Ascension of a Gamma novel Chapter 56

Chapter 56 The Escapee

-Anna

I smiled at the children playing on the training grounds and they waved back to

1. me.

“I told them not to play around here,” said Alpha Emery. “Children never listen.”

“I find that adults are more hard headed,” I replied, and he chuckled.

On a picnic blanket laid down on the soft grass, shaded by overlapped branches of trees, we watched them play catch. Back a t the White Lake Pack, children of their age were already placed into training. In the Red Claw Pack, the children were given days to train and a rest day for playing. Here, the children weren’t being trained. They were free to run around all day and play to their heart’s content as if they were innocent of the dangers the world held for them. The next protectors of the pack – they should be training for i

1. t.

Why aren’t they in training?” I asked,

Yhy aren’t they in training?” I asked, unable to hold back the curiosity.

“Let them be children,” he said simply.

“What about the pack?”

He frowned. After a while, he said, “We shouldn’t put the burden of our disputes o n the children.”

“I began training when I was five. I was raised to protect the pack.”

“And in the end, what did your pack do to you?” he asked.

I stayed silent. I didn’t want to be reminded.

“All these pack wars and rogue attacks, alliances and betrayal, breeds more hatred among our kind. It is passed down to the children, then their children, then their grandchildren; generation after generation of endless killing and fear. I’ve seen deaths and suffering in this lifetime that could last me another.”

“It’s just the way it is. We can’t do anything about it. Not all Alphas are good, and most of them want power,”I replied. “Liam is one of the good ones. He

lied. “Liam is one of the good ones. He helps packs in need, packs whose Alpha abuses his power.”

“If he is what you say he is, then why did you leave him?” he asked.

“You never asked about him before. Why

now?”

He turned to me with a small smile on his face. In the course of three months, he had exponentially grown older as his strength ebbed away. The lines on his face were more pronounced, and he had a full set of gray hair now, but his eyes held joy instead of the tiredness I first saw in them.

“Simple. You said his name just now.” His smile grew wider.

My mouth fell into a small “o”.

“Did he do something?”

I nodded then hugged my knees to my chest, resting my chin on my knees.

“He did something different from what h e said, just like I did,” I confessed. “I promised I’d never leave him, and I did. I didn’t hear what he wanted to say. I knew

In’t hear what he wanted to say. I knew if I did, even if he lied, I’d forgive him. S o, I left before I changed my mind. Then I ended up here.”

“Bella…”

The familiar pain in my chest returned, and so did the burning bite of anger. I stretched my legs out and leaned back.

“But what does it matter? I bet he’s really happy now that I’m gone. He may not even be looking for me. I don’t care. He has what he wants. I learned who I really am.” I gave out a small laugh. “Who does he think he is, anyway? I’m an Alpha too!” I said, turning to face him. “I’m your daughter. I’m of Alpha blood. I’m next in line as Alpha. He’s not the only one…”

I stopped when my voice cracked, and I wiped the stupid tears away. He didn’t deserve them. He didn’t deserve my heart – why should I hurt because of him? I couldn’t erase the image of them kissing. For months, I’d been seeing it in my dreams, and I hated it. I hated how I still missed him, everything about him – his ‘scent, his arms around me – I missed

nt, his arms around me – I missed how the world faded away whenever I was with him. It hurt that he did that, but it hurt more that I still loved him despite i

Is he looking for me? Is he worried about me?

A part of me hoped he was. A part of me was in spite of him if it was a yes. A part o fme believed otherwise.

“We’re not a perfect couple, your mother and me. We argued over the smallest things from the color of the sheets to the words I use to compliment her,” he said a s he soothingly ran a hand down my back.

“It wasn’t always perfect, but would you rather go to sleep with a grudge, or swallow your pride and apologize, no matter who was right or wrong, because, at the end of the day, the truth is you love her and come next morning, the smile that graces her lips as she awakes is incomparable to worthless anger and pride and frustration?”

I thought about it. I’d been bitter about the whole matter for months now. It’d kill me if I kept living like this. What

me if I kept living like this. What would I ask him – to give me closure?

“What if he doesn’t want to talk to me?” I whispered.

“Does he have to talk to you?”

I smiled.

No.

Someone cleared their throat behind us, interrupting our moment. Looking up, it was Beta David.

“I’m sorry to disturb, Bella, but I have to talk to your Father,” he said sternly.

“Uh… sure,” I said, getting up. “I’ll just… take a walk.”

Alpha Emery nodded at me and I left the two of them to talk. Must be about pack matters.

What should I say?

“I’m sorry I’ve been away?”

No, that wouldn’t do.

“Hi! It’s me. I know I’ve been gone for like a short time… well, not really a short time…”

I groaned. This was going to be harder than it seemed. Maybe I could get him a present? His birthday was in about four months. No, that wouldn’t be right. 2

I bit my lower lip. What should I do? Knots tightened on my stomach the more I thought about seeing him again. Would he even want to see me now, after I left him just like that?

Stupid Anna.

I shouldn’t have let Salina get into my head. She could’ve been lying – I was yet t o hear Liam’s side. Maybe it wasn’t what i t looked like? But… I know what I saw…

Howls came from our left and he stopped. Giving me one last look, it sped away.

STORU OLMU. Den

Bella…