The Lost Alpha

Which Is The Lie?

"How would you know what my mother looked like?" I was stunned. My father never mentioned her, never talked about her. We didn’t have any pictures or anything. I had no idea what she looked like or sounded like or anything.

"Because your mother was my mate."

"What?" I asked, my eyes narrowing, and stepping back from this man, this Alpha.

"Please," he said gently. "Let me explain. I will tell you everything, I will answer every question. Just, please, let me explain."

I considered walking out at that moment. I considered ignoring everything about this werewolf stuff and going on with my life as I had planned. But I had always wanted to know about my mother. I never asked my dad because I thought it would be too hard for him to think about. Now was my chance, and maybe my only chance to find out everything I had wanted to know.

I sat down in the chair and waited expectantly. Alpha Morris leaned on the edge of his desk, his arms crossing his chest, and took a deep breath.

‘Your mother's name was Mariana Rose Collins. She was the daughter of my father's Gamma. The sister of my Gamma. We grew up together, but it wasn't until our wolves appeared at twenty-one that we knew we were mates." He paused, looking at the confused expression that I was trying to hide. "The mate bond is the strongest connection you can have. A werewolf only gets one fated mate in their lives. That mate makes a werewolf stronger. It’s the werewolf equivalent of a soul mate. They are two halves of one whole, just as you and your wolf are two minds in one body." He explained. "And Mariana was mine." He took a slow breath. "We loved each other already and so, it was natural that we mated, and I marked her as my own.” It took me a few seconds to realize that ‘mate’ was a more polite term for ‘s*x’. “A few weeks later, the outskirts of our land was attacked by rogues, and I was sent to go and fight. But it was a ruse, and their real target was the pack house."

"They attacked far away from their intended target to leave it unprotected and vulnerable." I said. "It's a traditional military tactic, but often seen as a cheap shot done by cowards."

"You have a mind for military tactics?" Alpha Morris asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

"I was a history nerd when I was younger, before I decided to focus on medicine." I shrugged. "I guess some things just stuck in my brain."

"Well, you're right. A true warrior fights by a set of morals and ethics. But rogues are not true warriors. They are outcasts and criminals with no ethics or morals." He said angrily. "They attacked the pack house while it was unprotected and made off with many important pack members."

"Including my mother." I said. Alpha Morris’ eyes were sad as the memory came flooding back.

"Yes." His voice was thick. "You have to know, I searched everywhere for her. I was mad with grief. My wolf was beside himself. But the rogues had hidden her scent. I assumed they kept her dosed with wolfsbane to keep her from being found." He paused, shaking his head. "I searched for years. Long after everyone told me to give it up. I couldn't stop."

"Why did you?" I asked.

"Because I had word of her death." He looked up at me. "Three years after she was taken, our pack researcher found the death certificate. I was heartbroken, and my wolf . . ." He trailed off looking down at his hands. "That day my wolf gave up. He retreated into the depths of my mind and has stayed there.” He paused. “Until today." He looked up into my eyes, our matching grey eyes. "Today, when he smelled you, he came back out."

"Why?" I asked. "Why me?" I already knew, but I needed him to confirm it before I could fully believe it.

"Because you are Mariana's daughter." He said. "You are my daughter."

I sat in shock, staring up at him. He had really just said that. He had really just said that I was his daughter, his child.

"If I'm your daughter, then who is my father, the man I grew up with?"

"A man I am very grateful for." Alpha Morris said with a sad smile. "He raised you, protected you. I can already tell you are a very intelligent young woman, motivated, beautiful. And I would very much like to meet him, and thank him for everything he has done."

"Do you have any other children?" I asked. I didn't know why, but it was the first thing I thought of. "Did you ever remarry?"

"No. To both questions." He shook his head. "I couldn't get over the loss of Mariana. I was encouraged to, of course. An Alpha needs an heir to take over, but no one could compare to Mariana. And I refused to settle, my wolf refused to let me settle."

“And you had no idea I existed?” I asked.

“None. There is no record of your birth, and I didn’t even know Mariana was pregnant when she was taken.” He explained.

I took a moment to quietly think things over in my mind.

"I am your daughter." I said. And then scoffed. "I just found out I'm a werewolf, which I tried to deny if I'm being honest. I thought I was going insane, schizophrenic, or bipolar or something. Faolan had to force me to shift to make me believe it, and I'm still not sure that I haven't had a massive accident and am in a coma or something." I was rambling now. It was something I did when my brain was totally overwhelmed with information. It helped me sort things out. "And now, you tell me that my entire childhood was a lie. My father isn't really my father. My mother was a werewolf in her own right, and I wasn't actually meant for the life that I had." I looked up at him. "So, what does it all mean?"

"Well," Alpha Morris took a deep breath. "Traditionally, the firstborn son inherits the Alpha role. But I don't have any sons. I have you." He smiled at me fondly. "So, when I step down, the Alpha role will naturally pass to you. You will become the leader of the Blue Lake pack."

"Andrea?"

"No." I said quietly.

"No?"

"No." I repeated, louder this time. "My name is Andy. My father's name is Douglas." I stood, now angry. "I just took the MCATs and am going to medical school in the fall. I'm not a leader, I'm not an, an Alpha. I know nothing about werewolves, or leading a pack, or anything!"

"I can teach you." Alpha Morris straightened up. "I'll teach you and train you."

"No. It's too much. It’s not what I want." I took a few steps towards the door and then turned to face him, trying to keep my voice calm. "I have plans. I have very big plans that I have worked way too hard for. I can’t abandon all of that. I'm sorry." I paused. “It was very nice to meet you.”

I threw my bag back over my head and strode to the door, throwing it open to find Grant waiting out in the hall.

"I'd like to be taken back to my car, please. I want to go home." I said, walking straight past him. A moment later, he was on my tail following me out.

"What happened?" He asked.

"I don't want to talk about it." I growled. "Just take me back to school and we never have to talk to each other again."

I stopped suddenly, Grant nearly tripping to avoid colliding with me.

"What the hell, Andy?"

I couldn't respond. I was stuck on the spot. I had glanced at movement in the kitchen and was staring into the deep blue eyes of a man. Faolan was going nuts in my head.

"What is it?" I asked, but she couldn't articulate herself into sentences. Only one word came through.

"Mate!" The man and I were locked in each other's gaze. He was tall, handsome, with light brown hair and an athletic build. He really was so handsome. Definitely someone I could see myself falling in love with. And I could smell him, all woodsy and piney, and perfect.

"No." I repeated again, pulling my gaze from the blue-eyed man. I stalked out the door and straight to Grant's car, despite the howls of protest from Faolan.

"But he is our mate!" She yelled at me.

"I said no!" I yelled back. She tried to get me to turn around, but I was too angry. "No! I'm not doing this! I have a plan and that's it!"

"Screw your plan! This is our life we're talking about!" Faolan strained against me, but I overpowered her.

"I don't care."

Grant dropped into the driver's seat next to me.

"What happened?" He asked again.

"Nothing." I answered shortly.

"I don't believe that for a second." Grant scoffed, looking at me.

"I said, nothing!" As I raised my voice, I felt a strange power flow through my body. A power that made Grant flinch. I forced myself to calm down. "Nothing of consequence. I just want to go home."

"As you wish."