Creating The Perfect Alpha

Chapter 9

I could tell Elijah didn’t believe me, but I could imagine that for years—probably since he had been born—it had been drilled into him that alphas couldn’t have soft hearts. They had to carry a guarded wall around themselves so no one could take advantage of them.

Elijah went back to his work, reaching for a piece of wood, once more seeming to ignore me. It made me retreat too. I went back to the table, merely watching him, trying to figure out how to get closer to him. Clearly, my efforts so far had only scared him away.

Was the former Sofia ever unkind to him? I asked.

In some ways, Sofia replied.

Did she speak badly to him?

Maybe not like others did, but she did say a few cruel things once in a while. That was mostly because of herself.

Herself?

Because of her own situation. This was arranged, after all. Sofia didn’t pick Elijah, and Elijah didn’t pick Sofia.

Right...

She wasn’t exactly close to her own family either. There was always a distance between them. So being sent here didn’t help and only made her feel lonelier.

Without meaning to, one of Sofia’s old memories hit me.

Thunder crashes outside as I step into the house, a wolf from my now-former home following me, placing a suitcase beside me.

“Good luck,” is all he says before taking off into the rain again.

Though I don’t know his name, I almost want to plead with him to stay.

“Sofia, welcome.”

I turn, seeing the powerful alpha Carter coming down the stairs. He intimidates me like no one else has. I shrink a little.

He stops in front of me. I can’t meet his gaze. I’m too scared.

“Elijah is upstairs, already waiting. I will have a member place your belongings in your room,” he says.

Instantly, I’m hit with a sense of nausea.

Though I already met Elijah at the ceremony, I have dreaded this moment ever since we were tied together.

At least I get a few days to “pack” and say goodbye, I think.

“Don’t let him wait,” the alpha says.

The way he says it, the tone, the implication—it makes me even sicker. Though I don’t want to, I continue on, climbing the first staircase as slowly as I can, then the next. The mark Elijah placed on me is like a beacon, guiding me.

I move toward the pull, finding the door I know he waits behind. I curl and uncurl my hands, disgust filling me. I feel nothing toward this pathetic excuse for an alpha, and yet I’m meant to breed with him?

Anger fills me just as much as sadness does.

Finally, I lift my hand to knock.

So many emotions flowed through me. I almost felt like I was Sofia while, at the same time, watching everything like a fly on the wall. It was rather disturbing to experience a memory like that, but it also gave me a deeper understanding.

Though I felt bad for the former Sofia, I knew Elijah wasn’t exactly thrilled about the arrangement either. He had been forced into it too.

I never blamed him, Sofia joined in.

I could feel she meant that, that she held a place for Elijah in her heart.

But Elijah had clearly never felt the same.

I reached up to where he had placed his mark, yet I barely felt a soul connection to Elijah. It was obvious that, with the year that had gone by, the connection had dwindled to nothing.

This is an issue, I thought.

This also had to be why he didn’t trust my words. He couldn’t feel what was true and what wasn’t. I had a lot of work ahead of me.

“Do you stay in here all day?” I asked, breaking the silence again.

Elijah looked up only momentarily, then shrugged.

“Mostly.”

Every day like this, I thought to myself. He really had been scared away.

“What if we go for a walk? It’s very nice outside.”

“I’m good.”

I wanted to curse loudly. He wasn’t making this easy.

“Shall I make you something then?”

“Make me something?” he echoed.

“A snack? Something to drink?”

Elijah seemed to contemplate it for a second before repeating, “I’m good.”

This alpha is giving me nothing!

I groaned, resting my elbow on the table and my chin in my hand as I stared out at the nice weather.

Was I meant to just sit and wither away with him?

I couldn’t exactly bond with him if he never let me get close.

Close, I thought to myself before looking down at my arms covered by the hoodie. The former Sofia hid herself.

Was it because she didn’t want to risk enticing Elijah, or were there other reasons?

Perhaps it was time I found out. I fanned my face, putting on a show.

“It’s warm in here, don’t you think?” I asked.

He shrugged.

“I think I’ll go change into something a bit more comfortable.”

He barely reacted, but I had seen the way he had glanced at me earlier. Slipping off my seat, I took the tray with me, placed it in the kitchen, then returned to my room.

Going to the closet, I looked through the many options, seeing Sofia wasn’t giving me much to work with. Everything had long sleeves, and most of it covered the neck, but I finally settled on a long blouse that hugged my body a little more closely.

Removing the hoodie, I put it on before looking at myself in the mirror, impressed.

“Where have you been hiding that waist, Sofia?” I inquired.

She had an hourglass figure with a chest any alpha was bound to notice. Feeling good about myself, I took my hair down from its ponytail and ran my hands through the brown strands, making them a little loose and messy.

“Okay, you’ve got this,” I told myself. “You’re an omega now. It’s not hard to get a man’s attention.”

Though I had no desire to take things too far or strip Elijah of any choice, I had to pique his interest enough to make him want to talk to me.

Elijah isn’t really a talker, Sofia reminded me.

“Or maybe he isn’t one because no one tries with him.”

I could tell she wasn’t in full agreement, but she didn’t protest. Taking that as a sign she was on board with my plan, I headed back downstairs. As I reached the end of the staircase and was about to turn into the hallway, I almost ran into a solid body.

“Apologies.”

I looked up only to find what could only be an alpha staring down at me.

That had to be Elijah’s brother.

Yet they looked nothing alike. He had soft brown hair, while Elijah’s was dark. He was built to fight. Elijah was lean and tall. Somehow, he even seemed a bit older than Elijah because of his harsher features.

Eyes down, Sofia reminded me.

Right, I’m a luna anymore.

I lowered my gaze.

“Sorry, I should have seen where I was going.”

What is his name?

Brian.

“Alpha Brian,” I added.

“It’s fine,” he said, yet I detected a slight note of disdain in his voice, as if he looked down on me. “Where are you headed in such a hurry?”

I glanced up, only to see the interest in his eyes as they slowly scanned me.

“Back to keeping Elijah company.”

“You mean stare at him all day while he works on birdhouses?” he mocked.

I felt anger spread through me.

“I think they are beautiful.”

“Really?” he asked.

Looking up, I met his eyes.

“Really.”

Don’t do that! Sofia warned me.

I quickly looked down again, knowing I had to be careful, but it was hard to forget who I had once been.

Silence lingered as I felt his sharp gaze on me.

“If you will excuse me.”

I tried to walk around him, but he stepped to the side, blocking my path.

“You seem... different today,” he remarked.

I shrugged, trying to act nonchalant.

“I slept well,” I lied.

He remained quiet. I took that as my opportunity and slipped around him. Glancing over my shoulder, I caught him looking after me with a curious expression in his eyes. I quickly hurried away.

Okay, don’t do that again. He could have us punished!

“Has he ever?”

No, he rarely even acknowledges us, Sofia explained.

“Then there’s no reason to worry.”

You can’t speak to an alpha like that, she reminded me. You don’t have the same status as before.

“Maybe not, but I think it’s time Sofia asserted herself a little. Otherwise, we’ll always be pushovers, and I’ve been a pushover for long enough.”

I thought you said you wanted to make a life here now.

“I do.”

How are we going to do that if we end up killed?

“We won’t be killed,” I assured her.

How can you be certain?

“They want us to have pups.”

You could be replaced.

“Then they would already have done it,” I said.

Sofia grumbled, sinking further into my mind and clearly done with the discussion. I let her stew in her own sourness as I made my way to the door. This time, I didn’t knock but stepped right into Elijah’s workshop.

However, as I entered, I found him standing with his back to me, sawing through the piece of wood he had grabbed earlier. The loud rrrr, rrrr, rrrr cut into my ears and made it hard to capture his attention.

Knowing it was going to be a while, I went to take a seat by the table again, crossing one leg over the other and tapping my finger impatiently against the tabletop.

Finally, he picked up the piece he had finished and turned. I thought this was it. Now he would notice me. Instead, he placed it down on the thick wooden worktable and continued polishing the edges.

Was he serious?

“Elijah?” I called.

“Hmm,” he responded without looking at me.

Goddess, he is impossible!

I contemplated how to draw his attention when I was reminded of earlier, when he had taken a look at me. I rose from my seat and walked over to him, placing my hands on the table and leaning forward slightly.

“Elijah?” I called again.

“Yeah?”

The man still wasn’t looking at me!

Had he truly no interest in women, or was it just Sofia?

“How about that walk?”

He sighed, his entire body deflating.

“I already said...” As he turned his head, he trailed off, his eyes slowly moving downward again, landing on my chest before continuing over my jean-clad legs.

He seemed to catch himself and shook his head.

Is he blushing? I wondered, noticing the faint red on his cheeks.

He cleared his throat, amusement filling me.

“Um...”

“As I said, the weather is really nice, and I’m sure the birdhouse can be finished later.”

I noticed him fidgeting with the wood as if he didn’t know where to look or what to say.

“It’ll just be a short walk.”

“Just a short one?” he asked, still not looking at me.

“Yes, just a short one.”