Chapter 26

Dad drives me to the motel in his old Dodge Dakota. It’s almost comical that he barely fits into the tiny cab. “Grab your stuff. I’m taking you home with me.” I nod then rush to grab everything. I stop at the little office and turn in the key before hopping back into the truck.

Dad drives up a hidden dirt road at the side of the diner. The trail continues up the hill and around a bend. We’re far enough from town to run around in our wolves but close enough that Dad can go back and forth as needed. He pulls up to a beautiful cabin and kills the engine. Once I step out of the cab, he grabs my bag and leads me inside.

“This is your room.” He opens the door to the spare bedroom, and I’m flabbergasted. My mouth drops open as I look around the room that’s fit for a princess. A large white canopy bed with a delicate see-through curtain occupies the majority of the room. There are matching nightstands on either side with lamps. There’s also a full dresser and vanity complete with a mirror. “I always hoped I would see you again.” I bite my lip and turn back to my dad. I reach up to hug him, but he scoops me up into his bear hug. He places me back on my feet. “Go ahead and get settled. I’ll make us some hot cocoa.” I giggle then set my backpack beside the bed.

“Gran gave me the letter you left for me,” I tell him as I wipe the whipped cream from my lip.

“I figured. After she told me about you being rejected, I figured it was only a matter of time. Those bastards laid their hands on my daughter. I want to rip their arms off and beat them senseless. Alyssa had to stop me a few times from going back there. The first time she told me they hit you, you were just a little girl. She stopped me about a mile outside of the border. She was right; I was no match for an entire pack. At that time, I was going mad from the loneliness. I hadn’t settled yet.” Gran really is a remarkable person. He shakes his head as if trying to clear the memory from his mind.

I reach out and hold his hand. “I don’t blame you for leaving. Dad, I told Ashton why you had to leave, and he said that since you killed the Alpha, you should have become the new Alpha. Is that true?”

Dad bobs his head from side to side. “Yes and no. In general, if you challenge the Alpha, it’s for the pack. That was never my intention. I was never leader material. I found out what he was doing, and I couldn’t let it continue.”

I blurt out the question that has always plagued my mind. “Why did you kill him?”

Dad finishes his hot cocoa and then places the mug in the sink. He grips the counter and exhales a deep breath. “Edgar lied to the packs. The refugees that he brought in were not victims of wildfires. He started the fires in order to gain control of them. He burned the forests down just so he could have more bodies to control. Lives were lost in those fires. People lost everything they had because of him. Greg was part of it too. They destroyed all of the packs until there were just the two left and nowhere else to go. All of the fires started in the middle of the night. Coincidence?”

How could anyone be so cruel just to gain power? “Do you want to go for a run with me?” my dad asks, rousing me from my thoughts. He turns around to look at me. “I haven’t run with another wolf since I left, and it’s made me weak.”

I place my empty mug in the sink and wrap my arms around my dad’s waist. “I would love that. Ashton is the only wolf that ran with me and that was only twice.”

He rubs my shoulders and then kisses the top of my head. “Let’s go.”

Dad and I run for what feels like hours, basking in the feeling of companionship and freedom. His wolf is the same color as mine but much larger. He’s stronger, but I’m more agile as we skip around in the water of a small stream. It must branch off of the river I jumped into to escape those guards. I’ll have to tell him about them. I hope I wasn’t followed.

Dad leads me back to the cabin, and we slip into the kitchen through a large dog door. Real funny, Dad. Although, I do chuckle. I dress in my bedroom in one of his oversized t-shirts after a relaxing shower. I don’t even own pajamas anymore. I walk into the living room to find Dad in his recliner. He puts his legs down and reaches out for my hairbrush. I pull over an ottoman and sit in front of him. After running the brush through my hair, he slowly begins to braid it just like he used to. But being out of practice, it takes him a bit longer.

“Daddy, can you help me understand something?” He answers with a simple hum. “Why didn’t Alpha Greg turn me over to the Canyon Ridge Pack? I never understood why he chose to fight over me.” He ties the end of my braid then I curl up in the armchair chair beside him.

Dad rubs his neck as he thinks it over. He’s always done that, and the memory makes me smile. “Were the sides evenly matched?”

I think back to all of the warriors at the borderline. “Yeah, I would say they were pretty even.”

He clenches his jaw and then runs his hand down his face. “My guess is because he wanted the Canyon Ridge Pack to be defenseless. There was a lot of loss on their side, right?” I nod. “Battling on the edge of his territory was a guaranteed victory for him, and it made the other pack weaker. They’re a much easier target now that they have so few warriors left.”

Oh crap. Ashton’s pack could be attacked at any moment. They would be guaranteed to lose. With a group of warriors chasing after me, they would be even weaker. “Daddy, I was chased by Canyon Ridge warriors. I lost them at the river two nights ago. Do you think they would come here looking for me?”

He shakes his head. “No, princess. You have nothing to worry about. Werewolves stay away from humans. But just in case, you stay in with me at all times. You can help me cook.” He chuckles.

I scrunch my nose. “I never want to cook or serve again.”

Dad’s eyes soften. “That’s understandable, princess. At least hang out with me in the office and we can catch up on everything we’ve missed out on.” I cover my mouth as I yawn. Dad pulls me up and leads me to the bedroom. I crawl under the blanket and lay on the most comfortable bed ever. I feel like I’m lying on a cloud. He pulls the blanket up to my chin and then kisses the top of my head. “Sweet dreams, my princess. I love you forever.”