Alpha Black

Alice Forrest

We arrived on the Western Boundary around four, two hours earlier than what Nathaniel had anticipated, it’s spent the time alternating between reading some research papers and napping in the back seat of the car. Nathaniel and Jamie had shared the drive, each doing three hours each – give or take. While the guards in the other car rotated more regularly but still following close behind us.

I awoke as we descended the mountain range that separated the Western Boundary from the central territory. The city sat at the base of the mountains, nestled between the spines that descended into the valley in swooping fields of green grass, speckled with cows, sheep and goats.

I felt like I had awoken into a dream of a European mountain side, it reminded me of the classic ‘the sound of music’, with yellow and white flowers springing up across the vibrant green grass.

“Is everywhere in your pack so beautiful?” I breathed; my nose nearly pressed to the glass window.

I felt a twinge of happiness and I looked away, Nathaniel had turned in his seat and was looking at me, a smile etched on his mouth and his eyes smiling for the first time in months. I averted my eyes from his intense gaze, as I felt the blush creeping up my neck, “how far away from the pack house are we?” I asked, running my fingers through my hair.

“Twenty minutes maybe,” Jamie said, as he turned off the highway onto a road that split away from the city.

“It’s situated a bit outside of the city, but still only really a ten-minute drive from the city centre. Just enough to give the wolves here their privacy,” Nathaniel said with a smile.

“Who runs the Western Boundary? Who are the elected?” I asked.

“Beta James lives up here in the Northern Pack house and Mike runs the Southern Pack house, but they’re both staying here to welcome us,” Nathaniel said, turning back to look at the road.

“Are they traitors?” I asked, twiddling my thumbs and looking back out the window.

“I don’t think so, but I think Mike knows more than what he’s letting on. I’m hoping he’ll give something up. There is no way he doesn’t know about the rebellion if he’s running a tight ship.”

“And either way you’ll make sure he’s replaced,” I said leaning my head back, I knew this wasn’t going to be a holiday, but I had hoped it could at least have been enjoyable.

Nathaniel let out a stiff grunt and then the car reverted to it’s comfortable silence.

As we entered the forest, I saw the wolves, running along side the cars, mostly browns, greys and sandy blondes, they howled as we drove up the long gravel driveway to the pack house. It was newer than the Pack House at Savage River, it looked more like a hotel or a development building, but it staggered beautiful up the cliffside next to a waterfall and river.

As the car pulled up, Nathaniel quickly got out of the car and opened my door before I even had the chance to take my seat belt off. Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I put my hand in his outstretched one and let him help me out of the car, as we did so, two men and their wives exited the pack house, one with a small child in her arms.

As my hand slipped into Nathaniel’s my nerves exploded with a fire that seized my entire body, from the flicker of black in Nathaniel’s eyes, I new he felt the same thing and I braced myself for a long evening.

“Alpha Black, Luna, it’s a pleasure to have you here, the older of the two men said opening his arms and walking down the steps to greet us.

“Thank you Mike, I’m gracious for Beta James’ hospitality,” Nathaniel said shaking Mike’s hand while still keeping a firm grip on my waist.

“And you must be Luna Alice, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Mike said bowing his head at me. “Please, let me introduce my wife Jennifer, Beta James, and his wife Grace.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all, I’m honoured to be able to see your corner of paradise up here,” I said with smile.

“Thank you Luna,” Thomas said, shaking Nathaniel’s hand and giving him a nod, “we hope everything here is up to your expectations.”

I turned my head and looked at Jamie who stood behind us, ’why won’t they shake my hand?’ I asked him.

Jamie swallowed and glanced at me for a second before returning his gaze straight ahead and greeting Beta James. ’They’re afraid to touch you,’ he said without missing a beat of the conversation in front of him.

’Why?’

’It’s disrespectful to Nate, they’re afraid if they touch you, if anyone touches you, Nate will likely lash out and try and protect you,’ Jamie chuckled darkly.

I inhaled deeply in frustration, ’Well at least I don’t have to worry about anyone violating my comfort zone or trying to hug me,’ I smirked before turning back to the conversation in front of me.

“You must be agitated after the drive; would you be interested in coming for a quick patrol run with me Alpha Black?” Beta James said to Nathaniel.

Nathaniel glanced down at me, “Luna Alice is more than welcome to join us if she is interested -,” he added quickly, picking up on Nathaniel’s movement.

“I’m a bit exhausted actually, Beta James, but I’ll have to take you up on the offer some other time,” I lied, quickly declining the invitation. “You should go though, darling,” I said placing a hand on Nathaniel’s arm.

“Of course my darling,” Nathaniel said, “I’d be happy to join you, but first I think the Luna and myself will take our bags up to the Alpha suite and freshen up. We’ll be back down in a couple of minutes.

“Of course, take your time,” Beta James said, bowing his head and clearing the pathway into the house.

Grabbing our bags that had been unpacked from the car, I followed Nathaniel into the Pack house and up the grand staircase.

’Do we have a suite in every pack house?’ I asked, following him as he walked with ease through the sparkling white tiled building.

’Yes, while Savage River has been the capital of the Moon Pack for many generations, it’s important to have places for me to stay throughout the pack. It means I never have to worry about being too far from my own bed, I always have somewhere to stay.’

The Alpha suite stood behind two large white doors, and like the rest of the building it had white tile floors that were so reflective they could have been made of mirror. We walked into a large living room which looked into the forest, light flooding in and illuminating the white room. There were two bedrooms off to the right and a small kitchen and dining area to the right, it was like an expensive hotel or penthouse suite.

“Wow,” I said, running my hand along the marble benchtop, “this place is beautiful.”

“I hope so, the architect who designed this place was expensive as hell,” Nathaniel said, pushing our suitcases into one of the bedrooms before closing the door and quickly closing the distanced between us.

“What do you think of the Western Boundary so far?” Nathaniel said, his eyes looking at my lips and collar bone.

“It’s lovely,” I said, stepping backwards into the bench, “are you okay?”

“You don’t smell enough like me,” he said, his gaze wandering back up my neckline and along my jaw, landing on my lips again.

I wasn’t sure if I couldn’t move, or if I didn’t want to, but I watched as his hand slowly came up and cupped my face, and he ran his thumb along my lips, parting them slightly as he did so. His face slowly inched closer to mine before his lips crashed against my own, fanning and feeding the fire that grew at his touch.

I found myself pressing my lips back onto his as he started to pull away, “I’m sorry,” he said trying to take a step backwards. I grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him back down, “don’t be,” I murmured reigniting the kiss.

His hands slowly began to caress the sides of my body, reexploring me after months apart, we were both desperate for each other and we’d touched more today than we had in the last month.

Pulling away from the kiss he seamlessly pulled my tank top over my head, tossing it to the floor. He ran a line of kisses down my neck stopping to nibble at the mark on the crook of my neck, causing a moan to slip from my lips. He trailed his hands down my back, caressing my arse momentarily before lifting me up onto the kitchen bench, standing between my legs.

“You’re getting carried away,” I said as he ran his fingers along my ribs, planting kisses down my collar bone.

“Do you want me to stop?” he purred.

“No,” I admitted, taking in a deep breath as he reached around to undo my bra.

I dropped one hand to the leather belt that attached the blade to my thigh and began to undo them, with the other I grabbed a handful of his hair, forcing his lips back onto mine he gave out a chuckle.

’Then I won’t,’ he chuckled as I let him slip his tongue into the back of my throat.

I couldn’t stay away from this man, or his touch.

His fingers ran down my thighs as he swept and unzipped the boots, letting them fall to the floor. He pushed the blade across the counter, and I began to unbutton his shirt, tossing it behind me onto the counter. Grabbing my thighs, he yanked to towards the edge of the bench, and unbuttoned and zipped my pants, sweeping them off and stepping back, his eyes ran up my body and he slowly stepped forwards carefully grabbing one of my feet and running his hand up it as he closed the space between us once more, “you are so beautiful,” he said softly, “and I am so sorry for hurting you.”

“I know,” I said, feeling the tears starting to well in my eyes, “I’m sorry for the way I acted too.”

He ran his hand over my jaw, his palm stopping on my jaw and rubbing a tear off my cheek. “We don’t have to if you don’t want to,” he said, his eyes swirling and flicking with green flecks and swirls swimming around like a liquid forest.

“Take your pants off.”