Alpha Black

Alice Forrest

I took a deep breath in, the open window in my bedroom let the fresh spring air circulate through my room, yet the sound of the curtains fluttering from the breeze was overshadowed by the buzzing of my phone.

I rolled over and un-plugged it, which surprised me, maybe I wasn’t as drunk as I thought last night. A horribly wonderful photo of Steph illuminated my phone as it vibrated in my hand, and I hit the little green button.

“It’s like eight thirty Steph, why are you calling so early?” I said, collapsing back into the pile of pillows and inhaling the faint scent of citrus and pine that he left lingering on my bedsheets.

“And it’s Sunday Al, you’ve slept for a full day, if not more.”

“Shit,” I said, sitting back up and looking at my phone, she was right, Sunday.

“Did you at least have a good sleep?” Steph asked with a laugh.

“I did actually.”

“And what about pretty boy who you left with last night,” she probed curiously.

I felt a smile form on my face, and I returned to the pillows and blankets with a sigh, “dam Steph, I mean dam.”

“That good then, I guess it’s a positive that things with you and Tom ended.”

“Things were better than good when things with Tom and I ended,” I admitted, “it’s a new chapter, without him and his drama.”

I could feel Steph’s smile through the phone, “I’m happy you’ve accepted it, and I’m happy for you, okay?”

“Okay,” I smiled.

“Are you gunna join us for our brunch today?” she asked sliding it into the conversation.

I grinned and got up out of bed, spotting the glass and card underneath. “Yeah I’ll get ready and see you guys in a bit,” I replied dismissively.

“Kay, Love ya,” Steph said.

“Love you too, sweety,” I replied and hung up the phone.

I read the handwritten note: ‘I look forward to seeing you again’.

“That’s either cute or creepy,” I said to myself, turning the card over to look at the other side. ’N. Black, CEO of Black Industries’. I rolled my eyes, “Well Mr. Black, even if I wanted to call you I don’t have your number.”

I chucked the business card back on the bedside table and walked into the bathroom, the hot steamy water washed away my worries, making me feel fresh and new. I felt warm and tingly, like I could still feel his kisses on my neck and his touch on my skin. I washed it all away and covered his smell in a beautiful vanilla body wash.

Stepping out of the shower, wrapped in a towel I glanced at myself in the mirror, only to notice a deep purple hickey on my neck. Lifting my hand to touch the mark, I could feel an electric sensation surge from it.

“Dam, he’s got me wrapped around his finger,” I said closing my legs thinking about the ecstasy of Friday night.

It was hard to brush the hickey to the back of my mind, as I slathered myself in moisturiser, I found some brushes on my hips, shoulder, and some red crescent shaped marks from his fingernails on my thigh. At least I knew I wasn’t the only one who enjoyed themselves last night.

I eventually settled on wearing a black collared shirt. With long sheer sleeves and a collar is hid the hickey and bruises but with a pair of light jeans and black sandals it still felt casual and cute. I then threw on some of my favourite jewellery staples and some basic light makeup.

I was the first one to rock up at the café, as it was only a couple blocks from my apartment building, I often just walked there, so I sat reclined in a chair at our usual table. We started coming here four years ago and every Sunday morning we would sit at this table, eating, talking and laughing.

Over the years the café has become more and more popular, eventually getting a remodel and looking the cluttered hipster part for the crowds that it attracted. There was a couple of rows of outdoor tables and sun umbrellas, which would be replaced by fire pits in the colder months, there were booths and armchairs lining the perimeter of the café with larger sitting tables scattered in the middle.

Our table was located at the back of the café, tucked out of the way and next to a large glass window that looked out into a green courtyard for the neighbouring building complex. After coming here so frequently, we ended up learning the staff and owner all by name, they knew our faces, our names and most importantly, our coffee orders. Even when their store got remodelled, the owner couldn’t bring himself to throw out the old armchairs that we had claimed. He got them, and a few other assorted chairs, reupholstered and featured them throughout the café as ‘coffee lounge area.’

Coming to this café every Sunday was one of our conditions that my friends made when I moved out of home for university. They had screamed and wailed, saying they’d never get to see me, that I’d be too busy with new friends and men to talk to them. I had countered, pointing out that no one reacted this way when Angel moved out of home at eighteen and married her mate. To be fair, her husband was the Beta of the pack, so it’s not as if she’d be going anywhere far away.

But still, this became our thing.

I was watching the dust streaming through the sunlight where someone placed a caramel coffee in front of me, “You’re early this morning Alice,” a young smiling brunette said.

“Oh, thanks Sophie,” I said, picking up the mug and taking in a big swig of the sweet smooth coffee. “How are things going? How’s exam prep?”

“Oh, it’s alright, really boring and stressful,” she said with a slightly pained look on her face. “Everyone else running late?” she asked, noting the empty spots around me.

“Um, we are not late,” Steph said with Jenny in tow.

“Yeah, apparently Alice is just early for once in her life!” Jenny said, throwing some designer handbag on her seat and taking her coat off.

“Where is Angel though?” Steph said, taking her little armchair next to the window, like mine.

“She had some pack stuff she had to do this weekend,” I said curling up into the chair.

“Ugh, that must drive her crazy, I know she hates those things,” Jenny said as Sophie walked off to get their coffees.

“That’s only because every single Beta and Alpha of other packs try and get in her pants.”

“It’s a good thing Kyle is ripped, otherwise I’m sure some creepy old man would have tried to kidnap her by now,” Steph said winking at Angel as she walked towards us.

“You’re a minute late,” I said looking down at my watch.

“Shut up,” she said rolling her eyes.

“How was ‘pack stuff’?” I asked.

She rolled her eyes and stared at the ceiling for a second, “you know, the same as normal. I just hate going to the pack house, you know, it’s so grimy and old.”

“We mean how was the fancy dinner and pedos,” Steph asked, leaning over the table giving a smile at Sophie handed her, her coffee.

Angel smiled sarcastically, “I have no idea what you are on about, they’re all lovely men and women who attend these meetings.”

A wave of laughter washed over us, and we leaned back and enjoyed the warm atmosphere of the café, the familiar faces and smell of warm food and coffee intoxicated the space.

“How was it though?” I asked seriously. Everyone knew trouble was on the horizon, something brewed in the South, no one knew what as Alpha’s and Beta’s kept a tight lock on it. Yet everyone was growing anxious and paranoid.

“Kyle said everything went fine,” Angel said smiling sweetly but dropping her gaze. “There were a couple of power-hungry Alpha’s who threw around their weight a bit, trying to stir up trouble, but the truly powerful players seemed co-operative.”

“That’s good,” I smiled back at her.

Sophie stepped up to the table, bringing a happy cheerier aura with her, “the usual for everyone today?” she said with a smile.

“Yes please,” I smiled sweetly and the others mirrored.

“So,” Angel said turning her head dramatically towards me, as Sophie walked away “how did things go with tall handsome stranger?” she said giving her eyebrows a seductive wiggle.

Another wave of laughter washed over us, and I hid the blush on my face behind my hands, “yes, please, do tell,” Jenny edged on.

I knew that I couldn’t avoid this conversation with them, keeping something from these three women was like trying to walk without legs, you could do it. But it wasn’t easy or worth the consequences.

“It was,” I paused, unsure how to continue. “It was good.”

“Good?” Jenny said looking at me in shock, “you leave the bar with, quite possibly one of the most attractive and well-dressed guys there, and we don’t hear anything from you for over twenty-four hours, and all you have to say is, good?”

I felt the heat raise back up onto my cheeks and I covered my face in embarrassment.

“It was incredible, mind blowing, nothing like what I had with Tom,” I admitted.

“I’m sorry, did I hear that right?” Jenny asked.

“Bright as day,” Angel said shaking her head.

“Better than Tom…” Steph murmured.

“Give us more!” Jenny urged.

I swallowed and glanced at Steph who seemed to have a smirk on her face, “he was different, everything about him was different in such a good way. Everything from the way he touched me, to the way he kissed me, he was done with care and passion.”

“Was he, blessed?” Jenny asked with a wink.

“In more ways than one,” I replied maintaining intense eye contact.

“I’m happy to hear you’re getting over Tom,” Steph said with a smile, “he wasn’t any good for you and he was a total arse.”

“Here, here!” Jenny said raising her cup before taking a sip.

“I assume he wasn’t there when I called this morning,” Steph said giving me a look.

I shook my head, “no, but Mister Black did leave his business card on my side table.”

Jenny sighed, “Kinda cringey,” she said.

“Could have been worse,” Steph said looking pained.

“All true, but I have to admit I’m kinda happy he didn’t hang around until I woke up. I don’t know how to deal with, eh-”

“Flings?” Jenny offered.

“One-night stands?” Steph suggested.

“Hook ups? Angel asked.

“All of them, I guess,” I said still cringing.

Our plates of food had been served and nearly licked clean, as the food had only gotten better over time. The breakfast rush had eased, and the café was now filled with people sipping on coffees, reading books, and working on laptops. The chatter was quiet and calming and I felt my heart beat slow and eyelids grow heavy as I listened to my friends talk about their lives, jobs and the attractive men in Jenny’s life.

I was nearly drifting off to sleep, “Al, what do you think?” Steph asked, and my eyes snapped open.

“Sorry what?”

“How are you still tired?” Jenny asked.

I rolled my eyes at her comment, “What was the question?”

“Why is it everyone except you three have found your mates,” Angel said with a laugh.

“What?” I said confused.

“Well almost every single person I know has found their mate within a year or so of turning eighteen, I mean werewolves must be skyrocketing statistics on late teen and early twenties weddings. Yet I sit in a café with three of the most attractive, and smart women I know, who are not only single, but mate-less.”

I smiled at her words, they were true, most of the werewolves who we graduated high school with were not only married but had kids. I twisted my face up to pretend like I was pondering the stupid question, “do you guys want ‘Fun Alice’, or ‘Academic Alice’?” I jested.

“Definitely fun Alice,” Steph said early.

“Well, we just need to look at Angel.”

“What!” Angel objected, “I’m the married one!”

“Exactly, like the rest of us, Angel is beautiful, smart, and funny. So, what makes us different? She’s less of a jerk that us.”

Jenny nearly spat out the water she was in the process of drinking and Steph let out silent wheezes as she laughed. All while Angel stared at me unimpressed.

“I want to object,” she said slowly, “But you are all a bunch of arseholes.”

Large grins formed on all our faces, and we burst into a fit of giggles that must have irritated the other café patrons around us. “To being single!” Jenny said raising her glass.

“To being free!” Steph said raising hers.

“To being arseholes!” I said confidently.

“To being friends,” Angel finished with a laugh, and our glasses all rang as they collided over the coffee table.

A deep commanding growl erupted from behind us, and I could feel an intense gaze burning down on us, feeling the colour draining from my face, my eyes met his sparkling green ones. He was not happy, but the smell, it took over me, the scent of a pine forest and citrus drowned me and as my mind raced to catch up with what was happening, I felt my body gasp desperately for air.

He was my mate.

He stood behind Jenny and Angel, looking down disapprovingly at the four of us, obviously having walking in at the most badly timed moment. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He wore more business-like attire, like he had been at work, with a collared white shirt, rolled up at the sleeves and black ironed pants, he looked the part of CEO that his business card suggested. Yet despite his professional and calm appearance, I saw the rage and anger swirling in his eyes, I knew in this moment, he was not a man to be trifled with.

Jenny stood quickly and my eyes followed her, perplexed, “Alpha Black, it’s a pleasure to see you again, though I’m surprised to hear you’re still in town,” Jenny said offering her hand.

His gazed dropped to her hand and he shook it, “You’re the Beta Stones’ Wife, aren’t you?” he asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“I’m not sure I expected you to have such progressive and rowdy friends,” he said, casting an eye over the three of us who sat like statues, glued to our chairs. I saw Angel’s mouth move as she talked to my mate, but I just couldn’t hear it, my mind ran wild.

Alpha Black, that name was so familiar, where did I know it from... My stomach lurched and I could have sworn my heart stopped, The Black’s were a family legacy of Alpha’s like no other, their blood line was strong, and their lands had outgrown and absorbed the packs that neighboured their own. Their reputation had once been based solely on the bloodshed they caused, yet while their Warriors, Betas and Alpha were still feared, they inspired awe through a modern division of land and governance.

Still, no one seemed to dare cross such a legacy, when war was rumoured, when rouges banded together, they were quickly snuffed out overnight. Their tactics were ruthless, merciless, and harsh. They were killers, murders, thieves, and their Alpha was my mate. I could feel the panic attack rising within me, his scent deprived me of oxygen, my heart hammered in my chest like a drum and adrenaline began to pump through my blood.

His gaze broke from Jenny, and he looked at me, he outstretched his hand, his emerald eyes seemed so soft for a killer and murderer. His mouth moved, but I could not hear him over the sound of my heartbeat, it drummed in my ears like the music at the club. Before I knew it, I was on my feet and running out of the café, accidentally running into Alex, a waiter, knocking the tray out of his hands, glasses and plates fell to the floor, shattering and spraying glass and china across the tiles.

Revision – 29/06/2021

Purpose – Spelling and Grammar

Revision - 23/07/2022

Purpose - Grammar and General