Long Run

I stood up and Alex didn’t hide it while he watched me move elegantly up.  He smirked when I offered him a hand up.  He took me up on the offer and I pulled him up with ease.  And he made me work for it too.

He sighed, “I don’t think I’ll ever be as strong as you.”

I grinned at him and pulled him closer,”If you keep going with Ryan you will.  You’ll do be stronger and faster than me.”

Alex smirked, “I think I might like that.”

“I know I will.” I bite my bottom lip and dropped my gaze to his.  It was submissive but it wasn’t to the floor.  It was an effort.

Alex leaned in and kissed me hard.  We broke apart with a furry head to my hand.  Rider was getting impatient.  “I gotta go.”

He laughed.  “He’s pushy lately.”

“He is.”  I kissed Alex again.  “I’ll be back.  See if you can get Ryan to cook us all up some steaks with a few rare rare ones for the boys.  They aren’t going to hunt so they’ll need the protein.”

Alex nodded, “Sounds good.  But I think he’s one step ahead of you.”

Alex grabbed the door knob to be the chivalrous man he was but the door didn’t budge despite the fact that it was unlocked. 

I sighed, “I put a locking rune on it.”  I wasn’t sure of the rune that would cancel that rune.  I stood there thinking while Alex was tapping his foot with a smirk on his face.

“Don’t worry about it pretty boy, Cass and Quinn are on it.”

“On what?”  I asked.

“Unlocking the door.”

I heard giggling on the other side of the door.  “Daddy, did you lock yourself in?”

I muttered, “I hate you.” to Alex, “How are you going to open the door Cass?”  I asked concerned.

“I’m not.”  She shouted through the door.  But the door knob turned and it opened.  Revealing a very happy to see Laker Matt.  Both of them were on the floor, Laker’s wolf having tackled his mate to the floor and was licking him like crazy.

“Come on Lake, let’s go for a run.”  I said.

Rider’s wolf pushed his head against Laker and the young wolf moved.  Rider passed by Matt and gave him a quick nuzzle before Rider was nuzzling everyone else.  He was still an overly affectionate wolf even if he was alpha dog now – maybe because of it.  He was always looking after everyone.

Alex sighed.  _He’s really going to be lording over us now isn’t he?_

I chuckled and smiled at Alex.  _He’s still sixteen.  We are still mostly the boss._

“Mostly.”  Alex laughed.  He leaned over and pressed a kiss to my lips, “Go run.  I’ll hold down this fort.”  Both Cass and Quinn were giggling behind ‘ewwws’.

I rolled my eyes.  “Come on you three.  Stay with me and don’t draw attention to me.  Rider it’s your job to make sure the other two behave.”

There was a soft yip of agreement and we all left the house to go for a good long run down the beach.  I was still a little awed by the fact that my brothers were both full fledge werewolves.  My mother had been a carrier but had never turned.  I wondered if I’d stayed around if she would have.  She wasn’t a born therian like the twins were.  At least she wasn’t here to call them monsters.

The thought of my mother feeling the same way about her boys drew my heart down as we ran the length of the beach.  I had three werewolves and a bodyguard with me.  If the Venatori thought to take another stab at me now they’d be stupid to do so up close and personal.

But now would be a great time to take my family captive again.  Though that hadn’t been the Venatori.  The New World Order was just as keen as finding me dead sooner rather than later.

A wolf rammed into the back of my leg and I tumbled to the ground.  Rider’s big black fur covered form towered over me.  He gave me a soft growl and the other two wolves came to pace around me.  Griffin was there with a stolen beach umbrella and placed it between me and the street beyond.

“It might have been just a reflection, but there was a red light dancing over you looking for a shot.”

I sighed as I sat up. “I can keep bullets from hitting us.  Or me, but I can’t do it for all of us while we run.”

Rider nudged me in the direction of home.  “You need to run.”

He nudged me again in the same direction.  “I can protect myself.”

He nudged a little more firmly than before and growled.  I sighed, “Fine.”

“Ryan will take you out again.”  I stood up wrapping air around me as thick as my thigh and as tightly compacted as I could make it.  Nothing was getting through that and I felt suffocated inside the air tube.  “Let’s go.  We can still run home.”

They all followed with ease.  “It might be best if we got back to the city where we have more control over who has access to you.”

I sighed.  “It’ll be better to keep them out here were we can run free.  Three days of the full moon.  Then we can.”

Griffin sighed.  “We’ll see.  Your safety is my first concern.”

I slowed to a walk so we could talk, “I’ll let you and the rest decide, but Alex gets final say.”

“You put a lot of of faith in Alex.”  Griffin said as he slowed with me.  The wolves ran around circles around us.

“It sounds cheesy, Alex is my world.  It’s my goal in life to make him happy.”

“That is cheesy.  He’s not worth it.”  Griffin chuckled.

“He is.  But that’s why he’s mine and not yours.”

“That sounds like jealousy.”

I shrugged.  “A little bit.  You knew Alex before.”

Griffin laughed.  “We **are** just friends.”

“Yeah I know.  Like my friends.  It’s not the benefits, just the friendship.  I never got to remember a young Alex when it mattered.”

“He liked it that way.”  Griffin said. 

The house drew into view and we sort stopped talking but it wasn’t awkward.