Mated To The Wrong Alpha
Chapter 8

Well, she’d unpacked, and explored, and shifted things about—now what? Wandering around the home of a new pack by herself was intimidating. Wolves were territorial and her unknown scent might cause some ruffled fur; she’d much rather be escorted by her mate the first time she ventured out. However, sitting and waiting endlessly for Arthur to return wasn’t that palatable either. If she stayed up here much longer, the others might think she was hiding from them. That would really be a black mark against developing any status and rank.

A newcomer to a pack was immediately checked out for how dominant they were, and where they would fit within the hierarchy. As the Alpha’s mate, she would automatically be given a certain degree of respect and status, but if she showed herself to be weak and submissive then her position would start to crumble.

Deciding she’d had enough of waiting, she set her chin, put on a brave front and exited the bedroom suite. For whatever reason, Arthur seemed to have abandoned her, so it would be up to her to establish herself in the house.

The hallway was quiet, but she could hear the sound of voices below, and the scent of cooking was drifting enticingly through the house. Well, the kitchen was as good a place to start as any. Following the mouth-watering aroma of roast beef and fresh-baked cookies, she made her way down the stairs. Even though she thought she could pick Arthur’s voice out of the general murmuring, the idea of food was more intriguing; her stomach was rumbling, reminding her she hadn’t eaten lunch. Sniffing the air, she followed the delicious scents down the hallway. It was only as she was about to open the door that nerves began to surface, and she took a deep steadying breath before stepping into the kitchen.

Her first impression, as it had been with most of the rooms in the house, was one of brightness. Whoever had designed the home had ensured the outdoors was allowed inside. An impressive view of the backyard and the woods beyond could easily be seen from almost anywhere in the room. Sunlight streamed in through gleaming windows and sparkled off copper and stainless-steel pots, gleaming marble counter tops, and polished appliances. It might have been too bright if not for the homey touches of herbs growing on the window ledge and bits of folk art adorning the walls.

Two women were standing at the counter and immediately looked up at the sound of the door swinging open. One was Carrie, the Beta’s mate, who she’d met earlier. The other woman was older with greying hair and a rounded figure. She was probably in her late fifties or early sixties.

“Ava! Good to see you. I was just saying to Helen that I wondered when you’d appear.” Carrie smiled over at her and she began to relax. The tiny redhead had a soothing quality about her, and Ava speculated whether she was always that way or if it was impending motherhood that was making her so mellow.

“I was unpacking and waiting for Arthur. He said he had some business to attend to and then he’d be back, but I guess he was delayed so I’m exploring on my own.” She shrugged, not wanting to let on that she was upset by Arthur’s abandonment.

“Welcome, Ava. I’m Helen.” The older woman eyed her up and down before smiling.

“Hi, Helen, I’m pleased to meet you.”

Carrie gestured towards the table. “Why don’t you sit down and we can talk while we finish making dinner.”

“Isn’t there something I could do?” She looked around, thinking she should offer to set the table or prepare vegetables.

“Not today, Sweetie.” Helen pulled out a chair and indicated that Ava was to take it. “It’s your first day here and we already have everything under control. You sit here and let us talk your ear off. Would you like some coffee and cookies? They’re fresh.”

She smiled and nodded, sitting down as she’d been told. The two women seemed genuinely pleased to meet her. As Helen handed her a plate of cookies and a cup of coffee, Ava felt she should offer condolences to the old Alpha’s widow. “Arthur told me that your mate died recently.

I’m sorry to hear of your loss.”

Helen paused, a sad expression washing over her face before she gave her head a shake. “Thank you. It was a shock, to say the least.” She walked to the sink as she spoke and began to peel some carrots. “Some days I still can’t believe Zack’s gone, but we’re lucky that Arthur was here to take over. He’s doing a fine job. You can be very proud of how he stepped up to the plate.”

Purposely sipping her coffee to negate the need to respond, she murmured in what she hoped was an appropriate manner. She barely knew the man. It was hard to be proud of someone you’d just met.

Helen continued chatting, oblivious to Ava’s thoughts. “I can tell you from personal experience that an Alpha’s work is never done. I had to force my Zack to set ‘office hours’ so that we could have some semblance of a normal life together. You’ll likely have to do the same if you ever want to see him.”

They talked about general matters for a while and then, noticing Carrie rubbing her belly,

Ava asked, “So, Carrie, when are you due?”

The pregnant woman sighed deeply. “I’ve only got six weeks to go and I can tell you, it won’t be a minute too soon. My ankles and I haven’t seen each other in months and this little one kicks

up a storm at night. I can’t wait until I can get a good night’s sleep again.”

“Believe me, once that pup is here, you won’t be getting any sleep. This is the voice of experience speaking.” Helen finished with the carrots and set them in a dish.

“Do you have a large family, Helen?” Ava wondered how old they might be and if they still lived here.

“I have four girls. Two are mated and part of this pack. One moved away to work out west and joined another pack. My baby, Chloe, is in university right now. She’s studying Environmental Science.”

“Chloe is one smart girl.” Carrie added as she peered at the roast, checking its temperature. “Arthur’s hoping she can give him some advice on what to do about the northern acreage.” Glancing over at Ava, Carrie explained further. “There’s been a big push by an oil company to allow them to do some exploratory drilling in the northern part of our territory. They want to buy a large tract or lease it. Of course, we’re all against the idea, but they’ve been lobbying the local government.

Arthur, and Zack before him, have been busy keeping them away.”

“But if it’s your territory and you say no, they can’t come in, can they?” Ava furrowed her brow trying to understand the situation.

“You’d think.” Helen scowled as she dried her hands and then leaned against the kitchen counter. “But the humans want oil and feel that it’s their right to get it, even if it means destroying some of our property. Arthur’s probably going over the company’s latest proposal right now. They seem to think that if they offer us enough money we’ll give in, which is ridiculous. Lycans don’t need money; we need space to roam.”

Ava was nodding in agreement when Carrie spoke. “Unfortunately, not everyone feels that way. A few in the pack like the idea of the money.”

Helen snorted. “Yes and we all know who they are.” The two women exchanged knowing looks.