SARAH'S ORDEAL

She lost the zeal to do anything at all, She just wanted sleep but it wasn't coming so let her thoughts win. Soon it was morning, the morning sun was shining through her open windows into the room. She groaned, her eyes felt sore from all the crying.

"Alpha, Alpha!" She heard Cynthia's voice followed with the endless knocking.

"Come in." She yelled, it made her head ache. The door opened and the young girl walked in with her head down when she sighted the naked sprawled figure on the bed, the duvet on the floor along with tissues, she wondered what had happened.

"Pardon me Alpha, but are you alright?" She asked worriedly.

"Please close the curtains. The sun rays is directly on my face." Sierra told her ignoring the question Cynthia had asked, still laying on the bed with no hint of leaving soon. The girl went to close the curtains, before going to pick the duvet on the floor, she folded it neatly, she picked all the tissues disposing them, then going to pick the dirty laundry, she came back again.

"What would you like for breakfast?" She asked.

"Nothing. Is Ian back? you could make something for him." Sierra said.

"He's not back yet."

"Alright, I do not want to be disturbed."

Cynthia bowed and walked out with the laundry. She groaned and stretched lazily. She couldn't help but still think about Seth. How he made her feel last night, his head buried between her thighs, she screamed into her bed the images would never leave her head. She shut her eyes tight trying to think about some other things and falling asleep later on.

"Alpha!" Cynthia knocked on the door again.

"What! I told you I don't want to be disturbed." She yelled angrily, her eyes still drowsy.

"I know Alpha, forgive me but it's Beta Ian. He is about to leave." Her voice came from the door.

"What!? I'm coming." She reluctantly left her bed to the bathroom, brushing her teeth and washing her face, her eyes were red, she had dark circles, her face seem tired. She wore the bathrobe and her flops down to the living room. Ian was there with the bag he'd come with.

"Alpha." He bowed. He seemed troubled, uneasy, and even nervous. A sight she wasn't used to seeing, he was a man that was always so confident and aloof. She wondered if he was okay.

"You're leaving?" She asked him. He nodded in confirmation. " Why? Shouldn't you be here till I declare the town virus. What changed that?"

"Something came up in the pack, we have to leave." He answered. Sierra noticed the way he said we, did it mean that Seth was leaving too.

"Seth's leaving today?"

"Yes, it's urgent." He looked everywhere but not at her face. She could tell he was lying, she understood after what happened last night he wouldn't want to spend a minute around the premises, the thought stung. But why did Ian want to leave, she knew Seth wouldn't have asked him to leave with her no matter what, until everything ended. She couldn't hold him here against his consent, he'd done enough.

"I understand. You've helped us greatly, I thought we could do something for you before you leave."

"Everything I've done, I did it as a sense of duty, I do not wish to be paid or applauded. Serving this pack was a good experience for me. Thank you." He told her sincerely.

"Thank you " She offered him a small smile. "I'll call Asher to drive you."

"I'll drive myself if you don't mind, I'll give the car keys to Augustine, he'll bring it back here, is that fine by you?" He asked and she nodded.

He offered a small bow and walked away, Cynthia offering to help him with his bag, he let her. She sighed, swallowing hard she didn't want to cry. Not sooner had he gone Asher came in looking worried.

"Sierra, I was so worried. Are you alright?" He asked anxiously, she nodded weakly not trusting herself to form a sentence.

"I tried calling you last night but you didn't pick any of my calls. The female werewolves went into heat last night, it was chaotic. I stopped by but I couldn't open the door, it seemed like the passcodes were changed." He explained, he seem as if he didn't want to hear the answers, but yet he still needed to know.

"Seth was with me." She answered quietly

"Oh." His face fell. Immediately, his eyes went to her neck to see if he'd marked her.

"He didn't mark me, he just helped me fight the heat." She wasn't going to go into details, it was for his own good. She'd hoped whatever feeling Asher had for her would naturally die, but it wasn't happening. She wished he would find his mate and move on.

"Meanwhile, I saw Ian leaving." He quickly changed the topic.

"He said something came up in their pack and he had to leave with Seth." She replied.

"I see, and Seth? What are you plans with her him?"

"I'll declare us to be mates in the next broadcast, It'll help Richard in the elections." Whenever she thought of it she recalled Seth's reaction to the news. She might have broken his trust but that could be mended, she comforted herself.

"How did Seth take it?"

"Not very well. It doesn't matter, what matters is doing what I think is right. I'll handle Seth." She told him. He nodded in understanding so she continued speaking, "I'm not coming to the base today, neither will I go anywhere, handle any arising issues yourself. I want to be alone for today."

He wanted to say something but he held back, she didn't look well. Her eyes were red, her face pale, he doubted she had eaten anything, it was almost midday. If he say anything in her current mood she'll reprimand him, so he let it go.

"I understand. Before being your Beta I'm your friend, Sierra. You're not in this alone, if something is wrong you should tell me and we'll figure out a way to solve the problem." He said.

"Of course. I just want to be left alone."

"Is it Seth?" He probed further "Did he do or say something to you last night."

"Asher please, I'm not in the mood right now." She dismissed and he dropped it.

"Cynthia will make you breakfast, you can stay longer if you want, I'm going back to my room. " she told him. He nodded and she left. Asher intentions came from a good place but sometimes he just didn't know when to stop.

She removed her robe ready to sleep or brood like she had done all through until her phone rang.

"What again, I need some peace and quiet in my life!" She looked at the caller and it was Sarah, she picked it.

"Hello." The voice from the other end, it was small and quiet.

"Sarah?" Sierra spoke into the line.

"Alpha. I know the lockdown on the town hasn't been called off but can you make me an exemption? I want to leave the pack for a few days. I'll like to visit my mother's pack, please." She whispered. It seemed as if she'd struggled with each syllable.

"You know I can't do that, why do you need to go away? you don't even like your mother's people." She enquired worriedly. Firstly Ian had spewed some bullshit story and left now it was Sarah, something was definitely wrong.

"Uh my uncle is sick, he's the only surviving relative from my mother's side, you know he has no children. I have to go take care of him." She said nervously.

"Stop lying to me, Sarah. You don't even like the man. Tell me truthfully why do you want to leave?" She asked sternly and Sarah burst out crying. Sierra recognized that kind of cry, it was heart wrenching, the one that spoke of deep hurt. She'd been crying like that a few hours ago, she seem to understand what was going on. No wonder Ian was in a hurry to leave.

"It's him, isn't it?" She asked softly. Sarah only cried harder confirming her thoughts.

"What did he do? Tell me, if he hurt you I won't let him off that easily."She said seriously. It was almost as if realization dawned on her, her eyes widened, "You slept with him." She spoke softly. The girl from the other end was hiccuping and struggling to talk.

"Deep breaths, calm down sweetie." She was saying it to Sarah but it calmed her own self down a bit, her tensed shoulders relaxing.

"We were just rounding up yesterday so we could leave. You know yesterday was the haze, I wanted to run in the woods or howl like we'd normally do, b-but we didn't finish on time and he was there, a-and it happened." she finished with another round of crying.

"You like him don't you? " Sierra asked.

"I do. I know he's not my mate but I have deep feelings for him, we've been working together for months,I see him everyday and-"

"I understand, does he like you?" She asked again and Sarah went quiet.

"I don't know, he's never said it before. Sometimes he acts like he cares other times he's indifferent about me. All we do is work." She replied.

"So what changed?"Sierra asked.

"I don't know. I was in heat and I went to him, I kissed him first, I begged him to do it, It was good, so good I thought it'll change things. He apologized after, he said it was a mistake and he left immediately. I feel awful, like I took advantage of him. Maybe he had a mate, maybe a lover waiting for him."

"Sarah you didn't take advantage of him. Ian wasn't intoxicated, he's a grown man who acted on his own will, he knew what he was doing. You didn't force yourself on him, you couldn't even if you tried. Whatever Ian is feeling is on him, he has no mate or a Lover I'm aware of. He's a coward!" She said it to Sarah but the words mocked her instead, the irony of the situation.

"If you want to leave, you can. It's not right to hold you back, you need to cool down."

"No no no. I'll stay, If I leave who'll look after the lab, this scientist are incompetent! Who will check on the doctors and nurses in the hospital. I'm sorry I wanted to leave in the first place, it was a moment of weakness." Her voice was clear of emotions and more firm.

"Don't force yourself too hard, if you need the break then take it. You've worked really hard."Sierra said.

"No! I'll stay, he's a fool for running away rather than facing it. I won't act like him either, I'll be fine. Thank you Sierra, I needed to hear this." She said.

"Thank you for telling me."

Sarah hung up the call with a goodbye. Sierra sighed, the men From the Hunters pack were impossible.