Free Web NovelChapter 191: Going Back To Oakland
Guru’s men were busy barbecuing the fishes, the smoke rising in thick white plumes against the gray mountain sky. I stood watching them do it all, my mouth watering as the scent of charred skin and sea salt drifted over.
When the first set was done, one of them handed me a plate with a piece that was perfectly browned. I have been watching and waiting to eat the fish since the moment we pulled them out of the ice.
Guru was out again; he had work to do in a nearby town, a job that couldn’t wait for our departure. It was too bad he won’t be around when we leave, the house already felt a bit emptier without his quiet presence, but he said his goodbye and dropped some gifts to give to Kaye. I clutched the small package in my free hand, already smirking. I just can’t wait to rub it in Kaye’s face that Guru and I went fishing without him.
He always loves tagging along every Sunday. Back when we lived here, it was his favorite thing to do. He wanted to come with me this trip, but Paye said no, maybe next time. Paye claimed that Kaye and Dina had football practice, but I knew that was just an excuse for Paye. He knew if Kaye meets Guru again, he won’t want to come back home.
Kaye sometimes rub it in Paye’s face that he rather stays with Guru than with Paye, and that always makes Paye jealous. Well, he was right to feel that way. Guru is a free spirit guy, and despite his violent nature and the guns he carries, he is kind-hearted in a way that makes you feel safe. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
While I was eating my fish, enjoying the flaky meat, someone covered my eyes from behind. It was by surprise, the world going dark for a second, but with the familiar scent and expensive perfume and the feel of those long, steady cold hands, I already knew who it was.
I smiled, leaning back into the person.
"How was sightseeing babe?" I said, my voice muffled by a mouthful of fish.
Immediately Princess dropped her hands and was now in my front, a playful pout on her lips. She looked flushed from the cold, her eyes bright and clear.
"You should have pretended not to know.." she said lazily, her voice smooth.
"I can’t, I know the scent of my girl.. so it’s hard to.." I said. I picked up a small piece of fish with my fingers and offered it to her. She opened her mouth, accepting the fish and chewing slowly, her eyes never leaving mine. Then one of the men offered her a plate of her own, but Princess shook her head. She said she wants me to feed her instead, her eyes sparkling with a mischief I hadn’t seen in a long time.
"I just wanted you to taste the fish, not share my plate.." I said, though I was already reaching for another piece.
"Come on, you don’t want to feed your girl, huh?" she muttered, leaning in closer and opening her mouth again.
I stared at her for a moment, my hand pausing mid-air. Did she smoke Guru’s weed again? Because she is acting strangely, way more affectionate and relaxed than her usual guarded Alpha self.
"Are you high again?" I asked confusedly, searching her face for those blown-out pupils.
"No, come on feed me, I’m waiting.." she said, ignoring my question and tapping her chin.
I fed her again and again, the two of us standing there in the cold, eating the fish together off the same plate.
My friends came to join us a few minutes later, their faces red from their day out. It turned out they liked Princess more than I expected. They haven’t been friends with an Alpha before, and I think they thought Princess was going to be someone hard to be around with, someone stiff and judgmental. But she was free with them, showing them that one can mingle with Alphas without it being a big deal.
They had been showing her around town all afternoon. They went rock climbing on the jagged cliffs near the lake and even did some diving. Princess said she did not like that part because of the ice-cold water, but she still dived in anyway, probably because she didn’t want to look weak in front of my crew. I could still see Princess shivering slightly under her heavy coat, trying not to show it, her jaw clenched tight.
Princess must have really enjoyed herself, because she gave them all a free pass for the year. They were welcome to her underground tunnel every Friday, no questions asked.
So yeah, I will be seeing them on Fridays at the club, which made me feel a mix of excitement and dread. My Redwood life and my Oakland life were finally starting to bleed together.
I went inside the house to grab a thick wool blanket from the closet. When Princess sat down on a log beside my friends, I walked to her and wrapped it around her shoulders, tucking the edges in.
"Don’t push yourself too much okay." I whisper to her, leaning down so only she could hear. She just smiled at me, a soft, genuine look that gave me a thank you face without her having to say a word.
It was finally time to go back home. The sun was starting to dip behind the peaks, casting long, purple shadows across the snow.
I had asked Princess about what she said in the morning, about staying here in Redwood. She brushed it off immediately, her face going neutral. She said she was just suggesting it, that she was never going to leave her town, saying she liked the sunny town of Oakland more than the snow town of Redwood.
Well, when I first came here, I hated the snow and the cold too. I thought I was going to freeze to death in my sleep. Guru had to set a campfire every single night and he even changed all the lights in the house to warm-toned bulbs just to make me feel less like an icicle. But gradually I got used to the cold. My body adapted to the temperatures, and now I’m hardly ever freezing or having cold temperatures.
I know Princess doesn’t want to talk about it. She just used the cold as an excuse because the idea of leaving her town and her life behind was too much to actually face when she was sober
Ruger and Dave helped Princess with her car. They washed it up, getting the mountain mud off the rims, and loaded our suitcases and the other things we’d gathered inside the boot. I was busy waiting near the edge of the driveway, still having the hope that Guru was going to come back before we pulled away. I didn’t want to leave on a maybe.
We said our goodbyes to everyone. There were hugs and promises to visit, and then we finally drove off, leaving the small cluster of houses that made up Redwood. The tires hummed on the frozen road as we headed toward the highway.
The moment we got to the border, where the tall pines started to thin out, I saw a familiar truck idling on the shoulder. Guru’s car was waiting for us.
"You know you can’t leave without a proper goodbye lad.." he said, leaning out the window as we pulled over.
I came down from the car and hugged him hard, the smell of tobacco and gun oil hitting me one last time. Princess came out too, and Guru told her to join in since she was family now. It was a weird, bulky group hug, but it felt right.
After the goodbye hug, Guru reached into his pocket. He gave Princess one of his cigars, saying it was something to remember him by. Then he turned to me. He pulled something heavy and glittering from his belt, his golden gun. He held it out to me, the metal gleaming in the fading light. He said I should not let myself be kidnapped and stress my girlfriend again.
I told him I am not going to, my eyes wide. I couldn’t believe he was giving me his golden gun; he liked it so much that it was like a trophy to his eyes. He’d carried that thing for as long as I’d known him.
I end up taking it because I had always wanted it, the weight of it solid and reassuring in my hand. It was a one-time opportunity, and you don’t say no to Guru. Obviously, I’m not going to use it for no reason, but if I ever encounter someone like Yuki again, I won’t hesitate to pull the trigger.
We finally left for real, the car picking up speed as we hit the main road. The rooftop was open, letting the crisp air swirl around us, but I told Princess to close it. I wanted the warmth of the car. I am not going to hold on to the past anymore.
I wondered what the future brings for us in Oakland, but as I looked at Princess and felt the pups move, I knew my new family would be there.
