N. Walters - Alexandra's Legacy

“Ah, Alex. What am I going to do with you?” His eyes were so dark and soft they appeared almost liquid. His lashes were long and thick. On any other man they might have looked feminine. With Joshua, they only accentuated his masculinity, making the harsh angles of his face appear even sharper.

She could lose herself in those eyes. She could also think of a few things she’d like him to do, but she knew now wasn’t the time. Already, she sensed his retreat from her. She was beginning to understand the man beneath the hard exterior, beginning to see what drove him, what motivated him. Even as it frustrated her, it made him even more desirable. She not only understood, but also admired his commitment to duty, his loyalty to his pack.

He took a step back, all softness fading from his expression, his face returning to its normal harsh lines. “We have to keep moving. We have less than two days to meet your father at Wolf Creek and we’ll probably need every moment of it.”

So much had happened this morning. It was too easy to just want to lose herself in Joshua, to forget the danger they were in, the danger her father was in. That wouldn’t do any of them any good.

From now on she’d focus on the journey ahead, doing whatever she could to help them get to their destination alive and in one piece. Once they were there, all bets were off. In the meantime, she’d use the opportunity to learn everything she could about Joshua, his family and the Wolf Creek pack.

Her stomach churned. She still wasn’t quite ready to face the whole werewolf thing. It was easy to accept it in Joshua, as she’d never known him as anything else. It was difficult to wrap her head around the fact that not only was her father one too, but she was as well. Or rather she was a half-breed.

He was watching her, gauging her reaction. She straightened her shoulders and offered him a tight smile. Reality had just descended again with a huge thud. It was time to go. “I’m ready.”

He hesitated as if he wanted to say something further. Alex waited, but he said nothing, just continued to search her face. She wasn’t quite sure what he was looking for or if he even found it, but he finally looked away, glancing toward the top of the alleyway. “I’ve got a vehicle stashed on the edge of town. All we’ve got to do is get there without anyone finding us first.”

“Okay.” She finger-combed her hair and straightened her sweatshirt before leaning down to snag her leather jacket from the ground. Thankfully it hadn’t fallen into anything disgusting and she was able to just brush off the dirt before slinging it back over her shoulder. It was only now that she began to notice the questionable smells permeating the alley. She wrinkled her nose and tried not to breathe too deeply.

Joshua was still watching her as if he wasn’t quite certain of her mood. He’d have to live with it. She couldn’t exactly explain it to him. She wasn’t quite sure of everything she was feeling at the moment. They’d have time to talk later. At some point they’d have to stop and rest.

“Stay close,” he ordered as he led the way back to the top of the alley. With a quick glance in both directions, he turned, stepped out and headed down the sidewalk.

Alex followed close behind, doing her best to try to meld with the mass of humanity that swarmed around them. For the first time since they’d left the restaurant, she felt exposed and edgy. The reality of the situation was really beginning to sink in.

There were werewolves scouring the city searching for her. If they found her they would kill Joshua and kidnap her, maybe even kill her. From what her father had said, not everyone was enamored of half-breeds like herself. Tainted blood, he’d called it.

She wondered where her father was, praying he was safe. A huge lump swelled up in her throat, but she swallowed it back. He would expect her to do whatever it took to survive and reach Wolf Creek. She had to believe he would be there waiting for her.

She couldn’t even contemplate a world in which James Riley wasn’t there beside her. Or was it James LeVeau? Joshua had referred to her father by that name twice now. She’d have to ask him about that. No matter the name, he was her father and she’d never known a tougher or more capable man than him. He’d be okay and so would she. They had to be.

Strong fingers entwined with hers, making her jump. She’d been so lost in thought she’d forgotten to focus on her surroundings. That was dangerous, not to mention stupid.

“Everything will be all right.” Joshua didn’t look at her as he spoke, but kept them moving steadily along with the thinning crowd.

“I know.” She fell into step beside him, determined to block out all thoughts, doubts and questions. Survival had to take precedence.

Everything else could wait.

Joshua tugged Alex off the “L” as soon as the doors opened, their fellow travelers giving them a wide berth. City dwellers were nothing if not smart when it came to sensing possible danger. It came naturally to them, just part of the urban survival skills they cultivated in order to live in the city. He was tall and strong, but it was more than that. His wolf was riding near the surface, radiating a sense of menace.

Humans might not need their instincts for hunting and wilderness survival, but those instincts were there, existing just beneath the thin skin of civilization. Folks may not be able to put it into words, but they recognized him for what he was—a predator.

It took them most of the afternoon to reach the edge of the city. They’d barely avoided being detected by two different groups of prowling werewolves. Joshua had no idea which packs they were from, only that they weren’t from the Wolf Creek pack.

Joshua had caught the scent of one group of wolves just as they’d neared a train station. They’d jumped on the Red Line, melding with the mass of humanity to avoid detection, and ended up on the opposite side of the city. They’d walked for a while, taken the “L” again and then several buses. Joshua had purposely led them around in circles, taking a roundabout route to reach the vehicle he’d left parked in the lot of a large grocery wholesaler.

He’d figured there was less chance of someone noticing it was there for hours and, if they did, they’d just figure it belonged to one of the employees. Plus, with cars and trucks coming and going all day long, it was less likely that anything would happen to the vehicle. He’d moved it several times since arriving in Chicago two days ago, finding similar lots all around the city in which to park to avoid detection. It paid to be cautious.

Alex didn’t speak much and neither did he. Both of them were alert now, watching their surroundings as they made their way down the city streets. They’d stopped at a small deli around lunchtime and picked up some sandwiches to eat as they walked, but other than that, they’d been on the move since early morning. Joshua was restless now, wanting to be out of the city and back to the forest where there was room for a man, and a wolf, to breathe.

“Almost there.” He glanced over at Alex and she nodded. She’d been great considering what she’d been through. He was amazed at her resiliency and her ability to cope under harsh circumstances. His heart ached as he watched her put one foot in front of the other and keep going. It hadn’t been easy to tromp around the city all day while watching for wolves from other packs. Even he felt on edge. He couldn’t even begin to wonder just how she was feeling.

“Alex…” He wasn’t quite sure what he was going to say to her. He was proud of her. Proud of the way she’d handled herself today with whatever situation had been thrown her way. He wasn’t quite sure she would care what he thought. Why would she?