comes on Friday. He cleans on Saturday day.”

“So you want us to go back tomorrow?” Marnie asked softly.

“No. I don’t. I’m calling it off. I can’t do this anymore. You don’t know how dangerous it is.”

“You told me,” Marnie reminded her.

Saki shook her head. “No. You don’t know. You don’t have to do this. This is something that I have to do. I’m going to go and join Dax‘s pack. I’m gonna leave with him. I have to do it to keep everyone safe. I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me.”

“You’re going with him?” Marnie asked, confused.

“Yeah. But no matter what mom says, you have to make her believe that I ran away. You can’t let her know about it. Anyone you tell is just going to be put into danger. I have to leave you all to keep you safe.”

“But I don’t want you to leave,” Marnie said in a tone that made it seem like she was crying.

“Sometimes you have to do things that hurt the people you love, but you do it to keep them safe. That’s what Mom did bringing us here. Now it’s my turn to keep the family safe. You have to make Mom believe that I ran away. Do you understand?”

Saki heard Marnie whimper. “Yeah,” she said her voice cracking.

Saki tried to hold herself together. “I’m sorry I put you through all this. I’m sorry I have been so mean to you. I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Marnie said, collapsing into an avalanche of tears.

Unable to catch her breath, Marnie stood crying until the tears stopped. When she was again composed, she continued on to her bedroom, closing the door behind her. Saki then laid back down and resumed her distant stare into the darkness. She lay for hours until she heard a familiar voice one more time.

“Saki?” Marnie called softly. “Can I sleep with you tonight?”

Saki turned toward her sister, giving her a faint nod only visible because of the soft glow of streetlights. It was all Marnie needed. With that, she climbed into Saki‘s small bed, curling herself around her sister. It was only then that Saki was able to fall asleep.

Chapter 10

Saki woke up to the sound of a car horn.

“Saki! It’s time to go!” The voice yelled out.

It took a second for Saki to recognize the voice, but it was Dax. He’d come for her. She hadn’t gotten the chance to say goodbye to her mother or Maddie, but she knew that she had to go now.

“Is that him?” Marnie said in her raspy morning voice.

“Yeah, that’s him. I have to go now,” she said softly.

“No!” Marnie declared, throwing her arms around her sister.

“I have to go. And remember what to tell mom. Do you remember?”

“That you ran away.”

“Yeah,” Saki said, her brow immediately furrowing.

Saki got out of bed and immediately started dressing. The car honked again. “I’m coming!” She yelled through her open window.

Saki got dressed, grabbed her tennis shoes, and slipped on her flip-flops. She threw her two bags over her shoulders and continued into the living room.

“Where you going?” Her mother asked dressed in a muumuu with curlers in her hair. “You’re not going with that boy. You hear me? You are not going anywhere.”

Saki ignored her mother and continued to the front door. Soon her mother was joined by Maddie and Marnie. Maddie stumbled around confused but Marnie wept silently.

Opening the front door, Saki did her best not to look back.

“If you step out of this yard, you will never come back here. Do you hear me? You will never step foot in this house again. I’m not joking. If you leave, you’re dead to me. Do you hear me?”

Saki heard her but didn’t stop. Before she knew it, she was off the porch and on the concrete path. Moments later, she was past the gate and climbing in to Dax‘s Jeep.

She tried not to look back even then. She averted her eyes not wanting to think about what she was leaving behind. In this, the last moments with them, she realized just how much she loved them. Now she was leaving. She should have told them how much she loved them more often, so they knew.

Soon the Jeep was moving again. It circled the cul-de-sac and then headed away from the house. It was harder than she thought. Still, she was certain she was doing the right thing.

Dax waited until they were on their way before he spoke. “I know about all the time you spent with Lane. We had a deal.”

Saki‘s chest clenched. She had been right to be overly cautious. He had been watching her. Saki struggled to speak.

“And I kept that deal. I broke it off with him. I just needed time. It’s done though. I’m a part of your pack now.”

“Does he know that?”

Saki searched her mind. She had said that they couldn’t do this anymore. That was the extent of their conversation. But Marnie would undoubtedly talk to Lane next, and she would tell him. It wouldn’t be the same as if Saki told him herself, but the result would be the same. “Not yet, but he will.”

“I don’t have to remind you that your family’s life is in your hands.”

“There are a lot of lives in my hand. I haven’t forgotten that. I’m here. You’re my alpha. Just like the day you turned me,” she slipped in for good measure.

“Okay, good,” Dax said, satisfied.

The two continued their journey in silence. Crossing the island during the early morning Saturday traffic was a breeze. They hardly had to stop, and they arrived at the Yacht Club while the morning light still cast long shadows across the streets.

Saki got out and collected her things. Dax locked up and led her through the lobby toward the dock. Already, a few other boaters were loading up their gear, and with a brief acknowledgment, Dax brushed by them, stopping in front of a stylish 22-foot speedboat. Dax stepped on board, took Saki‘s bags, and offered his hand to her as she followed him.

It was all happening so quickly. Only moments ago, she was in bed with her sister. Now here she was, barely awake, and leaving her home island for what could be the last time. It was surreal.

Untying the ropes, Dax cast off. The engine started like a racecar. Lane‘s boat was nothing in comparison to this one. The cabin hood was painted with red highlights, and the wheel was located behind a protected windshield. With precision, Dax maneuvered away from the dock and pulled out into the bay.

Unlike Lane‘s boat, Dax‘s cut through the water smoothly. In no time, they were passing through the canal between Paradise Island and the island next to it. Although Lane had slowed down through this canal, Dax didn’t. Lane had worried about the reefs right below the surface, but the wolf in Dax didn’t seem to care.

Saki had to admit it was thrilling to be in Dax‘s boat. She didn’t want to like it, but she did. It felt fast and dangerous, and her heart thumped in response. Holding on tightly, she turned to the boy behind the wheel. He was very good-looking. Even in the high winds of the open sea, she could smell him, and his scent was alluring.

Dax pulled around to the opposite side of the island from where Lane and his pack had originally landed. It was the dock where she had stolen back their boat. Two boats were already docked, but the best mooring, positioned at the end of the dock, was where Dax cut his engine and tied off.

Dax hopped out first, offering his hand for Saki and her bags. She handed her backpack to him, then gathered the rest in her arms. She joined him on the dock and made the long walk toward the beach.

“Welcome to your new home,” Dax announced, gesturing with his hand.

Saki looked around. In spite of how she felt, she had to admit that the beach was beautiful. The sand was almost pure white, and the beach slanted upwards. To her right, she recognized the path that she had ran to recover their boat. To the left was something she hadn’t noticed, or perhaps it wasn’t there before.

A wooden cabin stood a few feet past the edge of the sand. The walls were lined with 6-inch panels that were stained a shiny honey color. The roof that extended from it was covered in palm fronds, creating a rustic island cottage. An identical one stood to its left about 8 feet away.

Saki turned to Dax as her mouth dropped open. He looked back with a hint of a smile. She had to admit that she hadn’t expect to stay in a place like this one. As she ascended the hill, she was also surprised by what she saw next.

What laid before her almost looked like a resort. Rounding the first cabin, Saki found an outdoor cooking space designed to accommodate at least 50 people. Under the same freestanding roof, 15 picnic benches sat in a row. Connected to a path that led from it were smaller cabins that couldn’t have consisted of more than a bedroom and closet. It was still rough looking, but with the backdrop of trees and crashing waves, it was exquisite.

“What is this?” Saki asked, unable to take her eyes off of it.

“Our kingdom,” he said drawing Saki‘s attention. “You didn’t think I was making you live in the bush, did you?” He asked with a smile. “This is where we’re all gonna live. Just you, me, and my pack.”

Saki couldn’t believe it. Saki broke away from Dax and slowly explored the space. The more she saw, the more it felt like a resort. It was still early, and she wondered if it even had running water. She suspected it didn’t. But she could see his vision. He wanted to create a community of wolves, and he wanted to rule them. Saki felt torn.

“And this is where we’re gonna sleep,” he said, drawing her attention again.

Crossing the eating space, the two followed the warn path to the beachfront cabin furthest from the dock. It was the same honey color all the way around, and hanging on it was a blue wooden welcome sign.

Unable to contain his smile, he lifted his arm, encouraging her to enter first. Saki opened the door and found a bed, dresser, and a standing closet. Like the outside it was stained the color of honey, and everything inside was a weathered white. The space lacked a feminine touch, but it wasn’t bad.

“Do you like it?” He asked, barely able to contain his delight.

Saki wasn’t sure what to say. “I didn’t expect this.”

“But, do you like it?”

Saki walked around slowly. Everything looked new. The sheets, the closet, even the little knickknacks he placed around, they all looked fresh out-of-the-box. “Yeah, I like it,” she admitted, surprising herself.

“Good,” he said with a smile. “I want you to be happy here. This is just the beginning.” Dax led her back to the door and pointed out. “All of this will be landscaped. And over there, that will be an open park-like area. It won’t just be us here. When it’s done, I’m going to invite wolves from around the world. Who’s not going to want to come here? And the more of us there are, the more powerful our pack will be. There will be nothing that we can’t do,” he concluded, pleased with himself.

Saki decided that Dax was correct, he was building a kingdom. She imagined what he could become. How long would it be before he set his sights on all of Nassau? If wolves were in power, why couldn’t he take over all of the Bahamas? After all, wasn’t that what he meant when he said “kingdom?”

Saki quietly followed the path to the other cabins. As she got closer, she saw the people from the other boats. They were workers. Some were painting, and others were working with the piles of lumber just out of sight from the entrance. It looked like they were building two cabins and had cleared space for more.

“Dax, how are you paying for all this?” Saki asked, remembering he was just a high school kid.

“I have investors with vision,” he said indicating that he would say no more. “Why don’t you take a look around? Go wherever. This is your island, too. When the bell rings, lunch will be served. I expect to see you there,” he said with just a hint of growl in his voice.

She nodded her head in agreement, and Dax walked toward the builders.

Saki opened the door of a smaller cabin and peeked inside. It had two single beds on either side of the space. It didn’t have much room, but it would be fine for a short stay. Three other cabins had beds in them, and four others were left unfurnished.

In another room built with concrete blocks, she found a row of showers and two uncompleted toilets. She wondered where everyone used the bathroom. It had to be the woods, she concluded.

Saki left the grounds and explored more of the island. Just on the outskirts, she found a room making a humming sound. As she got closer, she decided that it must contain a generator, which was how they powered their tools. The room was huge, so the generator must provide the electricity for the whole island.

As she travelled into the bush, her surroundings became more familiar. Fruit trees swayed in the background. It was lush and green. The island was certainly worth fighting over. She wondered if Lane had known about how much work Dax had done. Saki wondered if that was why he had conceded the island to him without a fight.

The bell rang, and she immediately returned to the cabins. Lunch consisted of tuna sandwiches and a handful of chips. Dax signaled her over, and they ate together. From where she sat, he didn’t seem like the monster she had made him out to be. He was more complex than that.

As the day turned into night, Saki did her best to embrace the place. From now on, it was her home. She had made this bargain to keep her family, Lane, and his pack safe. Her heart still ached from the sacrifice that she had made, but she might not have a horrible life here.

Once all of the workers had left the island, all she could hear was the waves crashing on shore and the generator running in the distance. Saki had gone through the ice chests and small fridge, seeing what there was to eat. When she realized no one else was going to cook dinner, Saki took out ingredients and searched for pans.

“What are you doing?” Dax asked, brushing his body against the back of hers.

“I figured I would make us dinner. Unless you’re going to do it,” she said, intending to turn around but not because of the closeness of his body.

He ran his hand down the side of her arms. “No, you do it. I would like that,” he said, slowly moving his hand to her breast. He squeezed gently then pushed his groin into her back. She felt the outline of his hard cock. The wolf in her loved it, but she gripped the pan in front of her not allowing her body to react. He leaned down and kissed her neck before letting her go and walking away.

It took a moment before Saki could move again. It took everything in her to fight him off. She wanted him. More precisely, she wanted Lane, and he would do. She knew she would have to settle for Dax, but she wanted to hold out as long as she could. She wasn’t sure what she would gain by delaying, but she needed the time.

Saki considered herself a good cook. When her mother and stepfather stayed out late, she was the one who would cook for the twins. When her mother left them to fend for themselves on any given night, it was Saki who would pick up the slack.

In fact, she thought she made some meals better than her mother. So finding the ingredients, she felt confident that she could make something that Dax would like.

Eating dinner felt like an alarm ticking down to go off. She had no doubt about what Dax expected next. She could smell his desire, and her body was aroused in response. She didn’t want it to be, but like her wolf, it was something she couldn’t control.

Dax left Saki to wash the dishes. She did them as slowly as she could. The water came out of a hose attached to a well. The low water pressure did add time to everything, but eventually all of the dishes were done.