I'm the Alpha's Crush

Chapter 41

When the dust cleared and the Information Fair was winding down, I packed up the picked over remnants of our goodies and looked around for Malcolm.

He'd left to go attend the Alpha Seminar at Meryton's pack offices after dropping us off at the pavilion, and he's promised to meet up with us at the end of the event to help box and transport our supplies.

Unfortunately, there wasn't any sign of him, and I felt an antsy itch in my bones.

"Go," Will came up next to me, sliding the poster boards into a large, slim carrier, "take a break - I've got this."

"You sure?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "you look like you need a breather."

Smiling gratefully, I set the box in my hand aside, saying, "Thanks," before grabbing my purse and heading for the exit.

Through the crowds of wolf kind, I wove in and out of conversations, making a beeline for the trees at the edge of the parking lot.

Only when I was free of the mass did I recognize the tension in my muscles, the agitation in my movements.

Slowing, I picked my way through the cars, heading for the cool shade. Wanting to hear a friendly voice, I dug for my phone, taking it out and calling River.

And I waited, the ringing sounding in my ears.

And I waited.

Nothing.

That's... odd.

Internally, I tried to convince myself that there was nothing to worry about, it wasn't unusual to be unable to reach River.

Except, it kind of is?

Uneasiness filled me, and I didn't notice the approach of feet.

"Hey, pretty Lady. Need a hand?"

I glanced up, and a smile broke out over my face as I saw Malcolm twirling his truck keys.

"Hey yourself." Ending the call, I put my phone away, "How'd the seminar go?"

"Uh," his eyes narrowed, "I'd be generous if I said it was soul-destroyingly dull."

I chuckled, "Is that all?"

"It's honestly what I expected." Glancing around, he asked, "Where's Will?"

With a nod toward the building, I said, "Packing up. He sent me out to take a break."

"How'd it go?"

"Well?" I guessed, "I don't have any point of reference, but we made a decent number of sales and Will seemed happy with it."

"That's encouraging. Want to pack up and get out of here?"

I rolled my eyes, "You have no idea."

Malcolm slung his arm around my shoulder, and we made our way back inside.

It took the three of us to fold, roll and wrestle the massive, printed banner back into its box, but once that was done, the rest was relatively simple, and we soon found ourselves toting our things outside and stowing them in the bed of Malcolm's truck.

When everything was ready, Will stood back, brushing off his hands, "So, are you ready for this afternoon?"

Glancing his way, I asked, "This afternoon?"

Malcolm groaned, "Oh, fuck. I forgot."

Turning, I began to worry, "Seriously, what's happening?"

Will smiled grimly, "Flag football tournament. We're going to have to change and be at the campgrounds in an hour."

"You're kidding," I stated, flatly, hoping I'd misheard.

"If only."

As it turned out, he wasn't. The damn football tournament took all afternoon, leaving me gross and sweaty.

Moreover, the headache that had started from the unrelenting sun and the shouting exploded into acute misery at that night's dinner.

The organizers had apparently decided that we needed dinner and a show, and the entertainment as we ate included a "talent" show with questionable amounts of talent and an A.V. system that was pitched at the exact, right frequency to make me wish for death.

We left as soon as we could politely escape, but the damage was done, and Malcolm's morning proposition was not happening.

Downing some painkillers, I changed in the bathroom quickly, crawling into bed and pulling the sheets up over my head. Struggling to tune out the pounding ache in my skull, I tried to will myself unconscious.

But, as I buried my head in my pillow, I sighed when the mattress dipped with Malcolm's weight.

He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me back against his chest.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, hating myself for disappointing him.

"You have nothing to apologize for."

"I still feel bad."

Malcolm chuckled, "That's probably the headache."

"It's guilt. We were supposed to-"

He leaned forward, kissing the back of my neck, "We were supposed to spend time together, and anything else can wait until you feel better."

Smiling, I squeezed the hand he'd laid on my stomach, "I promise, when we finally make this happen, I am gonna rock your world."

The next day started with cautious optimism. Malcolm and I parted at the pavilion with a quick peck on the cheek, and despite a broken jar of honey at the Pack Goods Market, I managed to clean myself off and finished up with high spirits.

That is, until that afternoon's nature hike.

After stopping off at the inn to change clothes, Will, Malcolm and I showed up at the campground, where we were immediately put to work as guides.

The first outing went fine, but it all went to hell with the second group we took through the woods.

It started when a giggly group of teen girls tried to cozy up to Malcolm, jostling for his attention. Outwardly, he was courteous, but every aspect of his body language screamed discomfort.

Standing near the back as we waited for stragglers, I twisted off the cap of my water bottle, taking a drink. When he looked my way, his eyes met mine, and I read the plea for help within them.

Time to rescue the big, bad Alpha.

With a shake of my head, I closed the bottle and strode up toward him, "Hey, Babe; are we ready?"

The endearment had an instant effect, and several of the girls took a step back.

Malcolm smiled, visibly relieved, "Whenever you are."

"Great," I grinned, sidling up next to him, "let's get this show on the road."

"Wait up!" An unfamiliar voice called from behind us, and I turned to see another girl jogging up toward us, long legs bare from her pristine tennis shoes to her running shorts.

"Uh," I felt my eyes widen, thinking about the hike ahead of us, "are you sure you want to wear that? This trail isn't well maintained, and you might ruin your clothes."

The girl gave me a quick head-to-toe scan, glancing over my full-length pants and muddy hiking boots. Looking unimpressed, she flashed me a plastic smile, "Yeah, I'll be okay."

Annoyance flared in my gut, and I shrugged - not my business.

Next to me, Malcolm asked, "Is that everybody?"

The girl's attention turned to him, and I watched her cheeks flush and her posture change.

Fantastic.

Looking up at Malcolm, she nodded, "Yeah, let's go!"