Alpha Black

Nathaniel Black

My hand throbbed and my heart rate quickened without reason, Alice’s emotions had been building inside my chest and I left like my heart would imploded. I stomped up the front steps of my parent’s house, my shirt sticking to my body from the sweat I worked up running here. The door swung open just before I could reach it and I looked at Patricia, who looked visibly shaken and slightly upset.

“Is she hurt?” was the first thing that fell out of my mouth.

She shook her head, “no, I don’t think so. She locked herself in the bathroom about an hour ago, not long after mum and I finished fitting the dress.”

I nodded and walked past Patricia as she stepped to the side, letting me in.

“Nathaniel, sweety, I’m so happy you’re here. I don’t know what happened, it was all fine and the she just started crying, I don’t know what we did, what happened,” my mother said looking hysterical, tears brimming in her eyes.

I curved past her, and towards the guest bedroom, following my nose to the locked bathroom door. A dress bag hung on the back of the door, giving away nothing of the colour or shape of the dress, removing it I tossed it lightly on the bed and knocked cautiously on the bathroom door, “Alice?”

My knocks were met with nothing, a deafening silence and my mind raced with the possibilities. What if she had taken her own life? “Alice?” I said louder and more commandingly. “Please open the door,” I asked desperately.

Another wave of emotion washed over me and I almost fell to my knees, if I wasn’t concerned about my little mate, I’d be cursing at her. “Alice, open the door,” I commanded, but nothing.

I let out a sigh, applied pressure to the door handle. It crumpled and I pushed the locking mechanism through the door. It clattered on the tile floor and I swung the door open. She looked up at me as I stood in the door frame, it was the visual depiction of ‘puppy dog eyes’.

I inhaled deeply, both at the comfort of her smell and that she was still alive, “what’s wrong?” I asked, my voice cracking.

She leaned her head back against the edge of the bath and slipped further down the empty tub, her arms clutching her torso as, if she were to let go, she would fall apart. The muscles in her face had fallen into an uncontrollable frown, her eyes stained red and yet the emptiness within her chilled me to the core.

“My dearest,” I said, crouching down next to her and brushing the hair from her face, “It’s okay, please, talk to me,” I urged.

But my words only brought tears to her eyes and another pang of pain washed over me, I felt like someone had stabbed me. A low growl radiated from my chest as I my wolf objected to the pain my mate was in, but this was not a pain I understood. I could not protect her from her own mind.

She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but her words failed her and a sob worked it’s way out. Tears followed, streaking down her already tear stained face and onto the silk robe that offered her little comfort. Her body began to shake as she cried and her nails clawed at her sleeves as she attempted to gain control.

Giving out an exasperated sigh I took off my shoes and unbuttoned my dress shirt and took it off, throwing it into the other corner of the bathroom. I pushed her back off the wall of the tub and slid down behind her, cradling her in by arms. I would rely on the mate bond to try and sooth her.

I ran my fingers through her hair and hummed ‘London bridge is falling down’ as it was the only song that came to mind. I couldn’t help but inhale deeply again at her smell, the smell of books was some how so comforting and I projected these feelings onto her, to overpower her own negative emotions with my own.

The sobs soon slowed, and she now only offered the occasional hiccup, “talk to me, my dear, let me help you,” I offered, lifting her onto my lap and lying her head on my shoulder.

She complied easily with the change and clung to my t-shirt, her cheeks were still wet with tears and I could feel her damp face against my skin and shirt. I did not plan to push her; I continued to hum and brush out the knots in her hair. Apparently, I had however succeed too well in calming her, as her uneven breathing slowed and she drifted asleep.

I smiled and let her sleep for now, she clearly needed the rest. Perhaps it was wrong of me to leave her for so long, I had know her for just over two weeks and yet I had spent most of that time absent. I was failing my mate, perhaps this is why she was so upset and refused to talk to me.

How long had she been bottling up these emotions?

’Jamie, please escort Angel to my parents house, I planned on her presence being a surprise gift for our new Luna, but it appears she needs the emotional support now, rather than later.’

’What should I tell the others?’

’Just that the Luna needs help getting ready, I do not wan to breach my mate’s privacy too much.’

Jamie gave out a grunt in understanding and the mind link emptied, I continued to stroke her hair and hum as she slept. Yet it did not take long for Jamie and Angel to appear in the door way of the bathroom, most likely a result of Jamie’s disrespect for road rules. Jamie almost looked pale with worry seeing my little mate curled in my arms as I cradled her in the bathtub.

Angel slapped her hand over her mouth, stifling a laugh, her eyes watered and she turned and let out a snicker, “you don’t look like the same Alpha as a fortnight ago, Alpha Black,” Angel said, finally regaining her composure.

I raised an eyebrow at her sincerity and bold words, “She wouldn’t even tell me what was wrong,” I sighed, leaning my head back over the lip of the tub and staring at the ceiling.

“Put her on the bed,” she said gesturing with a nod of her head.

As I carried out her request, she walked into the bathroom and plugged the bath, filling it with hot steamy water. She riffled through the vanity and pulled out a tub of essential oils, pouring few drops of citrus and vanilla into the swirling water. Then she placed some shampoo and conditioner next to the tub, standing and straightening out her dress.

She looked me up and down, “I’ll wake her up, then I want you to wash her, make sure you wash and condition her hair too,” she stopped and took a sniff, “get in the tub yourself, I can tell you must have sprinted here.”

I gave out a chuckle and stopped stroking Alice’s head, stepping back and making way for Angel to work her magic. From the limited time I had spent with my mate, and her friends, I could tell that Angel and Alice had a closer relationship that Steph or Jenny. There was something that had made them closer when they were young, but I wasn’t sure what it was.

Angel scuffed Alice’s hair with her nails and I scowled at the knots that would occur at the result of this, but Alice shifted and rolled over. Her eyes suddenly snapped open as she breathed in and she sat up, looking at Angel.

“Hi love,” she smiled.

Alice’s eyes filled with tears and she flung her body into the arms of her best friend, the crying starting up again. “I know,” she said, stroking Alice’s back and hugging her back.

“Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?” she asked. Pulling out of the hug but still keeping her arms wrapped around Alice.

Alice’s face seemed to pale more and she shook her head, “I don’t know,” she choked out. “Why are you here?”

“Alpha Black invited us to see the Moon Pack’s celebration of finding their Luna,” she said, stroking some of Alice’s loose hair behind her ear. “Jenny, Steph, Kyle and myself flew in this morning, Beta Jamie was showing us to our rooms in the pack house when he said that you requested my assistance getting ready for this evening.”

Her lower lip quivered and she looked at me, “thank you,” she choaked out.

Eventually she stood and walked into the bathroom, encouraged by Angel. As I went to follow, Angel gripped me by the arm, her gaze as strong as her grip, she was not just a pretty face after all.

“Alpha,” she stated, ensuring to maintain respect. “Alice clearly hasn’t talk to you about this issue, so I don’t want to step out of place, but she hasn’t shifted since her first full moon. I suspect she’s overwhelmed, becoming a Luna is a big thing, but your Luna will have a world of expectations thrown on her, she’s afraid she’ll never be able to live up to this expectation.”

I opened my mouth and closed it again, a million questions running through my mind, “how do you know? Why hasn’t she shifted?”

Angel smiled sweetly, realising my arm, “those are questions you will need to ask her. Now go, your mate is waiting for you, Alpha Black.”

I nodded and entered the bathroom, closing the handle-less door behind me. Her robe had dropped to the floor and she looked at herself blankly in the full length mirror, her arms clutched around her insecurely. I removed my shirt, and slowly began to unbuckle my pants, letting them slide to the floor, next my socks and my underwear until I too stood naked, feeling the fresh air against my skin.

I embraced her from behind, and warmed her cold little body against my own, I never understood why she was so cool and all other wolves I knew so warm. Perhaps it was her fractured relationship with her wolf, what had happened that night that left her so afraid? She leaned into me, turning her head to stare at me, an electricity shot down my spine like lightning and I found her lips pressed desperately against my own.

I pulled away from her and looked at her, my chest ached, and my wolf howled at the sight of the sadness in our mate’s eyes. “I will do anything to make you happy,” I promised.

Sweeping her off her feat, she let out a gasp and I sat into the warm water, bringing her with me. She stayed in the embrace, warming herself from the waters and my touch, “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

I looked down at her and kissed her head gingerly, “I wish you would have told me,” I sighed.

“Told you what?” she asked, panic growing in her eyes.

“That you were so afraid, so worried, so anxious,” I said, offering her an encouraging smile.

“I didn’t know,” she replied looking defeated, “I didn’t know until you left.”

A purr ruptured from my chest, “I didn’t think you were so dependent on me,” I murmured, the arousal in my spiked at her words and I pressed my lips back onto hers.

She tangled herself in my limbs and leaned into the kiss, the sparks and electricity flying freely in the space between us.