Mated To The Wrong Alpha
Chapter 6

Leaving the house had been hard. Sarah, usually a no-nonsense type of person, had uncharacteristically fussed over her, making her promise to come and visit soon.

“Now remember, just because you’re moving away doesn’t mean we have to lose contact.” Sarah tucked a stray lock of hair behind Ava’s ear. “You can call anytime and I’m sure we’ll replace opportunities to visit.”

“I’m sure we will too.” She hugged her tightly knowing she’d miss the woman. While Sarah wasn’t exactly the warm, cuddly type, she’d still done her best to help raise Ava and her brother and sister, providing some of the attention that they missed once their mother was gone.

Jake gave her a one-armed hug, before ruffling her hair. “I’m going to miss you, kiddo. Who will drive me crazy with their non-stop talking now?”

She leaned her head against Jake’s chest, breathing in his comforting scent one last time. She’d always had a fun, relaxed relationship with the easy-going Beta; he was like a favourite uncle who tolerated her questions and teased her unmercifully yet was always there when needed. In many ways, he took the place of her father who always seemed too busy to have time for his youngest child.

When she’d been little, her father had played with her or taken her into the woods but that had been years ago when her mother was still alive. With the death of his mate, the Alpha had seemed to withdraw from his children, perhaps too caught up in his own grief to deal with them. Whatever the reason, she had found herself looking more and more to Jake for fatherly attention and, as a result, felt closer to him than her own biological father. She harboured no bitterness about the fact; it was just the way things were.

“I’ll miss you, Jake.” The simple statement was all she could get out due to the sudden thickness of her throat.

He nodded at her in understanding and kissed the top of her head. Taking a deep breath, she stepped away and turned to her father. She loved him, but it was a much more formal relationship. He was always the Alpha first and being a father came second. They’d studied each other and then he’d pulled her into an awkward embrace.

“You’ll be fine with Arthur,” he whispered in her ear. “He’s a good man.”

She nodded, knowing her father had done what he thought was best, and would never have consented to her going with someone totally unsuitable. Being the Alpha wasn’t an easy position and the needs of the pack had to be considered first; she just wished it hadn’t come at the expense of her own dreams.

Since there was no going back, she’d plastered a fake smile on her face and climbed into Arthur’s truck, waving at the other pack members who had gathered outside. Searching the group, she noted Seth was absent and regretted not seeing him one last time but perhaps it was for the best.

As they pulled out of the driveway, she stared straight ahead. If she had to watch the house slowly disappearing from sight, she knew she’d burst into tears and she didn’t want to show such weakness in front of Arthur. It wasn’t that she thought he’d say anything about it, but she had her pride. She wouldn’t be a snivelling, weak mate. There might not be any love between them but at least she’d ensure that he respected her.

~~~

As she came out of her reverie, she began to take note of the passing scenery. They’d left her father’s territory some time ago and were now in Arthur’s. Would his home be similar to her own? Each pack owned large parcels of land that consisted mainly of wilderness, clearly marked as private property. Within a territory, there was always one main Alpha house where meetings were held and the Alpha and Beta’s families resided. Surrounding the main home were several small cabins where other pack members could live when needed. Many had their own homes located within the territory and a few chose to live in nearby towns with the human population.

Packs were generally stable. Occasionally new members would join, but they tended to be close-knit societies and spent a great deal of time at each other’s homes, though the Alpha house was the centre of most activity. At any given time, members could be found lounging about the living room, preparing food in the kitchen or roaming the property. There was never a chance to be lonely.

“How large is your pack?” She broke the silence between them.

Arthur flicked a look her way. “About the same size as the one you grew up in. Our Alpha house has six bedrooms and four baths, office space, a living room, a large dining area and a kitchen. The basement was recently renovated into a multi-purpose room for meetings with a media centre, pool table, and play area for the young ones.”

“It sounds nice. Who shares the house with you?”

“Besides yourself?” He grinned over at her before returning his attention to the road. “My Beta is John and his mate’s name is Carrie. They’re expecting their first in a few months. Zack’s widow—he was the previous Alpha—she’s continued to stay there as well. Her name is Helen.”

Nodding, she decided having three other people in the house should make things easier. She wouldn’t be alone with Arthur all the time—she still wasn’t that comfortable around him—and having two other women to talk to would be good. Hopefully, they’d like her. If Carrie was having her first pup, she’d be about the same age, so maybe they’d have something in common. “There are always people in and out of our house—I mean my father’s house. Is yours similar?”

“Yeah, sometimes it’s a three-ring circus. With you arriving, it will probably be especially busy as everyone stops by to meet you.”

She bit her l*p, not looking forward to meeting so many new people. Names, and scents and hierarchy placements to remember. It sounded overwhelming. Possibly sensing her trepidation, Arthur reached over and clasped her knee. “It will be fine. We’re not as…traditional…as your old pack. They’re a friendly bunch and will be happy to meet you.”

As they got closer to Arthur’s home, he offered further explanations as to who the pack members were as well as pointing out areas of interest. There was a medium-sized town nearby that they went to for supplies, though for the most part the pack stayed within their territory. It was heavily wooded and at the farthest point touched her father’s land. Several streams fed a small lake and there was even a waterfall due to ancient, glacier-cut ravines.

They stopped once along the way to get gas and then Arthur pulled into a small strip mall, explaining that he needed to pick up a few things. She opted to wait in the truck and watched Arthur sauntering down the sidewalk. The few people he encountered nodded at him, but none stopped to talk. What was the pack’s relationship with the townsfolk? Were they friendly or did they secretly whisper about the strange group of people who lived outside of town? From her own experience with her pack, she knew that most people were wrapped up in their own lives and didn’t give a great deal of thought to the close-knit group that lived nearby. People thought they were odd, but that was it. No one suspected that a pack of werewolves lived next door.

That hadn’t always been the case. She’d heard tales of packs that had been persecuted by the human population, not because they were werewolves, but because their close-knit society was somehow deemed unnatural. Some packs had even been forced to leave their territory for fear of being discovered. All it took was one or two curious humans to start questioning their lifestyle. She hoped that wasn’t the case here.

Soon Arthur returned and stowed his purchases in the back. He climbed into the cab of the truck and smiled over at her, seeming happier and more relaxed now they were closer to his home.

It was only natural, of course. No wolf was comfortable if it was away from its pack for too long.

By the time they pulled into the driveway that led to Arthur’s house, she was a bundle of nerves. She did her best to mask the fact; it wouldn’t do for the others to smell fear on her. As the Alpha’s mate, she had a status to maintain. In ancient times, a weak mate might have been challenged by one of the other females who wanted to usurp her, but that wasn’t done now, and she was thankful for the fact. Being a new pack member would be hard enough without someone wanting to bump her position.

The truck came to a stop in front of a sprawling two storey home that featured a wraparound porch. Situated in the middle of a large treed lot, there were woods on three sides. As Arthur climbed out, the front door opened and people spilled out, calling his name and enveloping him in hugs. She watched the activity from inside the truck, and when it became apparent that it would be a while before Arthur could free himself from the crowd, she stepped out of the cab on her own. Hesitantly, she stood by the vehicle, unsure of what to do. Arthur looked up and, catching her eye, made his way over to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “Everyone, this is Ava, my mate.”

His announcement caused everyone to stop talking and stare at her. The silence was uncomfortable and she had to force herself not to cower against his side. Tentatively, she smiled at the small crowd and finally a petite, red-haired woman about her age stepped forward with her hand extended. From the size of her belly, she had to be Carrie, the Beta’s wife.

“Hello, Ava. I’m Carrie. Welcome to our pack.” Her voice was calm and friendly, making Ava immediately feel welcomed. Some of the tension in her body began to relax.

“And I’m John, her mate, and Arthur’s Beta.” The man was about the same height as Arthur, with blond hair and friendly blue eyes.

“I’m pleased to meet you.” She tried to sound confident and shook their hands firmly. After that, everyone started talking at once, stepping forward with greetings until her head was swirling with names.

The group moved towards the house and Arthur grabbed two of her bags from the vehicle. “Come on inside. The others will bring the rest of your things.” A few of the men immediately headed towards the truck, grabbing the remaining boxes. Arthur hadn’t issued a command, but they knew implicitly what he expected and obeyed unquestioningly.

She followed behind Arthur until they got to the door. As she was about to walk in, someone h*p-checked her and cut in front.

“Excuse me.” A tall, blonde woman threw the comment over her shoulder, blocking the doorway and separating her from Arthur.

From the woman’s tone, Ava knew there was no real regret for the action. She searched her mind for a name but then realized that this female hadn’t stepped forward to introduce herself outside.

“Marla.” John growled a low warning to the blonde who was still blocking the doorway.

“Oh. Am I in your way? Sorry, John.” The woman—Marla—flashed John a smile and sauntered into the house as if nothing had happened.

Ava looked at John, but the man shrugged and gave her a tight smile. “That’s Marla. Just ignore her. She has…issues.”

Watching the woman slide up to Arthur and rest her hand on his arm while smiling brightly, Ava wondered what the ‘issues’ might be. Somehow, she knew that Marla was not going to be welcoming her to the pack.