Chapter 23: The Lone Alpha

Chapter Twenty-One. Max.

“Holy Island or Lindisfarne as it is also known, is only an Island some of the time,” Daddy tells me. He is so clever, my daddy. Always telling me things. I love my mammy, and I love my daddy now.

“Why only some of the time?” That sounds strange, maybe Daddy is wrong.

“Daddy is never wrong Max,” Thrax tells me.

“Because when the tide of the sea is out, the waters push back and create this road we are on now. Then, when it is high tide it covers the road and makes it an island again. Is that cool?” Daddy asks as Mammy turns and smiles at me.

“What happens if the sea comes when we are on the road?” I asked. I am not frightened, because I am a brave boy, but I don’t like it if the water will come soon.

“There is a special timetable, and lights on both of the ends of the road to warn you. Today we need to be back on this road before half past four tonight, so we only have five hours, but it is long enough to play on the beach and visit the monastery,” Daddy tells me.

“Okay Daddy,” I say, I trust my daddy and my mammy to keep us safe.

Daddy parks his big, nice car, which doesn’t go ‘Vroom’ like a bus or a train, or when Mammy gets us a taxi if we are really late somewhere. It is weird. But I like it. We are near the beach. He gets me out of my car seat, whilst Mammy gets the bag that has our towels, and my swimming costume out the back of the car. I am so excited to play on the sand. To play with both Mammy and daddy like I have seen other kids do, at the beach not far from where we live.

“Mammy, do we have my bucket and spade?” I ask as I run toward the sand.

“Oh, no sweetheart, I didn’t bring them because I did not think we would come to the beach on this holiday,” Mammy tells me.

I feel a little sad, but it is okay, I have a plan that makes me happy.

“It's okay mammy, I will bury Daddy in the sand. Right up to his neck,” I giggle as Daddy scoops me up into his arms. I like it when he does that, because I am too big and heavy for Mammy to carry me now. She does try, but I know that sometimes it hurts her arms, so I don’t ask her to anymore. Thrax and I have to look after Mammy.

“Right up to my neck, will you? Ah, so you will, because you are a big strong boy,” then my daddy tickles my tummy, and I giggle as Mammy smiles at me.

We play on the sand, and I jump in the small waves, plodging mammy calls it, as daddy sits on the beach and smiles at us, as we run away from the cold water. Mammy has her jeans rolled up to her knees, and her white t-shirt is all wet. It makes Daddy smile when he sees her, and he waves her and me back to the water.

“Are you feeling hungry sweetheart?” Mammy asks and takes out my Batman lunch box passing me a ham sandwich, I love ham sandwiches, they are my favourite. My mammy is the best mammy in the whole wide world.

When I finish eating my sandwiches, my strawberries, chest strings, biscuits and a bag of Monster Munch crisps, Mammy takes me to the toilet to change me into my clothes again.

The sand scratches my skin as she dries me with the towel, and the sand sticks to me. But I don’t mind.

“We only have a couple of hours left, to explore the monastery, so we must be quick,” Mammy tells me.

I put my T-shirt on myself because I am a big boy. But I put it on the wrong way. My mammy takes my arms out of it and spins it around my neck which tickles and makes me giggle.

We walk around the monastery, but it is boring. It is just big stones and doesn’t have a roof. Some of the walls have fallen down. Daddy is telling me and my Mammy about somebody called Saint Adien and Saint Cuthbert. Apparently, they were something called holy men.

“Mammy and Daddy like it. Look, they are nearly holding hands again,” Thrax tells me. I look and see that their little fingers are nearly touching.

“What does that mean?” I ask Thrax.

“That means that if they hold hands again, we can all live together, and be a pack,” Thrax tells me.

“What is a pack?” I ask my doggy.

“It is where everybody lives together,” Thrax tells me.

I like the thought of that. I love Mammy, but sometimes it is lonely having nobody to play with.

“When we go home, we will leave Daddy behind. We need them to hold hands. Mammy’s and Daddy’s are supposed to sleep in the same bed. We need to make them hold hands, and sleep in the same bed,” Thrax tells me.

“Then what will happen?” I ask.

“They might have another pup. But once they sleep in the same bed, Daddy will come home with us, so we don’t have to leave him behind. We need to help them,” Thrax tells me.

“How? I am just a little boy,” I tell Thrax.

“You are an Alpha, like me. We can do this. If we go back to the caravan, Daddy will just stay in the living room again. They need to stay here,” Thrax tells me.

“I know, when we have to go before the water comes, I will go to the toilet, and tell Mammy I cannot go but need to go,” I tell my doggy, I am proud that I thought of that.

“Yes, okay. Then we get them to sleep in the same bed here,” Thrax agrees with me.

“Max, come on sweetheart,” Mammy shouts, moving her hand away from Daddy’s and stretching it out to me.

“I don’t want to hold your hand, Mammy, I am a big boy,” I tell her, as Thrax nods his head, agreeing with me. Mammy cannot hold Daddy’s hand if she is holding their mind.

“Oh wow, he is getting too big,” Mammy sighs to Daddy and looks sad for a minute. But Daddy reaches out and takes her hand in his and she goes red. My plan worked.

“Look Thrax, they are holding hands again,” I tell my doggy because I am proud. I really want Daddy to live with us, and to live in a pack like Thrax told me about.

I run and climb on some of the stones, smiling down at Mammy and daddy.

“I’m the king of the castle, you’re the dirty rascal,” I sing to them as Daddy laughs and Mammy asks me to get down, worried I will fall. She is always worried about me hurting myself. But I never do, and even if something hurts, it doesn’t last long because Thrax tells me he is making me better. I love my doggy. He is my best friend.

“Come on son, Daddy says, then comes over and lifts me off the wall.

Oh no, now they are not holding hands anymore.

We finish off in the boring monastery, then Daddy takes us to a small café, and I get a big scone with jam and cream. It is really yummy. I am sitting next to Mammy, and Daddy is sitting at the other side of the table, his hands are in the middle of the table, and his fingers are stroking my mammy’s, and they are smiling at each other. I get a big dollop of jam all over my face, and it is sticky. Mammy smiles and gets a tissue then wipes my face clean.

“We have half an hour before the last crossing time. We need to make our way back to the car,” Daddy tells us both.

“Should I go to the toilet now?” I ask Thrax.

“No, wait until we are a few streets towards the car so that we have to come back,” he tells me.

I always trust my doggy.

We walk out and when Thrax tells me I pretend I need a poo. Mammy sighs, as Daddy tells her not to worry about it. We go back to the café, and I go to the toilet and sit, and sit, and sit.

“Make a noise like you are pushing your poo out!” Thrax tells me.

I do as my doggie tells me, and make the sound I normally make.

“Max, we need to hurry up. Are you okay?” Mammy asks.

I feel a little bad about lying to her, but it is so that she can live with my daddy, and I really want us to live together. We have to get them to sleep in the same bed. Thrax told me so.

“Yes, but my poo won’t come out,” I tell my mammy, crossing my fingers behind my back.

“Okay, sweetheart. Try to hurry though,” Mammy sighs.

“I will mammy,” I shout through the door.

“Max son, do you need help?” Daddy shouts through the door.

“No, I am nearly done,” I tell Daddy.

Crossing my fingers extra hard.

“We can go now,” Thrax tells me wagging his tail.

.

I flush the chain and wash my hands, open the door, and Daddy picks me up, taking Mammy’s hand in his, and we run towards the car. As we drive towards the water road, the lights begin to flash, and Daddy has to stop.

“It is too late to cross,” he tells Mammy.

“What are we going to do?” she asks.

“There is a B&B let's hope they have a couple of rooms,” Daddy tells Mammy.

I feel sad now because mammy looks worried. But I need them to sleep in the same bed so that we can be together.

We go to a white house, that Daddy said we might be able to stay in. I sit in the big chair when they ask about a room. There is only one, and Mammy looks scared, but Daddy tells her that it will be okay, he will sleep in the bed that is for me.

I look up at Daddy as he carries me into the bedroom. There is a big bed and a little bed. Daddy puts me on the big bed, but I need to be on the small bed.

“I will go get us some fish and chips,” Daddy tells Mammy, as I look up at him.

“Daddy. Please can you sleep with mammy?” I ask as he goes to walk out the door.

“What?” Mammy asks, looking shocked.

“Real mammy’s and daddy’s sleep together. I want you to be like real mammy and daddy’s,” I tell mammy, as she looks at me.

“Max, did you deliberately make us late?” Mammy asks me, her voice soft.

I do not want to lie to my mammy again, so I nod my head. I feel like I am going to cry.

She looks at Daddy and he walks over, then both of them put their arms around me, and hold me so tight. I feel bad for tricking them, so I begin to cry.