Chapter Twenty-Four – Meeting the Alpha
Chapter Twenty-Four – Meeting the Alpha.
Alpha Luciana ran out as she smelt her younger brother’s scent from a far.
That scent had always annoyed her whenever he was hiding, trying to scare her but now she just wanted him back home safe and sound.
Her mother rushed to hug Nathan as he alighted from Ashley’s car. She didn’t hug him, she just stood there smiling that he was safe.
She saw Cole go to him and give a brotherly hug. They didn’t always agree but they grew up together, a loss would hurt.
She went inside to wait for all of them to come in. Her nose caught a human scent and her body stiffened. Her brother walked in with a tall, fair, strawberry blonde girl and she stared at her with hate.
Stephanie’s eyes were darting about the house as she crept behind Nathan at every scary thing she saw.
She wanted to hide right inside his pocket when she saw the dark haired woman staring right into her soul.
Nathan noticed his sister and blocked Stephanie from her view.
“My Alpha.” He went to her for a hug but she patted him and touched his neck.
“You were drugged by that twerp. Don’t worry, I’d get him for you.”
Nathan nodded and returned by Stephanie.
Ashley looked around and knew they’d be questions about what a human was doing in their pack so she broke the silence.
“Um… Alpha, Luna, Beta. This is Stephanie. She helped me find Nathan where he was a bit unstable.” She chuckled.
She turned to Stephanie to continue the introduction but she was busy having a glare challenge with Cole.
“Um.. do you know him?” she whispered to Stephanie.
“I’m assuming he’s my milk vendor.” Stephanie eyed him. Cole looked away.
“Oh? He’s our Beta.” Ashley looked at Cole accusingly. Nathan smirked.
“Well, he’s a hard working man to work two strenuous jobs at the same time.” Stephanie exhaled, and faced the Luna.
“Hello, I’m Stephanie Ernest. Nathan’s Secretary. I can assure you we went to test him and the doctor said he’d be fine.”
The Luna, Nathan’s mother, smiled in response.
On Nathan’s signal, Stephanie sauntered towards Luciana to return the bid. The Alpha was still observing her cautiously.
“The bid CEO Johnson stole. I was able to blackmail him into giving it to me. Here.” She placed it before her.
Luciana’s face fell blank and she looked over from Stephanie to Nathan and to the bid. “Is this really the bid, Nathan?”. Her younger brother nodded.
Luciana returned her eyes to Stephanie again, who was almost giddy under the lady’s tensing presence.
“Hmm. You have guts to face him. I have to say I’m impressed.”
“Wow. You’re never impressed. I think Stephanie hit a jackpot.” Nathan gushed.
Stephanie didn’t know whether to be happy or sad, she wore a permanent smile on her face.
“Hmm… Ashley take Stephanie around. Serve her coffee. I need to talk with my family and Cole on responding to Johnson.”
Ashley bowed. Stephanie nearly bowed but restrained herself. Was she supposed to?
She was led out of the room and she heaved a breathe she had been keeping since she caught the Alpha’s eyes on her.
“Our Alpha is sometimes cold. Don’t take it personal.” Ashley smiled as they left the room.
Stephanie nodded. “She is pretty though. Werewolves seem to have really good genes.”
Ashley laughed. “Yeah, my Alpha is almost thirty-four.” She paused to see the shock on Stephanie’s face then continued. “But of course, she looks like she’s in her early twenties.”
Words failed Stephanie so she bottled in her questions. Werewolves had everything easy, even anti aging.
“Um… that scar on your neck… did someone strangle you or something? I’ve been meaning to ask.” Ashley called her attention to a mark in her neck.
Sending flashbacks to when Garcia had strangled her, Stephanie just grinned. “Oh, that’s nothing. Wrinkles or stretch marks.”
Ashley narrowed her eyes. She was sure what she was seeing. And it was from strangles.
That wasn’t there before Garcia’s birthday party. Had Johnson gone physical on Stephanie when she wanted the bid?
“Okay then take care of yourself. My pack and the company is very grateful to you.”
Stephanie felt weird every time she said it. She planned to leave them by the month end. They shouldn’t feel grateful to her, she didn’t want it.
Her eyes went around the huge courtyard and the fountain in the middle. The rows of flowers at the side and the red and gold designs on the walls and doors. It seemed of ancient design.
She was excited when Ashley led her into a garden and not into the house. Who knows what other scary wolf could be in the house?
But her excitement died when she saw a little girl training with a dummy at the garden. She was at least fifteen.
“Hey, Reina!”
Stephanie snapped her head at Ashley as she called. Her voice sounded so authoritatively and lack the friendliness it used to have. Why was she angry with the girl they just met!
Reina sighted Ashley from far off and stood still, then made a 90° bow.
Ashley smirked. “That’s Reina. An omega under Garcia’s training. She was in Johnson’s pack but our Alpha took her in.”
Stephanie noticed the girl’s head was still in a bow. And she was shivering slightly. Was she scared of Ashley?
And what was Ashley’s hostility to her? The fact she was from Johnson’s pack or the fact she was an omega?
Garcia’s words on Stephanie being lower than an omega replayed in her head.
She raised the girl’s head up and smiled at her. Perhaps they were ranks in werewolf system but to her, all humans were equal.
“I’m Stephanie. Secretary of Pure Silver Company. Nice to meet you.”
Reina widened her lips. “Thank you. Nice to meet you too.”
Ashley shook her head at Stephanie. “You don’t have to be so nice to her. Yeah, she looks like a weak omega but what if her Alpha sent her here to spy on us. I don’t know.”
Ashley slapped strands of hair off her face. “I’d go get you coffee then. Stay here.”
Reina straightened and heaved a sigh. “You’re human, right?”
Stephanie shrugged. “Shocked to see me here amongst wolves?”
Reina shook her head. “Humans and werewolves don’t mix much but not here. The Alpha has an adopted younger brother, he’s human.”
“Nathan. Yeah, that’s my boss.”
Reina eyes widened. “Oh, yeah. Cool. Thanks for talking with me. I need to train before my teacher comes back or I’d be dead.”Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.
Stephanie understood and stepped away to let her practice. She ran her eyes through the building again before looking down.