The Alpha and The Vigilante novel Chapter 21

He talked a lot about his mate, Rose. She was 3 months pregnant, and Carter was constantly mindlinking her throughout the day to check up on her. He asked if she could come over and meet me, but I refused. I would feel too guilty pretending to be nice to a pregnant lady who thought I was to be her Luna. Instead of telling him the truth, I told him that I wanted to wait until my hands were healed, because I was embarrassed by them.

It was true that my hands were a disaster, though. Alpha Cain redressed the wounds every night before we went to bed, and to my dismay, they still weren't healed yet. I don't think the fire he was able to conjure was normal fire. Being a werewolf expedites healing, and I should have been healing at an even more accelerated rate because I have Gamma blood. However, my hands were healing painfully slowly, as if I were a human. I tried summoning weapons every morning when I awoke, but the burns were too severe.

On the 7th night of my imprisonment, I waited patiently in the Alpha's bedroom for him to get back. Not because I missed him or anything, but because I wanted him to bring me my food already.

Finally, he walked in through his door with two plates piled high with steaming food. I lit up, and he laughed. "I'm going to assume that happy look is for the food, not because of me."

"Both," I mouthed at him, with a faux smile, laying it on thick. Gaining his trust was essential in order to execute my plan. My heart clenched in guilt when his face lit up in return of my kind words. He flashed a brilliantly white smile at me before planting a quick kiss on my forehead. I stiffened under the sudden contact, but I don't think he noticed. He handed me my plate, and we both ate silently on top of his bed.

"What did you do today, little mate?" He asks once we've both finished our food and set our plates outside of the door for the maid. Inwardly, I twitch in annoyance. He obviously knows everything I did today, since he has Carter watching me 24/7 and no doubt reporting everything I'm doing to him. I hide my annoyance, and just shrug. "Nothing," I mouth, looking disinterested in talking about it.

"Carter told me that you've been working out," He says, with an edge in his voice that I don't understand. I shrugged again, and pulled out my phone to text him.

Working out as much as I'm can in this house. Crunches, push ups, using Carter as a makeshift punching bag. Its not like there's much I can do in this place. This is the most out of shape I've ever been in.

He growls at my text. "You do not need to be 'in shape' for anything. You are no longer a Gamma. You have no one to fight."

Yeah, a guard. Not 4 total. It makes me feel like a prisoner in our home.

I made puppy dog eyes at him, pleading with him. I could sense him about to crack. I knew he would if I pulled the "our home" card. He was too easy to manipulate. To put the nail in the coffin, I reached out and cupped his cheek with my hand. I tried to ignore the tingles I felt where my skin touched his.

"Fine, I will cut it down to just Carter as your guard. I would do anything to make you happy, my little pup," He softly spoke, nuzzling his face in my neck. Though usually calling a wolf a pup was an insult, he said it like I was a treasure. I couldn't believe how easy it was to make him putty in my hands. To be honest, I sort of lost respect for him. He was so powerful and dominant when we first met, initially holding firm that he doesn't negotiate, even when I had a knife to my throat. Now, he was soft. Weak. Unfit to be Alpha. Alphas should be harsh and strict. Otherwise wolves would walk all over them. And walk I will.

I woke up early in the morning, determined. I wasted too much time the past week cozying up to the Alpha. Even though I accomplished my goal of getting him to drop the three guards, I felt like the longer I stayed here, the weaker I got. My training was already screwed, and my body was beginning to pay the price for my laziness. What used to be an 8 pack was now rounding out to a 6 pack, and I could feel what used to be wiry muscles were now beginning to get softer. I needed to be in peak shape in order to have a chance of escaping.