Loved by the Alpha Wolves

by Anastasia Chase

  I dusted my cheeks with a few passes of my brush, highlighting them with a light wash of sparkling pastel pink. I ate my breakfast in the meantime—an egg and steak sandwich—that was enough to satisfy my growling stomach. I sipped on my coffee as I quickly scrolled through my social media on my phone, then applied a generous amount of a pink-orange lipstick. One look in the mirror told me my stylist had made a pretty good choice with how well everything was pulled together, and I slipped into my heels. Keys, phone, and a small pack of mints were dropped into my purse before heading out the door.

  My heart fluttered in my chest, but not out of the fear I had been dwelling in all day. Today was going to be the start of something new—I could feel it—and I was excited to see where this would take me. No more negative thinking; I was eager to see my own kind again, to know there were others like me out here, even if this meeting didn't go the way I expected.

  6

  "Are you sure this is the place?" I asked as I peered up at the tall building we had stopped in front of. Madeline was busy browsing through her phone, too distracted to answer. I gave her a casual nudge of her shoulder.

  "Huh? Oh, yes I'm sure. I double-checked the address and everything."

  I was annoyed by the fact that she wasn't sharing my reaction, too glued to her phone to even look at where we were. This is definitely not the area I had expected to be in; I had expected a much smaller studio, a rented space out of a block of office space. Not an entire four-story building.

  "Why didn't you tell me this was where we were going?" I was suddenly feeling very self-conscious about my choice of clothing. I would have gone for something a little more upscale if I had known this was where we were going.

  "I don't see what the problem is," Madeline replied and dismissively waved me off as she grabbed her purse and exited the car. "A recording studio is a recording studio. We're only talking business anyway."

  I rolled my eyes; first impressions were very important to me and I never wanted to rub anyone the wrong way. Madeline didn't seem to appreciate that, but she did always have her head buried in the logical side of things. That's probably why she was only wearing a pair of jeans and an off-the-shoulder blouse. Large hoop earrings hung from her ears, with just a nude lipstick on her face. Her hair had been swept up into a ponytail that ran to the middle of her shoulders, a stark contrast to the natural curls I chose to wear that flowed around my shoulders.

  I decided to put my annoyance aside and focus on the meeting we were going to. A pair of large glass panes were fitted with large, silvery door handles, one of which a smiling concierge opened, granting us access inside. It was difficult to hide my surprise when I walked into the lobby of the recording studio. Not only was it big but everything looked absolutely expensive. I hadn't expected a place like this to be managing a small band such as the Fat Bastards, especially since I had never heard of them before. But I wasn't about to ask questions on how the three managed to spring a deal with such an illustrious record company. Not only would that be prying, but it might bring to light information that "regular" people didn't need to know.

  Looking around, however, I could see the band wasn't here yet. A quick glance at my clock told me we weren't too early.

  "So what should I expect from this meeting, really?" I turned to Madeline, who was still busy on her phone.

  "Just some chit-chat. They just want to get to know you as a person. Their manager and I are sorting out the business side of things, so there's no real need to ask anything money-wise...maybe ask about the venue, if you're really struggling to come up with something," she replied with a raised eyebrow. I shot back a slight glare; she could tell I was nervous, which was confusing to her. I had never been this antsy around recording studios or talking to other musical artists.

  "I'm sure I will be able to come up with something and not embarrass you, mom." I stuck my tongue at her as I took a seat and continued to marvel at the decor of the lobby. It was mostly pristine, a few large art pieces hanging on walls and minimally decorated. Everything was some shade of silver or grey, save for the long blue carpet that ran from the doorway all the way through the lobby to the single elevator on the other side.

  "So did their manager just really come up to you and say they wanted to play with me?" I winced and visibly blushed; that wasn't what I meant. Thankfully, Madeline didn't catch the double entendre.

  "More like I was putting out feelers and heard their music. It seemed to have the same...entrancing quality you have when you are on stage and thought it would be a good fit."

  "That it?"

  "What, you thought it would be an extravagant story?" She held up her hands, framing an imaginary billboard in the air. "Local girl, once homeless, finds stardom with the best alternative rock band in the area. Drama ensues as they pick her up off the street, give her a job, and dress her in the most elaborate gowns. But who will have her? Will the band break up as they fight for her love? Stay tuned." She rolled her eyes at how silly the scenario sounded.

  "Well, when you put it that way..." I huffed.

  "Just let it happen naturally, Kiara. Not everything around here has to be as sparkly as the dresses and the champagne. Some days, things are just as boring and normal as they come."

  I knew what she was saying made sense, but that didn't mean she had to rub it in my face. She couldn't understand the turmoil that was brewing inside me, nor could I make her, not when I couldn't share my secret. Madeline was someone I trusted, sure, but there was a limit to that trust. One that I was sure I could never cross with any human.

  I was about to retort when we noticed a small entourage coming in through the front door. A small handful of tall, bulky men wearing shades surrounded three, equally tall and attractive men. I could see a bevy of women starting to gather around them, but they were inside before they could get too close. The shaded men formed something of a wall with their bodies in front of the doors, determined to keep the starstruck fans at bay. The three men they had been protecting all but stumbled to the ground, laughing their asses off. They sounded a bit out of breath as if they had been chased all the way down the street. In front of them was a short, stocky man wearing glasses, sporting a ponytail despite the current journey of his receding hairline. Madeline stood and extended a hand toward him.

  "Mister Barrister, it's nice to finally meet in person."

  This Barrister, with a half-embarrassed smile on his face, shook her hand and adjusted his glasses. He was a little red in the face and out of breath himself. He didn't look like the athletic type.

  "Miss Dunbar! Thanks for meeting us on such short notice. And you must be Miss James." He extended a hand to me as he wiped the dots of sweat from atop his head. I shook it lightly, a little surprised that he already knew my name. But I should have expected as much; I was still taken aback by the three band members who had wanted to meet me in the first place.

  The pictures and the videos definitely did not do them justice. They were even more marvelous to look at in person, and I had to force myself to look away before I was accused of staring. There would be time to get to know them better a little later.

  "Y-yes, pleased to meet you." I subconsciously tucked some hair behind my ear as the three men neared and stood behind their manager. "And you must be the Fat Bastards, I take it."

  The three looked at each other before two of them returned coy smiles; Jasper only nodded his head. He was the first to reach around his manager and extend his arm.

  "Jasper Frost."

  "Kiara James. And you are Landon and Xavier, right?" I didn't want to focus all my attention on just the one; I needed to remain as professional as possible, despite my wolf senses going into overdrive. Each of them had a unique smell as they shook my hand in turn and were just as potent as the last.

  Jasper reminded me of the pine forests I used to run through. Tall, stalwart pine trees that had been only saplings when I was a young pup. Pine sap...and ground coffee. It was a pungent but soothing scent, on
e that matched the serious expression he was giving me. What I didn't smell, however, was a hint of anger. In fact, I couldn't smell anything of his mood, but he could also have excellent control over it if he didn't want to be discovered.

  Xavier was next, and his scent was practically rolling off him before he got to me. His was the scent of freshly fallen snow, cinnamon, and an excitement that filled the air on every full moon. It was always a celebration once a month, when the glowing orb in the sky greeted us with a smile, reminded us of what we were. It was a night of rebirth, to do away with grudges, old debts, and much merriment. Children born on the night of the full moon were considered the luckiest and most fit for success, those though were mostly superstitions to encourage more breeding. If I had to harbor a guess, Xavier was one of those full-moon children with a spunky personality to boot.

  Landon was last, and it was the quietest scent of all. Lavender. Peet moss. The smell of the air after a lightning storm. It tickled at my nose and roused the hair on my arms to stand at attention. His smile was entrancing, but I missed the smile on his face as I was swallowed up by his scent. Despite the subtlety of it, it was overpowering, and I could smell nothing else. I had to force myself to breathe once we parted, which inspired a quick sneeze.

  "Bless you," Madeline whispered, and I was reminded of her presence. And where we were. I had been lost in my own thoughts after being touched by their smells that I had forgotten what I was even doing here.

  The three looked at each other in slight bewilderment and I wondered whether I had been found out. I cleared my throat and averted my gaze back to their manager, out of fear that someone would notice something.

  "Shall we get upstairs then?" I asked, hoping no one would notice the tremble in my voice. Everyone seemed to oblige like nothing was wrong...but Xavier lingered behind with a smirk on his face...like he knew everything. I felt the heat rise in my face and I hurried onto the elevator.

  Where matters only got worse. Trapped in a small metal box with their pervading smells only doubled my worry, and I watched as each number lit up in turn, the elevator getting higher and higher. Finally it dinged, and the doors parted; I was the first one out, gasping for fresh air. I must have been a sight because Madeline was giving me a strange look.

  "Claustrophobia," I tried to explain away. It seemed to be enough of an answer as curiosity became worry, Madeline rushing to my side.

  "If I had known, I would have suggested the stairs," she whispered, her arm around my shoulder in comfort.

  "I didn't want to be a bother. First appearances, you know? Let's just get through this, okay?"

  With her arm still around me, she helped me to a seat; we had stepped out of the elevator right into a small boardroom, complete with an oval table and eight chairs surrounding it. Madeline and I took the closest ones to one end, while the other four sat at the other end. Xavier immediately placed both feet up on the table and leaned back in his chair, his tattooed arms behind his head. Jasper was already giving him an icy look; Landon seemed oblivious. Or at least he wasn't trying to draw any attention to the situation.

  There we sat for a while as the two managers talked. I tried my best to smile and not look tense...but all three pairs of eyes were on me. I could feel their stares burrowing through me like they were looking right at my wolf underneath. The hair at the back of my neck stood on end and I shifted, a bit uncomfortable in my seat, trying not to appear as if I was bothered.

  After a few minutes, their manager stood up, which took me by surprise.

  "I have some other meetings to attend, so if you would all like to stay and chat, please, feel free."

  I was filled with dread now that there was going to be one less person involved as a buffer. It was only going to get worse if Madeline chose to leave too. I reached across the small space between us and grabbed her hand. She gave me a look when I squeezed it but didn't question my reason.

  "I'm sure we have all our bases covered, thank you. If you don't mind, I would like to learn a little more about the show," she directed her statement toward the three men. "We can figure out what would be a good song for Miss James to open your show with."

  "I'm sure that won't be difficult. Our songs vary in styles, so it shouldn't be too difficult to find one," Jasper spoke up. Once their manager was out of the room, he slapped Xavier's legs off the table. Xavier grunted in response and crossed his arms over his chest, slumping over in his chair.

  "That's good to know." Madeline said with a smile...which slowly faded. She gave me another look and squeezed my hand in return. She was hoping I would join the conversation, say something at least so that she wasn't doing all the talking.

  "I like...that one song on your channel. The one with the...the drums and that fast beat."

  "Uh, could you be more specific?" Xavier responded.

  "The one with..." I couldn't recall the lyrics and started humming the chorus. Xavier 's face lit up.

  "Yeah, that was one of our first ones. Landon wrote the lyrics of that one."

  "Doesn't he write all of them?"

  The three looked at each other and I could tell that I had offended them. I wanted to crawl inside a hole at how terrible the conversation was going.

  "Do you write your own lyrics, Kiara?" Jasper intervened. I didn't know whether to be thankful or not.

  "No. I've only ever done covers." I had no talent for writing music. I was only a singer. I knew nothing about creating a song from scratch.

  "Oh."

  "How long have you three been together? Did you all get to town at the same time, or...?"

  Another exchanged look between the three. They were probably wondering how much they should share with a normal human right here in the room with us, whether they should divulge how they came to be.

  "We...went to high school together, been best friends ever since. Then we left and decided to make our own music. Things have only been going up from there," Jasper said.

  "I see. From your accents...I'm guessing Maine?"

  The air of the room suddenly felt colder, and I knew I was probing too far.

  "Close to there. I'm guessing you are from...Alaska?" Jasper's stare was pointed, his fingers tented before him. He was testing the waters to see just how far we could keep playing this game.

  I smiled in response.

  "Close to there," I parroted.

  Meanwhile, Madeline was left completely in the dark as the room returned to silence. The tension was heavy in the air and I tried to wrack my brain for something else to talk about, something that wouldn't put any of us in any danger. But I drew a blank; the questions I really wanted to ask I couldn't raise with Madeline still in the room.

  We stayed silent for a while until Madeline decided to take the reins on getting everyone talking again.

  "So what can you tell me about these shows of yours? Rowdy crowd? Do you have many fans getting out of control?"

  "Depends on the venue, really," Xavier responded, his mood lightened somewhat. "Sure, when we do gigs at smaller dives, but they are pretty well-mannered at the bigger venues. Mostly because we got room for security."

  "We...don't exactly have a bodyguard of our own."

  "No need to worry, sweets. Pretty sure we can have our guys taking care of the two of you since you are our special guests and all." Xavier winked at Madeline before his gaze returned to me. "Once you get on stage, it's not going to be like anything you have ever experienced before."

  "And why's that?" Madeline asked.

  "Well, ‘cuz we are out there to have fun! The show is one thing, but we love what we do up there, and we want to make sure you feel the same way."

  Xavier became more animated the longer he talked, and it was hard not to be enraptured by his passion. Music was obviously a big thing in his life, and if I didn't remember what he truly was, I would have been falling head first into that passion without a thought.

  Landon suddenly snapped his fingers.

  "We are doing a show tonight. H
ow about you come by, as our guests?" he suggested. He looked around at the other two; Jasper nodded, and Xavier enthusiastically pumped his fist into the air.

  "Holy crap, why didn't I think of that?!" He slapped Landon on the back, who almost fell out of his chair from the sheer force of it. "That will definitely give you an idea of what our shows are like."

  "Do you really think that is a good idea?" I asked. The idea sounded thrilling, but the last thing I wanted to do was to get them in any kind of trouble.

  "Don't see why not." Xavier got out of his seat and paraded around the table toward us, defying the look Jasper was giving him. "I mean, it's our show. We can pretty much do what we want."

  He took a seat on the edge of the table, his legs parted on either side of my seat to keep me trapped. I felt hot and Madeline's face was probably as red as mine looked. Last night's dream filled my head, and a surge ran through my body as I recalled what his dream-self felt like against my body. Would my imagination be proven true, or...

  The smile on his face intensified—he must have smelled my pheromones—and glanced back over his shoulder at his brothers. Jasper was looking away and Landon seemed equally embarrassed as he diverted his gaze to something beneath the table.

  I couldn't help but smile back; this little game of cat and mouse was intriguing, and his scent was becoming even more potent...with a hint of something else. His flirting was definitely working, and I could only imagine the things we could do to each other if we were left alone in the room.

  "Would you give her some space?" Jasper chastised as he neared. He grabbed Xavier by the shoulder and pulled him away. He shot me an apologetic look in passing as he returned Jasper to his seat, who was quietly and angrily mumbling under his breath to his bandmate. Jasper was completely ignoring him, however, his look still focused on me. Perhaps he had caught a whiff of our scents and knew what was going on. But instead of looking annoyed by it, he seemed...curious.