Amara: The Alpha's slave mate

Chapter 10

July 16

The tension in the room was palpable, with each second my nerves increased. I was out of my depth here. I had no idea what this man expected of me. No idea what was acceptable and what wasn’t. He seemed to get angry at the slightest provocation, but the things I thought would stir that anger often didn’t.

“Greyson and Anders will scout the house, try to find out what’s going on. For now, we just need to stay put.” The Alpha informed taking a seat on the edge of the bed and watching me with curios eyes. Eyes that saw entirely too much. It was terrifying.

“Are you okay?” He asked and I gasped in a lungful of air before nodding with jerky movements. “You’re safe here Amara.” The dark-haired man stated with a frown and I considered that.

I don’t think I would truly feel safe anywhere anymore. Alpha Westley would always be a threat, a guiding force in the back of my mind that had me questioning everything. His way of life was the only one I knew and speaking casually with an Alpha was akin to treason in his eyes. I was not worthy, of the time or attention of anyone above my station, that had always been made clear to us slaves, and the consequences of stepping out of line, of acting above our stations meant that it was never worth taking the risk.

But here was this man, an attractive, young, proud, powerful man. An Alpha, and all he seemed to want was answers to some of the most bizarre questions, personal questions, as though he actually wanted to know me, rather than just to ensure that I was suitable to be his Luna.

“Come and sit.” The Alpha directed and I moved as though following an order, without any thought for what I wanted. I perched on the edge of the bed, mere inches from the Alpha but held myself rigid, hands in my lap head bent. “Amara…” My name was whispered into the air, a murmur in the silence around us and I found myself looking into his eyes, trying to decipher what he wanted.

“Yes Alpha?”

“Able.” He stated with a frown. “My name is Able.” He informed, not for the first time, and I wondered if I would ever have the courage to use it, it seemed to be what he wanted. I nodded and watched as he let out a breath, his frustration was clear but I couldn’t do anything else. I was still just trying to survive.

“We need to talk about this.” He stated gesturing between us.. “You said you don’t know much about it, do you have any questions?” He continued and I held my breath.

He seemed so calm sitting there, so sure of himself and the two men he had sent out to investigate, although what he hoped they would find I don’t know. As much as this situation needed my full attention it was almost impossible for me to even consider being mated to this man, my mind was solely focused on the fact that I may not be alive come morning, well that and the salivating thoughts of my wolf, but I was trying to ignore that given how inappropriate the were.

“Amara I’m at a loss here. I understand that all you know is the life you have had here, but I need you to talk to me, not tell me what you think I want to hear. I want to know what you think, what you want.” His words were edgy, laced with an anger that I couldn’t place. I hadn’t done anything wrong this time. “Talk to me, please.” He almost begged and I bit my lip, trying to think of something to say, something that wouldn’t anger him further.

“You will never be in trouble with us, you will never be punished. The rules you have had to follow do not apply to us, to me.” He continued and I watched him with wary eyes as he stood and paced the room for a minute before stopping and turning to face me.

“Do you want this? Do you want to be mated to me?” He asked and I swallowed hard. Well, that was a loaded question if ever I had heard one, if nothing else, at least I wasn’t thinking about all the ways that Alpha Westley could kill me anymore.

The truth was that I didn’t know. Did I want out of this pack, yes, did I want to do all manner of unspeakable things with this man, yes, but did I want to be the Luna of a new pack, with new rules that I didn’t understand? Would the grass be greener?

“I don’t know.” I muttered honestly without forethought and waited to see what he would do but he only continued to look at me, like he was waiting for more, so I steeled my spine and did something I had never done before. I spoke my mind.

“I don’t have much experience with mated couples, or Luna’s. I don’t know what it would involve, being mated to you.” I stated, a slight blush staining my cheeks as my wolf threw out suggestions of what it would be like. Or at least what she wanted it to be like. “I’ve seen what the Luna here is like, how she’s treated, and I know I don’t want that, its no different to my life now, or maybe it’s worse, like an illusion of freedom, without the real thing. And while I don’t think you would treat your mate like that, I don’t know. I don’t know you or your pack.” I stated then instantly wished I could take the words back.

“Well, that’s easily fixable. We’re going to be here for a while, what do you want to know?” He asked, retaking his seat beside me and I swallowed. Where did I even start?

“Would you tell me about your pack?” The question was timid but hopeful and I watched as his lips tugged up in a smile. Something I noted that he hadn’t done a lot of in my presence. It was amazing how such a small thing could transform a person. The Alpha went from being an imposing, handsome man, to being a breath-taking one.

“Silver lake is north of here, about two days travel, the pack is set at the base of a mountain, surrounded by forest, we have a little over six hundred pack members so we’re larger in numbers than this pack.”

“Silver lake has been under my families leadership for centuries, my father was the Alpha before me, he gave up his reign, three years ago but is still an advisor in times of need.” He stated with a smile and I nodded for him to continue.

“We don’t have slaves in Silver lake, nor do any of the surrounding packs. It’s an archaic tradition, one we are trying to stamp out, but a lot of pack Alpha’s are reluctant to give up free labour and control, there has been more than one fight over the last couple of years. Red mist was our next target. I’m here with Greyson and Anders to get a feel for how the place runs. To see if Alpha Westley would be receptive to change.”

“He won’t be.” I uttered and watched the sad twitch of the Alphas lips.

“We figured that out as soon as we arrived. It’s worse here than we knew, I’m so sorry that you have had to endure this life.”

“It’s not all been bad. There are 14 slaves in this house, it’s like having a big extended family, all living under one roof.”

“You’re close with them?”

“As close as you can be with anyone I guess.” I uttered, but my mind was stuck on thoughts of Silver lake.

“What would I have to do?”

“As Luna?” He questioned and I nodded.

“Well, that’s up to you. While my Mum was Luna, she held weekly luncheons, a chance for the pack members to get to know her and to ask questions and air any concerns they had, some of the pack might expect that to continue, but you wouldn’t have to if you didn’t want to.”

“You would be expected to attend functions with me, pack parties and festivals, and sometimes you may need to travel with me to other packs, but for the most part, your life would be your own, to live as you wished.” He stated and I swallowed hard, the thought was so surreal, that I may get even a day to decide what I wanted to do, rather than living to someone else’s timetable.

For a little over an hour, the Alpha told me everything he could think of about his pack, he described the pack house in such detail I could almost picture it. The lake at the base of the mountain and the little fishing cabin that belonged to his family. He told me about his parents and his younger brother and sister, and about some of the festivals and balls that they held at the pack house, which was open to the whole pack.

With each story he told I felt my excitement increasing and my body relaxing. I wanted this life, I just wasn’t sure I was capable of living it, although my wolf insisted that was entirely my own self-doubt, and that we would survive, and rise to the challenge, she promised me that we wouldn’t fail, she wouldn’t let me. Her thoughts were pleading and continuous until I eventually relented.

“Okay.” I uttered the word aloud garnering a strange look from the Alpha, Able. Maybe I really should start calling him by his name now

“Okay?”

“Okay.” I repeated my assured now.

“You’ll come with me?” He asked tentatively, and I realise belatedly, he hadn’t asked a question for me to answer. With a blush staining my cheeks, I nodded and watched as his smile widened.

We sat in silence for what felt like an age, each of us watching the other, soaking in the reality of what I had just agreed to. There was a lot for me to sort before I left, I needed to pick one of the girls to take over taking food to the pack members. I just hoped that Alpha Westley didn’t take my departure out on the rest of the girls.

“How…” I started to ask how we were going to tell my Alpha, when a gentle knock on the door startled me into a panic.

Able placed a calming hand on my leg, although it had the opposite reaction to what he intended. It was a simple gesture, made without any conscious thought on his part no doubt, and yet it stirred up an entire maelstrom of thoughts inside me. Tingles raced across my skin at the contact mild, no doubt due to the barrier of cloth, and yet it was enough to stop my breath. No one had ever touched me there before. No one had ever really touched me at all. None of the girls were touchy feely, Mrs H dolled out hugs once in a while but somehow that was different. Those hugs didn’t get my heart racing or my mind tumbling.

And suddenly my wolfs thoughts took on an entirely different meaning.

At some point we were going to have to mate. Like physically mate

“Come in.” Ables soft words were just an echo in my mind as I started to panic again. In all my reading, and self-study, I had never read anything about that. About relations between a mated couple. What exactly would he expect? What was I supposed to do? What if I was a disappointment, would he regret mating with me at all?

The door creaked open and the panicked faces that entered reflected my own horror, although I doubted it was for the same reasons.

“We have to go. Now!”