CHAPTER 4

"How was training Katerina?" Elijah asks, smirking in Cliff's direction. He groaned. "She is one tough bi-." I cough and stop his sentence. He glances at me with a smile and says, "She's getting really good. She's beaten me well over 15 times, and she's beat Joel about the same." He grumbled the last bit and I laughed.

"Nice job, babe." He told me with a huge smile. "Thank you." I mumbled embarrassed. "So... when do I get to take you on?" I grin.

He narrows his gaze, his lips tugging at the corners. "Dinner seems to be done. Let's go then." He says and gets up to walk out into the back yard. I jump up and follow him out, Cliff on my tail, Joel hot on his. I watched as he waited for me in the middle of the training field, ready to go. "You're sure you want this?" He smirks. "I'm sure. Let's go." I said, attempting to sound sexy yet monotone. It was game on. I narrow my eyes, embracing my inner wolf and we charged for each other. "What just happened?" Elijah asks, his back on the grass. I wasn't sure who he was asking, he was just starring at the sky out a breath. I took a deep breath of my own. "I can't believe you beat the Alpha." Joel says, his mouth open. I looked over at him, releasing my foot from Elijah's chest. I closed Joel's mouth with a smile. "You'll catch flies." I told him and patted his cheek. He gaped again which made me laugh. "Who are you Katerina Bathas?" Elijah stood up from behind me and pulled me into a tight hug lifting me off the ground. I laugh and kick in his arms. "You just told me who I was. Can we get inside? It's getting kinda windy." I ask, picking a piece of hair off my lips. "If you promise not to bring this up again," He breathes into my ear and I laugh yet again. "Let's go." Elijah finishes. We all nod and walk through the glass doors, through the kitchen and into the living room. I plop down on the couch beside Elijah and lean on his shoulder. Cliff sat beside me and Joel sat beside him. "Did you want to watch a movie?" Cliff asked me. "The Lion King!" I shout happily. They all groan. "Dude, why'd you ask her?" Joel smacks his arm.

"Oh shut up, you wanna tell her she can't watch her crappy Disney movie?" He snapped back. "No, no thank you. That's all you, bud." Joel mutters and sticks a pillow between the two of them backing

away. "First off, I can hear you. Second off, We're watching. The Lion King." I said with as much venom as I could. Then I smiled, bounced off the couch grabbing the remote off the tv stand, I got to sit down. Clicking into one of our streaming accounts and found the movie. Elijah pulls me into his lap as the introduction music

begins and curls me up like a baby. One arm of his was under my bent knee's, the other was around my waist as my back was lay on his chest.

Of course, like every time we watched this movie, I cried. "Why does he have to die? Simba has no father now..." I sniffle, a pang reminding me my own father had passed. "Why do I watch this, it's so damn sad." I mumble, wiping my nose on Elijah's shirt. "Sure. Go ahead, use my T-Shirt as a kleenex, no problem." He says in a dull amusement. I mutter a thanks and continue watching the screen. I feel his chest rumble with laughter. "It means no worries, for the rest of your days. It's our problem freeee, philoso-" I stopped singing when a hand covered my mouth. I followed the arm, the shoulder, until I see Joel. I glared, "Hakuna Matata is a good song. Ass." I mumble the last part. I could feel Elijah laugh again."Yes, it is. Just not when you've heard it one too many times." Joel replies with a smirk. I find myself distracted during the last bit of the movie. I couldn't stop thinking.

When the movie ended, I asked if we could put in another. I wasn't ready to go to bed yet, I didn't want to be alone. "Sure babe. Which one now?" Elijah asks me. I named the first movie to pop into my head, not really caring about the pick. "Finding Nemo." Cliff and Joel groan. "Please?" I use my sweet voice. "It's not fair of you to use that voice so much." Cliff grumbles. "Oh c'mon," I laugh. "You just don't like that it works on ya." I stick my tongue out at him and grab the remote from beside me. And I find the movie on the streaming site, adjusting in Elijah's lap. He hisses into my ear, "Careful babe." And his voice gives me goosebumps. I adjust a bit slower, understanding his new hard-on would continue to grow. I try to focus on the movie and find myself now thinking of Elijah. There were still a few things I didn't understand. Normally, an Alpha shouldn't be so evolved with hanging out with the members of his pack. He should be working hard, doing paper work and phone call stuff. But the night they found me, he swore to me, "If you need me, I'm there, Katerina. Always. I promise." And I find myself smiling to his infectious grin in my memory. He had just held me after that, his arms wrapped protectively around me as I began to open up to him. It only took that first night for me to feel the safety he and his pack would give me.

I sigh, remembering why they found me in the first place. I curled closer into Elijah's chest, pushing the memory aside. I didn't want to think about my old pack. I tried to watch the movie again, seeing the turtles always made me smile. I find myself frowning as another thought occurs. He was sitting with us sure; holding me, yes. Only, Elijah wasn't anything more than my alpha and friend. Friends would do similar things wouldn't they? I bite my lip.

He started to stroke my back. He kisses my forehead, making me question my previous thought. Confusion starts to frustrate me and after another rush of constant thinking, I start to finally grow tired. The corners of my vision were blurring and I yawn, taking a look around me. Cliff. Joel. Elijah. I had a pack. I had friends, a family. Three men I trusted more than anything were sitting around me. Yet still, after two and a half years I find myself thinking why... how could I get from where I was, to here. No answers come to mind and I blink back to the movie. My eyes feel like sand paper and the warmth I was getting from Elijah only made me more sleepy. "Go to sleep babe." And I close my eyes, his voice pulling me into a deep, much needed sleep. Confusion still evident in the back of my mind.