The Code of The Alpha

"Would you hush?""I didn't say anything.""Well, stop thinking so loud."I heard Mady huff from somewhere in the room behind me, but my eyes were glued in front of me.With stiff and aching fingers, I lifted the small detailing brush from the palette and leaned forward, ignoring the pain in my lower back.Holding my breath, I gently swept the brush along the canvas, letting the beige acrylic paint cover the markings of where I had outlined with a graphite pencil.I let out a long, exasperated sigh of relief as I finished the last upward stroke of the brush. "Are you done? Can I see?"I felt Mady's presence invade the space behind me as she leaned forward to get a better look at the canvas propped against the wall that I sat in front of."Carrie, that looks great.""I hate painting hands," I admitted, feeling a sudden wave of exhaustion pass over me."No, it looks really good."I glanced over the canvas that was partially painted and partially outlined with a graphite pencil. An old d

I looked over at the alarm clock, noticing that it was around six in the morning, too early for vacation. I laid there for a while longer and begged my brain to turn off so I could go back to sleep but it never did.Sighing in annoyance, I rolled out of the bed.I showered before brushing my hair and my teeth, hoping all the while that Mady would wake up. When I exited the bathroom and saw that she was still sound asleep in her bed, I was slightly jealous that she had yet to be woken up by the sunlight that was peeking through the curtains.I was in desperate need of caffeine and I decided that I couldn't wait on her to wake up. I grabbed my sketchbook and pencil bag and walked towards the door.Quietly, I left our room and wandered into the elevator. Riding ball the way down to the lobby, I found the hotel's coffee shop and grabbed a seat.I don't know how long I was there, but I drank almost two cups of tea and nearly finished a sketch of the Vegas skyline before I began to get jit

Several silent hours later, we arrived back home in the dead of night. Neither of our fathers felt comfortable with Mady and I going back to our townhouse, especially while it was unclear as to why we had caught the attention of a rival Alpha.Not wishing to cause any more trouble than necessary, we both agreed to stay with our parents until things smoothed over.We both returned to our townhouse to pack a bag, taking time to gather a few things. I made sure to cover my painting before carrying it out to the car where my father was waiting.Along with paint supplies, I grabbed an extra set of pajamas and clothes for a few days. I could only hope there was a spare toothbrush at my parents' house because mine was still in Las Vegas.I said goodbye to Mady as the two of us went our separate ways, promising to meet for coffee the next morning. When we got home, I said goodnight to my parents and went upstairs to my old bedroom.After what felt like an eternity of laying in the bed starin

An eerie, early morning glow settled over the fog that fell on the acres of rolling farmlands outside my window.We made it over the Oregon border into Washington after a few hours had passed and neither Luca nor myself had spoken a word.I kept my head turned towards the window for most of the ride so he couldn't see the slow, silent tears rolling down my cheeks. I already missed my family and Mady.There was also the issue of the fact that I was exceedingly uncomfortable-not just because I was somewhere I didn't want to be and alone with someone who I only knew to be a murderous tyrant, but also because my hair was still damp from the rain that had also soaked through my shirt and pajama pants.My bare feet were freezing, despite the heat being on in the truck. When Luca noticed me fidgeting uncomfortably in my seat, he sighed."We'll stop when we get to Spokane," he said. "You can change there."I turned to look at him with eyes that were red and swollen from crying."Where are we

Luca used a PIN pad that was attached to his door handle to unlock the door before opening it and letting me walk past him. I noted it was the same four numbers that were used to open the gate.When I walked in, a large laundry room was to my right with windows that overlooked the driveway. To my left was the entrance into a kitchen that was bigger than my old apartment.White cabinets sat along the lower and upper part of the walls with a wide window along one wall where the sink was, letting in ample amounts of daylight. A large soapstone-capped island was sitting in the middle of the kitchen and was lined by six countertop chairs on one side.I had never been in a kitchen that big.Natural hardwood floors ran the length of the kitchen and into the dining area that it opened up to where a long wooden dining table was placed under a simple iron chandelier. To the right of the dining area was a circular staircase that led up to the second floor and down into the basement.Further on w