Chapter 21

Chapter 21

POV

Alessia’s POV

I’ve started coming out of my room more often. Mostly to chat away with Scarlett, play with Lucy and the other kids, or simply to grab a quick snack from the kitchen.

Today happens to be one of those days where I’m simply grabbing something from the kitchen.

I reach up for the cupboard where the snacks such as Doritos and chips are kept. With a frustrated groan, I

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in search of the stool I normally used to grab the snacks. Why they put them so high up was far beyond me. Do they think everyone was just naturally that tall?

I drag the chair over and climb onto it, using it to open the cupboard and bring out the Doritos bag that had brought me out of my room in the first place.

With a smile, I proceed to demount from the stool when the legs start wiggling. My eyes widen as I realize what is going to happen next.

I clutch the Doritos to my chest as a form of support and brace myself for the impact which doesn’t come.

“Are you ok up there?” A voice calls out from below me.

I look down to find bright blue eyes tw in k l i n g up at me with concern ingrained in them.

The stranger got hold of the unstable chair and saved me from a painful fall. I quickly hop down from the death contraption and smile at the person who saved my a s s.

“Thank you,” I say. Then since this is the first time I’m meeting him- not including the few times that I’ve

hand passed him in the hallway or sat across him at the dining table- I introduce myself, stretching out my for a handshake before I can stop myself. “I’m Alessia,” I inform even though I’m sure he probably already heard about me from the rumors mill flying all around the pack house. Not trying to brag or anything but I’m the talk of the pack.

He smiles, looking down at my hand and accepting it. “I’m Jake. I’m a warrior of the pack,” he introduces, holding my hand for a while longer than socially appropriate.

I awkwardly pull my hand from his and shift on my foot, looking for a proper way out to head back to my

room.

“I and some other friends are playing some games in case you want to join us.” He ends his request with a shrug letting me know that the choice is up to me, and that he wouldn’t mind if I choose to escape to my

room.

I look at the place he gestured to and find a crowd of people, most of them my age and some looking older. They’re all surrounding a table and playing what looks to be a card of game with alcohol at the side. I know wolves didn’t get drunk so the alcohol was probably just there for fun.

I chew on my bottom lip, conflicted on what to choose. Finally, I look back at Jake who’s still standing

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Chapter 21

patiently and waiting for my answer.

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“Yes, I’d love to join you guys, I offer. “Though I’m not really good at cards. I grimace at the end of my words. That was an understatement. I sucked terribly at cards.

He chuckles, heading for the fridge. “It’s ok. It is not a serious game. We’re just trying to while away time.” he explains, pulling out a beer from the fridge and I breathe a sigh of relief. “You could just come sit with us and watch”

I could do that. It doesn’t seem like a big deal so I nod and follow him to the table where everyone is huddled together.

“Guys, this Alessia, Jake announces, gesturing to me. “She’s joining us.”

Heys, Hellos, and a few smiles are thrown my way as I take a seat beside Jake on a couch.

Jake ratters off some names that I try my d a m n e s t to memorize.

“So, Alessia where are you from?” A guy sitting at my other side asks, Frank I think was his name, and conversations hush as everyone turns to stare at me.

I swallow. “From the neighboring town,” I answer, praying they don’t see through the lic.

The guy opens up his mouth again, probably to ask another question but is cut off by Jake.

“You all need to stop bothering my new friend. I don’t want you driving her away,” he jokes and everyone laughs, turning back to what they were doing before the question was brought up.

I throw Jake an appreciative smile. He has officially saved me more than once.

“Aren’t you playing?” I ask Jake, noticing another hand was being dealt but he didn’t get any cards. I tear into my Doritos and dig in.

“I lost the last round so I have to wait until the next game. I suck at cards too,” he admits, smiling at me evilly as he dips his hand into my bag of Doritos.

Normally, I wouldn’t let such behavior pass with me but on second thought, I decide that Jake isn’t all that bad so I let him have a share of my Doritos. However, he still finds the need to sneak and shove his hand in when he thinks I’m not looking.

We watch the others play while munching on our snacks. Jake managed to get kicked out in the first round. of the game so we have to wait for a long time before the second game starts.

We both managed to lose in the first round again and are attacked by comments from all angles about how bad we were at the game.

We ignore them and continue eating what would be our third bag of Doritos. We threw questions at each other while waiting for the next game so we could join again and probably lose in the first round again.

All in all, this isn’t such a bad way to spend one’s afternoon.