Alpha Alec's Redemption - Chapter 150: Chapter 150

The dining room is filled with tension so thick it’s almost suffocating. The air is electric, a current of raw energy buzzing beneath my skin, through my veins, as if the entire room is pulsing in sync with the rising moon.
I adjust in my seat, trying to settle the anxiety churning in my gut. Across the room, Micah and Jason are quiet; the only indication of their tension is the set of their jaws
Most of the pack is already here, while some are still eating, others are sprawled across the long wooden table or leaning against the walls, waiting for Alec’s directive. It’s a pack tradition that on the night of the full moon, every wolf joins in the run, led by the Alpha.
I never joined the full moon run while here in Alec’s pack, but that was because I had not shifted by then. In the past three years, I’ve led every run, but those moments during the full moon didn’t feel like this. I didn’t have this burning ache inside me.
I grip the edge of my chair, trying to keep myself steady. The full moon is like an hour away, but its effects are already settling in, making my skin prickle and my breath come too fast. Everything feels heightened—senses on overdrive, every sound too loud, every scent too strong.
Around the room, mates are exchanging heated glances, eyes dark with barely contained desire. Their scents hang heavy in the air, a sweet, cloying mixture of lust and longing. Even unmated wolves are struggling, their eyes flicking nervously around the room, muscles coiled tight like they’re seconds away from snapping.
The unmated males look the worst. Their jaws clenched, their eyes narrowed, and their fists twitching as they fight against the pheromones saturating the air. Some are gripping their chairs so hard their knuckles are white, and it’s obvious that every inhale is a battle not to lose control.
I look away, focusing on my own breathing. Slow and steady. In and out.
It’s no use. The heat inside me has been building all day, a slow burn that has now become a wildfire raging beneath my skin. The need is intense, a pressure deep in my gut, pooling low and heavy until it’s nearly unbearable. My thighs press together, and I grit my teeth, trying to ground myself.
But it’s not just the moon that’s doing this to me.
“Sadie” Nyx releases a sound between a growl and a moan. She’s pacing in my head, fully driven by a mix of lust and anxiety. “I need Knox. I need my mate.”
I hear her. I understand her.
I feel her need because I also need Alec.
I can feel him upstairs, his presence thrumming like a beacon in the back of my mind. He’s been with Aspen for almost twenty minutes, reading her a bedtime story because she refused to sleep without him.
Children are put to sleep earlY during the full moon. We are more animals than humans, so things can get a bit messy and intense, especially among mated couples and we don’t need to traumatize them.
Alec’s scent is fainter here, but it still lingers, a dark, smoky warmth that sinks deep into my lungs and tightens everything inside me. The bond thrums like a live wire beneath my skin, tugging, pulling, aching.
While trying to distract my mind, I realize I haven’t seen Raven since yesterday evening during dinner when she had a book in her hands, which she didn’t take her eyes off.
A tiny knot of worry tightens in my chest. Raven is the type to disappear when she’s deep in her work. She shuts out everyone and everything, focusing solely on whatever she’s researching.
When she gets like that, there’s no pulling her out of it and she won’t resurface until she either finds what she’s looking for or exhausts herself trying.
Maybe I should go look for her. But knowing Raven, she doesn’t like interruptions. I’ll give her a day or two. After that I’m dragging her from whatever corner she has holed herself in.
My mind shifts to my own pack. I’ve led the werewolves in my pack during every single full moon since we started the pack; this time I won’t be there and that brings a certain pang in my heart.
The Hope Pack is like my second baby, and I love every single member of my pack. Not being there is harder than I’ve allowed myself to admit.
The need to check on them consumes. I don’t have my phone with me, but maybe I can try using my mind-link. I’ve never tried using the mind-link long-distance before. But given my powers can work on other species, maybe it can work long-distance too.
“King?”
There’s a pause, a void of silence, and for a moment, my heart stutters. Maybe it won’t work. Maybe it was stupid to even—
“Sadie?”
I jolt, eyes flying open, breath catching in my throat. It worked.
“King!”
He sounds just as shocked as I feel. “How are you doing this? The mind-link only works if we’re close. You’re... miles away.”
“I don’t know,” I say, a shaky laugh bubbling up in my throat. “I just tried.”
He chuckles, and the sound is warm and familiar. “Damn. Your powers are leveling up faster than we thought. This is amazing.”
I smile, nodding even though he can’t see me. “I know, right? I honestly wasn’t sure it would work. Actually, I was afraid it wouldn’t work.”
“I guess we don’t need phones now,” he chuckles. “It will save me the phone bill.”
His teasing slightly eases the tension inside as my heart fills with something more than need.
“You’ll still need your phone; otherwise, how is Aspen supposed to talk to her favorite uncle?”
“Suppose she inherited her mother’s abilities?”
It’s something I’ve thought about even though I haven’t really allowed myself to dive too much into it. After all, she’s still a kid and besides, she hasn’t shown any signs as of yet.
“Even if she has, it would probably take years before they are unlocked.” I answer him, “So you still have to use it.”
“Damn, and here I was hoping,” he mutters in a light tone.
“No such luck,” I laugh before asking, “How’s the pack doing?”
There’s a beat of silence, then King says, “Good. I was just preparing to lead the run.”
“You are nervous?”
I could sense it in his voice. This was so unlike him. He’s always assured and confident. I don’t remember ever seeing King nervous.
“How did you know?” he asks before admitting it. “A little”
I chuckle softly. “It’s my superpower… but seriously, you’ve led runs with me hundreds of times, King. You’re going to be fine. You’ve got this.”
He takes a deep breath, and I can feel his resolve solidify as he repeats the words. “I’ve got this.”
“That’s the spirit,” I tell him, as my heart swells with warmth.
So far, King has proved to be really good at running a pack. It’s like he was born to lead and I know he will make a really good Alpha one day.
“Okay, I know you’ve got things to take care before the run, so I’ll let you go.”
I can feel just how relaxed he is as he replies, “Thanks, Sadie. I know this will be your first heat cycle, so make sure to take care. Stay safe.”
“I will,” I promise, a warmth spreading through me at his concern. “Let me know how it goes tomorrow, and take care too.”
“Will do,” he says, and with that, I cut the link.
I open my eyes, exhaling a long, shaky breath. The room is still buzzing with that electric tension, and I’m just about to reach for the glass of water in front of me when—
Alec’s scent hits me like a wall.
It crashes into me, dark, potent and heady, and it’s so intense that I actually sway in my chair. My knees press together, and I clutch the edge of the table, grounding myself as the scent of pine and cedar and something distinctly Alec envelops me, wrapping around me like a vice.
I gasp, swallowing hard, but it’s like trying to breathe through molasses.
How did his scent get so strong? It was faint when he went upstairs, but now it’s like it’s everywhere, suffocating me, sinking deep into my lungs and my skin.
I force myself to look up, and there he is, walking down the stairs with that easy, confident stride, his black hair tousled, shirt sleeves rolled up to his forearms, exposing the ripple of muscle beneath his tan skin.
My mouth goes dry.
He lifts a hand, raking it through his hair, and the way his bicep flexes nearly sends me to my knees. The tendons in his throat shift as he swallows, and my eyes track the movement, my entire body aching with need.
Alec reaches the bottom of the stairs and looks around, his dark eyes searching for me. When they finally land on mine, the air is sucked from my lungs.
I can’t breathe. I can’t think.
All I can do is stare at him, my nails digging into the wooden table as that electric, gnawing, aching need coils tighter and tighter, threatening to snap.