Mate In Disguise For The Alpha

Chelsey's point of view.

'Hey, babe, are you home? Josh's text distracts me from my homework. Our pack house has a school, and I know he should be studying.

'You should be studying,' I replied.

'Oh sweetie, that's the beauty of being best friends with the Alpha-to-be. I'm not required to study. I've been preparing for this my entire life. Come on, sweetie, put down the books and go for a walk."

Oh well. 'One hour.'

'Done. 'I'm standing outdoors...' His message makes me roll my eyes. He constantly finds a way to get around me. I take my jacket and make my way down the stairs, where I see my father sitting with his bear in hand once more.

"Dad... I'm going out for an hour..." all I can say is grunt and raise my hand. I sigh silently, wishing my mum was still alive. I put on a happy front and open the front door, ignoring the hollow feeling in my chest. When I meet Josh, my smile doesn't last long since he's as attractive as ever with his boyish smile and crooked chestnut hair, his eyes matching his hair a soft warm brown. I haven't met his wolf yet, but in my dreams, he's that same warm chestnut brown. I'm counting down the days till I get to meet his wolf. Our wolves are asleep until we reach the age of eighteen. Josh turned eighteen last month and experienced his first shift. I can't wait for my birthday to finally meet my wolf; we want our wolves to meet for the first time as a surprise. It's very uncommon for wolves to share birthdays because most she wolves become pregnant during the season, when shewolf go into heat and the males go crazy for us. It is not uncommon for males to fight over females, mates or not, and a male wolf will go crazy for any shewolf in heat.

"Hey there, love." His voice is mild, but it has a profound vibration.

"Hey... you're very distracting, you know." He gives his boyish grin and smugly shrugs. We've been friends our entire lives, we know everything about each other, and nothing escapes our notice. We began dating a year ago, figuring that our connection represented the underlying mate bond.

"Well, that's all part of the charm, I suppose." "Come on, come on." He extends his hand for me to accept and leads us, well, the entire pack, into the woods that back up to my house. Individual housing is available for families with older children, such as me. My father never wanted to live in the pack home, and I doubt others wanted him drinking in front of their pups.

"How's your dad?" I make a glum expression, and he knows not to ask again.

With my first shift approaching, I need to pace myself after a few miles.

"Hey, I need to get home; will you walk me back?" His brow furrows as he considers something.

"Listen, I wanted to ask you something..."

"OK..." he comes to a halt and softly pushes me back against a tree, kissing me sweetly before attempting to deepen the kiss, and I turn away.

"All right, come on... I know we've been waiting for your first shift to do anything, but we already know we'll be friends. Why won't you just give me a small taste, Chelsey?" His eyes darken, which is unusual for him, and I push him back hard, which was clearly the incorrect move.

"For God's sake, Chelsey, come on!" Stop being so tense..." he rushes back towards me, and I quickly sidestep him, causing him to growl.

"You're not thinking straight, are you?" We've discussed it. "I'm waiting for my mate," he says as he smacks his fist into the tree, splintering some of the wood and making me yelp.

"No one can hear you out here, you know... I'd have taken you by now if I were any other wolf!" He yells, and terror rushes through my veins like ice.

"Josh, please don't scare me... All I want to do is go home..."

We hear a long straining wail in the distance, and his nose lifts to the air. I can't detect any wolf's scent without my wolf, which makes me nervous. He returns his gaze to me, his eyes still dark, indicating that his wolf is in command.

"Then leave. If you don't want to mate with me, I'll find someone who will; you're not that special, Chelsey. There are a lot of she-wolves that would give their lives for a night with me. I am the beta for the upcoming Alpha! Being with me entails a fucking status. One that you clearly do not deserve. Go. "Run back home to your drunk old daddy." My eyes well up with tears as a result of his unfair insults.

"You're not saying that. That's your wolf speaking!"

"Leave." His voice is deathly quiet, yet I can sense his rage emanating from him. When I don't move, he scoffs and looks me up and down before bolting for the trees and vanishing into the undergrowth. I flee when I hear a deep, terrifying howl. I sprint the rest of the way home, not daring to glance back. What in the world happened to him? It must be the approaching season, it has to be. He'd never be so vicious to me... it had to be his wolf, he can sense my change coming up and wants a taste of what he thinks is his. The fact is that I don't know if we'll be mates just yet; there's no way to know until I get my wolf. He's definitely upset, and perhaps he'll calm down before my shift; I need him with me if this happens. The only way I'll know whether we're mates is if his wolf crosses paths with mine. His stinging tongue causes tears to pour from my eyes. He's never been so harsh... is I wrong to keep refusing him after being so close for so long? I know I'd feel at ease with him physically... or at least I think I would. He's always been willing to wait, not just tonight. When I reach the edge of the woods behind my house, I glance up to the beautiful sky and see the moon just a sliver short of full.

"This is entirely your fault..." I mutter coldly, wiping away my tears and gathering my breath before returning to the house. I know my father won't notice anything, but it's better to be cautious than sorry.

I was right to suppose that after I was safely in bed, my father wouldn't notice anything because he didn't look up from the television. I'm thinking whether to text Josh... surely he'd be home by now... assuming he went home... I brush the thought away and send a quick message.

'I hope you arrived safely home... I apologize for everything. Love, Chelsey.

I push send and wait for a response that never comes. I'm wondering how he's doing. I know he should be the one to apologize, but with Josh, it's always easier to apologize first and then get one in return. Eleven o'clock at night and still no response... I place my phone on my nightstand and turn off the light. I wait for the text, which does not arrive until I fall asleep.

Chelsey point of view.

I go to school the next morning, still no word from Josh, and I'm starting to worry. When chuckling fills my ears as I walk through the halls towards class, I'm utterly lost in thought. I swiftly look up and see something I wasn't expecting. Josh wraps his arm over the shoulder of a female I've never seen before; she has long wavy blonde hair and a stunning tall thin body. Her eyes are entirely fixed on Josh and sparkle in the light of sunshine; their eye contact is so intense that it feels terrible to even be observing it.

"Yo, Josh, finally, bro. You bought yourself a pretty good female wolf!"

"You can't say that about a beta's mate, bro." You are aware..."

"Damn. Mate? "Have you already marked her?"

"You're aware of it. You don't let such a gem slide past your fingers..." Josh yanks her hair back, revealing two shining silver scar bite marks. My gut sinks and my heart shatters. Mate? That's not going to happen... I was meant to be his companion. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been so close all these years.

"What about that girl you used to hang out with, bro?" What was her name? Oh, Chelsey..."

"How about her?" "This is old news, bro."

I still can't believe I'm hearing this. I instantly turn on my heel and race out of the pack school, straight for the woods, tossing my bag and books over the side and running as fast as my legs will take me till my lungs feel like they're going to explode. I collapse onto the wet woodland floor and sob. What in the world am I going to do? He was meant to keep lusty males away from me while I was changing. How am I going to get through this? I'm entirely alone... and not even my father can help. It's not uncommon for any male wolf, related or not, to completely forget themselves during the transformation and mate with any nearby female, relative or not. It's far too dangerous. My goal had been to stay with Josh the night of my transformation, knowing that he would protect me, but now I have no plan. With no safety and no partner... well, I guess we can all agree that he was never going to be my mate. He knew the second he smelled her that the wolf's cry last night was her. It's no surprise he was harsh... his wolf would have forced him to be. He realized I wasn't his partner and refused to interact with me any longer. What have you done, goddess? Who's going to come to my rescue now...

-------

Cain's point of view.

Even though it's still light outside, I can see the moon. This year is really strong. This is the last day, and it will be full tomorrow night, bringing on the heat for all of the females in the pack and my rise to Alpha as my father steps down. Once he steps down, everything is up to me: the protection of this pack, security, legislation, and the pack link's head. I will feel every member of my pack and have their common link. Of course, the she wolves and their pups are a major concern... I put my head into my hands, already feeling overwhelmed; my father warned me that without a mate, maintaining control of the pack would be difficult. I won't be able to gain full strength until I've marked my Luna. I momentarily consider whether any female will suffice, if only as a companion... at the very least, I'd attain my full strength, but if it worked like that, I doubt my father would have overthrown so many weak packs and taken the life of their Alpha. My father has access to three separate packs, all of which operate in the same way. They appear to be my duty as well when he steps down. I hear footsteps down the corridor and know Josh is on his way; after all, I did call him.

"Enter." My voice has recently become considerably deeper. Another sign that my promotion is on its way. Josh walks in with a strange female hugged under his arm as the door opens.

"Alpha..." he and she both bend their heads. What is this woman wolf, and why is she here? It becomes clear when she raises her head and I notice her mating mark. Oh, I can already smell it. The odor is repulsive...

"I don't recall you asking to bring your companion." Her face suddenly turns pale. She shouldn't think of me as a weak Alpha. I must keep control from the start.

"There is no Alpha. This is Jessie, one of my friends. Please accept my apologies." He looks sympathetically at me. Josh has been my friend for years... well, my only friend, I think, but he shouldn't push me given my current situation.

"Jessie. Wait down there, baby, I'll be down there shortly." She gives him a puppy-like look before bowing deeply and fleeing, not daring to meet my gaze. I don't recognize her. She's a nice girl with politeness.

"What pack did she run from?" I wait for Josh's reaction, and he is aware that he is under no obligation to inform me. Every wolf in my pack is familiar to me. She wasn't one of them, thus she came into our territory without my permission.

"Silvermoon pack please, sir." I can sense he wants to explain further and motion for him to do so. He still needs some training, Goddess, even after all these years. "She had been beaten, sir." I discovered her hurt. I tagged her when I realized who she was." He's courageous, considering he's admitted to bringing an outsider into my pack... I wouldn't even think about it if Josh hadn't asked, but I dimly recall her dating a female from our pack.

"Your previous relationship with your current companion has ended." He's not even blinking. Bastardly bastard. I know they were together for at least a year and friends their entire lives, much like me and him, despite the fact that I never met her.

"Yes, Alpha." I nod quietly. A part of me feels sorry for the mystery female he has dropped, and I know he didn't manage the issue as well as I would have liked, but I don't let it show.

"I called to finalize details for the moon festival." Many of our employees are reaching the age of majority and starting their first shift. "I'd like to increase security for the she wolves." I turn around and return my gaze to the moon through the window.

"May I inquire as to why Alpha?"

I return his stare. He has the audacity to criticize my judgment! I know exactly what I'm doing! I'm not going to lose any pack members on my first night as Alpha! The males can get wild, and I will not tolerate fighting or rapes under my reign. He instantly casts his gaze to the floor, and his wolf wines slightly in repentance.

"I'm sorry, Alpha. I will see to it that everything is completed."

"That's all." He hurriedly goes without saying anything else. Good. That is how it should be. Perhaps I'm being too fast in selecting a friend to be my beta... perhaps I should check into a seasoned beta instead. Looking out the window, I feel the impulse to go for a run. I've been pent up for far too long, and I need to get somefresh air. My wolf concurs.

Cain's view.

My wolf takes over running through the forest, following the pack boundaries, and checking the perimeter while I do it. It won't hurt anything if I check everything myself. I like to know what's going on with my pack to be. It's important.

My wolf's ears perk up when he hears screams and sobs. Oh, no way! Not in my pack. I rush quickly toward the crying. It sounds like a she wolf, oh god please don't let anything bad happened.

When I see a small she wolf curled up against a tree, I stop in my tracks. She looks so weak and shattered. She is hiding her face, so she probably doesn't have her wolf yet, or she would have smelled me by now. I take a few careful steps toward her and then realize that I'll have to move to talk to her because she's not on my link yet. Damn, I'd rather not have to do this. Her clothes stick to their small bodies, so I'm hoping that assault isn't an option. My wolf looks around to make sure she is alone and I won't be surprised. When her head lifts at the sound of the leaves rustling and her eyes find mine, he moves closer. Holy crap, she's gorgeous...

Her tears made her eyes red, but you can see that they are a bright sapphire blue. Her skin is pale and looks so soft. Her features are soft and innocently pretty, and she has sweet, round curves in all the right places. God, she smells good. I can smell lilies and...cherry blossom flowers, and it's so sweet that it makes me dizzy. She is so small that she looks like a tight ball. I must be scary, because she doesn't move a muscle and looks scared. With one last look and sniff, I'm sure she's by herself, so I quickly move. I don't usually mind being naked, especially in front of someone so beautiful, but I don't want to scare her by making her think I have a hidden agenda, so I cover myself with my hands.

Her eyes get bigger as she looks me over from top to bottom before meeting mine. God, those eyes are so bright I could swim in them. Then I realize that she's looking right into my eyes. She doesn't know who I am because she can't smell my power without a wolf. This could be good for me, because if she knew, she'd probably be scared.

"Are you all right?" Even though I try to keep my voice even and calm, it's still as deep as hell. She looks around as if she's not sure if I'm talking to her.

"Well, my friends know where I am," I said. She acts like she's scared. I bend over to make myself look smaller and less scary.

"I won't hurt you," he said. I heard you and, well, I just wanted to make sure you were okay." I'm usually not this kind. Not even with a she wolf, but she looks so fragile that even a slightly cold word could break her completely. She nods while still looking into my eyes, and I really have to fight not to get angry right now. The last thing I want to do is make her scared. What the hell am I doing? Why do I care?

----

Chelsey's view.

He's good-looking, like really good-looking. It looks like he has a jaw that could cut through stone. His eyes are the brightest green, just like his wolf, and his hair is a dark brown that is almost black. I've never been that close to a wolf before, so it was pretty cool to see him that way. I don't know what to say and I don't know where the hell he came from. I've never seen him at school, and I'm afraid he might be a lone wolf looking to take advantage of innocent she wolves.

"Are you on your own?" I have never seen you!" I try to sound strong, but it's clear that I'm scared.

"I'm not, no. I don't go to the pack school anymore..." He doesn't want to say much, and I don't know why. He keeps looking around to make sure we're alone, which makes me a little nervous. "Did you get hurt by someone...?" His voice sounds strangely worried, and it's kind of nice that someone cares so much. I'm not sure.

"No, well, not in a physical sense." I sigh because I feel like I should say more. "My guy just got hitched. We thought we were supposed to be friends, but I guess not... well, it's pretty clear that we're not. He didn't even tell me. Sorry, I'm talking too much. I don't know why I just told a total stranger about my problems, but I guess who else do I have now? To my surprise, he's listening, like I'm telling him an amazing story and not my sad teen drama.

"Don't be sorry... you have nothing to apologize for..." I'm not sure why he's being so nice when I look at him. His eyes are as bright as new grass in the spring. They aren't bad to look at at all. "If you want my opinion, any man who thinks leaving you behind is a good idea is crazy..." He shakes his head as if he wishes he hadn't said anything, but his words calm me down and I stop hugging myself so tightly. Something in the back of my mind tells me I have nothing to worry about with this stranger. Which is very strange, given that I'm alone in the woods with a naked man. He is covered in tattoos of our pack's symbol, which finally convinces me that he is not a lone wolf. If he had left his pack, they would have been cut off his skin.

"Do you have a real name?" I feel shy and don't want to tell him all of a sudden. If he knows Josh, then what? So I shake my head, and he light-heartedly laughs. It sounds like music to me, and I laugh along with him.

"That's a beautiful sound..." When he says it, my cheeks get red and I feel shy again. I wipe my tears away and stand up slowly, just like he does. He must be at least six feet and seven inches tall or more, so it makes sense that he bent down to look less scary. I look around at the dim light of day. I've probably been here for a long time. I've got to go home.

"I need to leave..."

"Ok..." He's looking at me from head to toe, and I'm getting red in the face.

"Uh, okay, thanks..."

"Cain... it's been my pleasure, little one," he says, and his choice of words makes me blush again.

I'm sure my cheeks are as red as an apple. It's a good thing he doesn't know my name, though, because I wouldn't tell him.

I turn around and walk back to the path I made, brushing off my clothes as I go. I hear twigs breaking behind me, so I turn around to look. His wolf stands where he used to be, and he lets out a small howl as a farewell.

I wave shyly because I don't know if wolves can even understand what I'm doing. I keep walking back to school to get my bag and books.

I get lucky and make it home in record time, right when I should be getting home from school.

Today is not the day to ask my dad if he still cares about me enough to come find me if he's not home when I get home. I find a small note that was only half written.

I'm at the bar. Get some food. Stay out late.'