by Tamara White
Sadly, I know exactly what he’s talking about, and I have my own fears about tonight. Each of these new wolves could say they’re my mate, and I would have no idea if they were telling the truth.
“You know, it’s funny. A few days ago, my biggest worry was going to school and keeping on the lookout for any wolves that would attempt to kill me. Now, I’m meeting a whole pack of wolves and making my claim for Alpha Pair known. Life changes when we least expect it, and what I’ve learnt from the past few days is, you can’t change fate.
You can kick, scream, and punch your way out of a situation but, if it’s meant to be, nothing you do will stop it from changing.
My advice for you guys is just keep being the way you are. I like all of you for how genuine you are when you’re with me. Like earlier, watching you play around with each other like that made me feel a part of your friendship, which is the best way I will get to know and trust you.
Until we get further in the trials there’s nothing more we can do about our situation. Then when that day comes, we’ll deal with it and see where we all stand,” I tell him, pushing the confidence I feel into my voice.
I know it may seem stupid to push it all to the back burner but I can’t keep running on ‘what ifs.’
This is one of the most important decisions I’ll ever have to make so I want to be sure I’m making the right choice rather than just going on my instinct. Not that I really could. My wolf is so conflicted over each of the boys. She likes them all which is so much harder. She needs to accept our choice as mate too. I don’t want us living a life divided by my choice.
Hopefully once I shift, I will be able to tell who she likes more.
“Thank you.”
“What for?” I ask puzzled.
“For giving us a chance. As much as you will probably hate this, you’re a human at heart, and any human faced with the dilemma of choosing us would just go for whoever was more attractive. They run on a primal instinct just as we do. However our instinct is for the survival of our races. Some of the things humans go through are nothing compared to what we do.
Look at Cam, do you think humans go through that? Sure I know some do but if their father did that to them, they would end up in prison. Cam still has to see his father at least once every three months as some sort of sick controlling game.
If I was in his shoes, I would have gone rogue by now. Well I almost did,” he whispers softly.
What’s he talking about?
“I’m not sure I understand. Do you mean you almost went rogue? Or Cam?” I ask afraid of the answer.
“I did. My father, like Cam’s was not the best. He did terrible things before he was finally killed. I wanted to go rogue so bad, it almost killed me. The only thing that stopped me, was I hadn’t shifted yet. Everything changed the day I shifted.
We heard my mother screaming and I came upon my father attacking her. My wolf went rabid ripping him to shreds but there was nothing we could do for my mother. He had already killed her,” he murmurs, making my heart break for him.
What is with it with these wolves?! Who could do such a thing and not be punished for it?! It makes me want to be Alpha Queen just so I can punish anyone who ever dared to hurt my mates!
“Wow! I don’t even know what to say other than, I’m sorry. To think you went through something as traumatic as Cam, it just, boggles my mind. You should be protected, cherished and loved. I promise if we become mates, that I will do all in my power to take care of you,” I tell him, giving into the instinct to comfort him.
There is nothing I wouldn’t do for them. Even if they don’t end up being my mates, they should be treated as they deserve, not left to feel discarded.
It would kill me seeing any of them with other woman but if that’s the price it takes to make them happy, so be it.
Chapter 12
I can’t believe what Laura has done! I look absolutely amazing!
She came in about two hours ago, helping me to buff and polish every surface of my skin. It was lucky I showered before she got here, otherwise she may have insisted on doing that too.
I didn’t quite understand the need for a mani-pedi, but hey, I won’t say no to a little pampering.
Then she started in on my hair. I thought there would be nothing she could do to make my orange hair look good, but she made me look like a princess.
She’s pulled it back from both sides at my ear and clipped it in the middle at the back. She’s somehow managed to put waves flowing down the back.
And my make-up. She managed a smoky look with my eyes, enough that it makes my normal green eyes flare bright. Laura wanted to use lipstick as well, but I vetoed that idea. I can’t stand the smell of lipstick longer than a minute so I’d end up just wiping it off. Instead, we settled for some pale gloss that smells faintly of cherries while still giving my lips a little plumpness.
Combined with the jeans and flowing green top, I look like a princess. Well, a casual princess.
“Do you like it?” Laura asks, wringing her hands nervously, while I study myself in the mirror. Who knew I had a floor length mirror hidden in my closet?
“Are you kidding?! You’ve made me look like an actual Princess. Well, how I would want to look as a princess. What about shoes though? I hate wearing shoes in the forest, it seems like a waste,” I say, pouting.
“Well, that’s up to you. I have a pair of kickass boots that should fit you and give you the appearance of being badass as well as royalty. Or you can do what I’m going to do and go barefoot. It shows you don’t care about what they think, while still being all fancy,” she says with her tinkling laugh.
“Barefoot it is,” I grin at how close we have become in so little time. She’s welcomed me into her home, showing me what I can and can’t do. She’s let me spend time with the boys knowing that we’re mates. I doubt many other women would let a female come into their home and pretty much date all six of the boys in her care, without some kind of repercussion. Sure, we’ve had minor disagreements but nothing is ever perfect.
“Okay, wait right here, I’m going to get the boys. And maybe a camera,” she winks, running out the door.
I fidget with my hands, pacing back and forth until I hear them coming down the hall. My heart rate picks up, excited to see them. I wonder if they dressed up too?
Nate walks in followed by the others. My heart stops, and it’s as if I can’t breathe. They are so handsome.
Laura has dressed them all up in matching outfits, but put them in different coloured shirts.
Mitchell is wearing a green button up dress shirt, matching the colour of Jonnie’s eyes. Then Jonnie’s shirt matches the exact shade of Mitch’s chocolate brown eyes. It’s mesmerizing watching the two move together. They really do look like twins.
Pete’s wearing a dark blue shirt that brings out his defined cheek bones and pale blue eyes. When he looks at me, I feel like I’m staring into the ocean. An ocean that calls to my soul.
Moving onto Jason, I smile at how sophisticated he looks. His hair is smoothed back and he looks more like a teacher than ever. Instead of a shirt matching his eye’s though he’s wearing a soft lavender. I wonder why Laura chose that instead of brown. Maybe she couldn’t get a chestnut brown shirt to match his eyes but either way he looks remarkable.
Nate’s shirt is slightly different than the others. It matches the electric blue of his eyes, but unlike the others it has silver stitching. The other’s shirts all have matching stitching but his and Cam’s.
The way Cam looks right now, he’s definitely meant to be Alpha. His pale blue eyes are bright against the black of his shirt.
“Why do you get to wear black? The rest of us are all dressed up fancy and you get to go all goth? That’s not fair,” I pout.
Don’t get me wrong he looks amazing, but I figured, with his skin tone, that he’d be in a grey or dark green shirt.
“Well, it’s because I can blend in. Once people see me, girls especially, I get swarmed like a popstar. It’s
really quite annoying,” he says with a sigh.
“Ha! Are you kidding me? Oh, poor Cam has to fight off all the pretty girls. Life must be hard,” Pete scoffs shaking his head.
Obviously, they’ve had this conversation before judging by the groan from Nate and Jason.
“No, you two, don’t start. You have a mate here, and you’re talking about other women swarming you. That’s extremely disrespectful. I’ll hear no more of it when Dani is standing right there!” I blush as Laura scolds the boys, while they look thoroughly chastised.
“Now all of you over there by the wall, so I can get a nice picture,” Laura demands, pushing Nate toward the stretch of the wall in my room.
We spend what must be at least ten minutes being manoeuvred by Laura because the way we lined up wasn’t what she wanted. She organized the boys in a line, Nate and Cam on the outside since they are taller at 6’2” and 6’4”. Then Mitchell and Jonnie were placed on my right side with Nate since they are 6’1”. After she lined those two up, I realized what she was doing. She was placing us in descending order with my short ass smack in the middle of them.
Jason and Pete go on my other side, then Laura grabs me by the shoulders steering me in between them.
“Aw look how sweet you look, like your own little pack,” she says, cooing while taking pictures. I glance over at Tim and my dad with a pleading gesture, hoping one of them can get me out of this nightmare.
“Alright, honey, that’s enough. Walter and Monique are waiting to talk to Dani,” Tim says, saving me from more unnecessary torture.
‘Thank you,’ I mouth, running out the door before anyone can stop me. Don’t get me wrong I love the mothering, but I hate pictures. Always have, always will.
“Ah, Danielle, we were just looking for you,” Walter says, appearing from around the corner of the hall. At least I went the right way.
“Yeah I heard, I was just coming to find you. What’s up?” I ask ignoring my grandmother’s disapproving glance at my outfit.
“First, young lady, you will turn around right this minute and put the dress on I chose for you!” By the end of her demands, I’m almost covering my ears to stop her shrillness from making me go deaf.
I rub out my ear drum making a point to look at her while I’m doing it.
“No! I refuse to wear something so old. Besides, pink is so not my colour,” I smirk, waiting for Monique to explode, but she just keeps a straight face staring me down.
I wait her out. She has to back down sooner or later. Her lip twitches and I nearly die from shock.
“You really are your mother’s daughter. Blair would have done the same thing.”
I look at Walter confused. Why would Monique demand it then?
“Sorry Dani. I know you don’t know us yet, but it’s part of us testing you and preparing you. Over the next few weeks you’ll probably think we’re monsters, but the truth of it is, you have no real-life experience with us or our society.
The trials are designed to make sure that the one who leads on the legacy of Alpha Pair is strong enough and smart enough to do so.
I tested you then by demanding you to be obedient, the same way your grandfather tested your loyalty when he held your mate by the throat,” Monique says, explaining some of her motivations. It just leaves me with more questions.
“What does that even mean?”
“We don’t really have time for this, but I would be happy to tell you about it tomorrow. Would you like to join me for tea? Around midday? We can talk, and maybe I can tell you about your mother? I can bring some photos, if you like?”
Monique looks at me with a hopeful expression, and I feel my will crumbling. Despite overhearing they want to spend time with me, I’m dubious after they were willing to force me. Though, I would like to see more photos of my mother. Dad only has a few and they’re all from after they left the pack. The one I have is my most cherished one, which is the day of my birth.
When my Mom gave birth, it was at home and Dad was the one helping her deliver me. He said at the time it was too risky to go to the hospital so they had no other choice. Thankfully, I was born quickly, with no trouble. After mom got cleaned up, she asked my father to take a picture. She wanted to remember how happy she was. I have it tucked in my pillow case so I won’t ever lose it.
“Okay, sure. But if you don’t leave my mates alone, you’ll get the coldest shoulder anyone has ever felt. Got it?”
Monique nods while Walter pulls me in a bone crushing hug. This is so totally awkward. We barely know each other. When he pulls back, he has a massive grin stretched across his face making him look 20 years younger.
“Thank you for giving us a chance. Now, what have they told you about our rules and traditions so far?” he asks me, going serious in an instant.
“I only know the basic rules. Respect your Alphas, Respect your Elders, and Submit. I know there are a few things I can’t do like approach an alpha, or his mate, without submitting. There was some weird thing with my mates and my dad as well the other night when they met for the first time.”
“Shit. Did they not fill you in on anything more? God damn, horny wolves,” Walter curses.
I burst out laughing at the language coming from his mouth. He just seems like the type of person to abhor curse words, yet here he is spitting out a few choice words.
“Excuse me, Walter. I overheard the last of that and we haven’t filled her in on much because we didn’t want to overwhelm her. It’s got to be hard to be human with a wolf living inside you, then be thrust into our society. Besides, now that we know who she really is, there aren’t many things she needs to know as the Alpha Queen,” Cam says, coming to stand beside me as the others follow his lead. My wolf preens at being around them. What a hussy!
As it is, I have no idea how long they were listening for. Why do they sneak up on me so much easier than others? I’ve never had to be this aware of my surroundings so maybe that’s it?
“While that may be true, she still needs to know everything to pass the trials. The Elders will test her on her knowledge in the third trial. Each trial is usually a month apart, but we don’t have that time so we will be pushing for only a few days to a week between trials. Now come, we need to introduce you to everyone. We can tell you some basics do’s and don’ts along the way.”
We all follow after Walter, and Cam brushes his hand against mine. I grip it for courage, waiting for Walter or Monique to continue on, but it’s just silent. I glance back behind and can’t see my father or Tim and Laura.
“Where’s my dad?” I ask Cam.
“Oh, they’ve taken a shortcut. Alpha Tim has to make a speech first and explain about new pack members, then it’s up to Walter and Monique to step forth and acknowledge your lineage,” Cam explains.
“He’s right. We present you to the pack asking for any mates to present themselves to compete in the trials. Once the second trial starts, no other mates are able to step forward. It also helps weed out any undesirables. Your mate will be strong enough to handle the trials, which means any one could say they were your mate, but no one can get through unless they are destined to be with your wolf.”
I think over what Monique said and start wondering what the hell is going on? Things aren’t making sense.
“If that’s true, then why does more than one mate make it through the trials and why do we choose?” I ask, hoping to get a straightforward answer.
“Well, it’s complicated. Basically, we rely on the trials to know your mate is chosen by the community. As in: our Elders and Alphas choose your best options, then you have the final say. Ever since the first Alpha Pair it’s been that way. The first Alpha Queen was very irritated at having multiple mates and refused to have all of them compete in the trials. It was decided that after the trials, she would choose from those who remained and we wouldn’t be able to undo her choice,” Walter explains, not breaking his stride until we reach the double doors that lead to the back yard.
My sto
mach is going crazy with nerves, knowing I have to go out there and be presented like a piece of meat.
“Dani, are you alright?” Jason asks stepping up to my side.
I take a deep breath, in and out before replying, “I’m fine. Just nervous. What if I go out there and they hate me? What if I trip on my way outside and make a fool of myself?” I ask, voicing my doubts and fears.
“Seriously that’s what you’re afraid of?!” Pete asks, incredulity lining his voice.
“Yeah, I have to second that. You’re about to face off with wolves, when you can’t shift and you’re afraid of embarrassing yourself?” Jonnie asks from Pete’s other side.
“Well, now that you say it like that, it seems stupid,” I frown. “I don’t think I’m scared of those things happening. It’s just I’m supposed to be their leader. How will they respect me if I embarrass myself?”
They each share a glance before Nate grabs me and turns to face him. “You don’t need to worry about that. We’re your mates, and we’ll help you not look like a fool. And if you do something, I’ll ask Dad to demand the pack forget what they saw. Okay?” he smiles at me softly, the blue of his eyes sparkling and making me feel ten times better.
I trust that they won’t let me screw up too bad.
“Okay, I can do this.” Well I cross my fingers, I can do this because the idea of disappointing my mother, is too much.
Chapter 13
Standing by the door, I look at everyone outside and try not to panic. There has to be close to a hundred wolves out there.
“Dani, we have 10 minutes before the pack meeting starts, so we need to tell you a few basics. Unless provoked, try not to challenge anyone. Everyone is going to be curious, so they’ll want to meet you. Some to feel you out, others because the only other Alpha Queen they’ve met is Monique and Carrie, but Carrie doesn’t really count. You’re a real heir,” Walter says, stopping to let Monique speak.
“And if you’re approached by another wolf be polite and respectful, regardless of their rank. If someone demands you submit to them, then you can say no and walk away just avoid any challenges. We want the packs to like you, and, since there’s wolves from all packs here tonight, what you do will travel back to all of the packs like gossip. So, if you’re as nice as possible, all the other packs will hear is that you were extremely nice and polite.
