The thought that Alex would do me harm did not fail to cross my mind, but I figured I could get away if something went wrong. My age-mates were probably still lingering in the clearing, concocting some gossip about Alex and myself. I fairly threw my chin up into the air as if the nasty females were still about to be bested. Alex must have known what was on my mind because I heard him chuckle before giving my hand a slight tug to pull me along a little more quickly. I stumbled slightly, but quickly regained my footing and hurried along behind Alex.
Our companionable silence stretched another ten minutes before Alex abruptly turned to face me, causing me to collide with him. With as much dignity as I could muster under that smirk of his, I straightened myself and looked straight at him with my shoulders squared and my chin lifted. He cupped my face in his hands and my shoulders relaxed and my no-nonsense expression vanished. He smiled softly in approval.
My mouth opened and closed no less than three times before I got the first words out. "Why did you bring me all the way out here?"
He dropped his hands away from my face and his expression flickered slightly.
"Because, this place," he gestured to the trees, vines, and rocks surrounding us, "is very similar to the place where it happened."
Alex had turned away to look around himself and he seemed to take everything in. From the large boulders that only God himself, it seemed, could move, to the aged trees that far too often seemed too easily removed.
I placed a gentle hand on Alex's arm. "What happened?"
I felt his soft inhale before he turned to look at me.
"I was in a pack about 5 years ago," he began. "I was 19, foolish, like most males at that age. Thought I was invincible. Went around collecting things: criminal charges, cars, silver to melt down, and women. Oh, yes, the women. Didn't matter if they were human or wolf-kind. I had the charm to get any of them; including the alpha-male's daughter. Gabriel is so afraid for you, but, in truth, you are nothing like her. Not in looks, or in personality. She was like me: sure of her charms. So, she set out to seduce me. Probably the one man that her father would never approve of. I may have been a badass, but I knew better than to sleep with her. She was big game, dangerous game, and, if I got caught, I was way out of my league. Knowing that, I avoided her."
Alex walked to a boulder and sat down. He took a moment to look at the ground, as if to rest his eyes, before looking into mine once more. "I could tell you she caught me in a weak moment, but I doubt you'd believe me. So, I'll leave it with she finally got me. She seduced me and I took what she offered. A night of play is what she offered, and that one night is exactly what I got. Only, two months later, she told me that, because of that night, I would receive so much more."
The wording took less than seconds to hit me. To my credit, I didn't gasp. But, I did go kneel in front of him and hold his hand as he continued his tale.
"A child. She was going to have my child. I asked her how she could know it was mine. After all, she had slept with almost every age-mate in our pack. She said that she knew, and that I would marry her." Alex scoffed right here. "A lot of yelling occurred here, but the basic drift is that, I wasn't in love with her, and there was no way I was marrying her. She accused me of blaming her for the child we had conceived. And she ran to her father.
Needless to say, he was furious, demanded I marry her. Which I did, after I was set upon by two-thirds of the males in our pack. I guess it was about 5 months after that that it happened. I still didn't love her, and she was always angry that I wouldn't touch her. I denied myself what I needed most in life, the comfort of a loving touch, because I didn't love her. I became celibate, and gained a new respect for monks. It was the beginning of her 7th month and her belly was so big. I may not have loved her, but I already loved the child that was growing inside of her. I wanted that baby more than anything.

She on the other hand was miserable. She said she felt fat, ugly, hated me for making her that way. I didn't try to reassure her, I didn't care. She grew to hate me as I hated her. I know now that she did it because she was a hateful person period. She wanted to get back at everyone, get back at me. She told her father that I was cheating on her, that I was forcing her to give me sexual stimulation when she was in a weakened condition. Rather than have some other males rough me up, or kill me, she told her father to send me away. As I was leaving I saw her lay a perfectly manicured hand on her round belly. The belly that held my unborn child. She knew I wanted that baby, and she had me sent away."

Alex stared at the ground now. "That is why I'm a stray. Not because I'm a killer, but because I was careless."

I tilted my head so I could look into the eyes that were avoiding my gaze. "The child-"

"The pack moved. And I couldn't follow the tracks. I feel certain she didn't-"here he swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat- "kill him or her. But, God, I wanted to see my kid. I'm 24, divorced, no family, and that kid was the one thing I wanted most in the world." I sat down with my back to Alex and stared into the trees trying to process all of this. "It doesn't seem that what you 'did' is enough for banishment. And even then, why does my father worry about you with me?"

Alex smiled wistfully and looked down at me. He stroked a hand over my hair, which I had left in silky waves down my back. "According to them, I seduced the alpha-male's daughter, and abandoned her when I found out she was pregnant with my child."

While he was still stroking my hair, I turned to face him and his hand cupped my cheek gently. I searched his beautiful green eyes and found what I wanted the least.

"You can't do this."

"Do what?" He whispered his response.

"Come into my life, and make me feel this way. Make me question things I thought were solid." It came out sounding more like a plea or a whimper, than a command.

Alex leaned down slowly, looking into my eyes, and brushed his lips softly over my own. "I want to make you question what you feel for him, because I want you to believe in what you feel for me."

I let my eyes close and I pursed my lips, as if savoring his taste there. When I opened my eyes he was looking right at me.

"You told me about something you wanted more than anything in the world. More than you could ever want me," I said hesitantly.

Alex looked confused for only a moment. "My child."

I looked at him for a moment before continuing. "I need time to think about what you're doing to me. While I'm doing that, I think I can help you."

Author's Note: I'm really sorry about all the delay. I've had...things come up to say the least. Hopefully this will kind of soothe everyone as far as 'THE STORY DOESN'T HAVE A PLOT! BURN THE AUTHOR!' shakes head Anyway, I'm sure that this chapter sounds a lil, er, primitive. I don't know. I just, let it flow out, didn't go over it. So. There it is. Btw, this is only the second guy that Libby is attracted to, and the last one. Before this chapter, there was no mention of her attraction to anyone OTHER THAN KYLE. So, if you want to whine about that, do it verbally in your own room or something. Thanks.

Vampirehunter: Hehe, I have a friend named Moose. And you were right to watch Alex.

Slytherinrouge: Alright, just since you're the last one to say this, I'm using your 'name.' This goes to everyone who is asking for more about the Viv/Gabriel relationship. This story is NOT about them. Anything that I give you about that relationship will be indirectly. I'm sorry about that, but this is about Liberty.

Lissy: Thank you for your compliments/review. I appreciate hearing things like that about my writing. I'm sorry I've kept you in suspense!

Luckyduckyco: Jed kinda 'poof'-ed didn't he? Don't worry, we haven't seen the last of him.

Author's Note PS: I'm on my mom's computer, and it's doing something weird to my paragraphs, so, sorry if it looks a bit odd. I tried.